Expert tips for used-car buyers to spot 'widespread' odometer tampering
- Replies 0
Odometer tampering is "very widespread," according to the peak body for the automotive sales and service industry, which has issued a fresh warning to second-hand car buyers.
The warning comes after a used-car salesman was fined $25,000 and had his licence suspended for five years for winding back a total of 648,000 kilometres on the odometers of seven vehicles, inflating their value by $64,000.
The legal counsel for the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the prosecuting agency, told the court during sentencing that the practice was common.
According to the OFT, it has conducted 105 odometer-fraud investigations since 2022, leading to 12 prosecutions, nine of which have been successful, and three that are still before the courts.
In one of the most serious cases, two men are accused of tampering with the odometers of 50 vehicles. The pair will face court in Brisbane next month.
Multiple states have launched crackdowns on the practice in recent years, with maximum penalties ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.
The deputy chief executive of the Motor Trades Association (MTA) of Queensland, Kellie Dewar, said dodgy dealers were able to use software to reprogram digital odometers on modern cars.
"It still is very widespread," Ms Dewar said.
"With advances in technology, unfortunately, come advances in people working out how to do the wrong thing."
The MTA has created an online portal to report odometer tampering in a bid to weed out repeat offenders.
In New South Wales and Victoria, buyers can access odometer readings listed on a vehicle's previous roadworthy inspection reports.
Spotting the warning signs
The MTA said the likelihood of identifying odometer fraud increases dramatically with a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic.
"There is no use buying the car and then doing a check," Ms Dewar said.
While some of the telltale signs can be hard to spot, there are red flags that can be picked up by an untrained eye.
The MTA recommends checking for excessive wear and tear on the steering wheel, seats, seat belts, gear stick, brake and accelerator pedals.
"Do a bit of a sanity check to say, 'Does this match up with the kilometres travelled on the car?'" Ms Dewar said.
She said current punishments were inadequate and people caught winding back the clock should be forced to pay compensation.
Experts said buyers should also review a used car's log books and service history, which creates a "paper trail" for odometer readings, and ask questions if those documents were not available.
Motoring journalist Paul Gover said while tampering was often difficult to prove, if buyers had suspicions, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Like everything in life, if it seems to good too be true, it probably is," he said.
"If you have got alarm bells ringing, just walk away."
Written by Mackenzie Colahan, Nicole Dyer and Kelly Higgins-Devine, ABC News.
The warning comes after a used-car salesman was fined $25,000 and had his licence suspended for five years for winding back a total of 648,000 kilometres on the odometers of seven vehicles, inflating their value by $64,000.
The legal counsel for the Queensland Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the prosecuting agency, told the court during sentencing that the practice was common.
According to the OFT, it has conducted 105 odometer-fraud investigations since 2022, leading to 12 prosecutions, nine of which have been successful, and three that are still before the courts.
Experts warn tampering with odometers is widespread in the used-car industry. (ABC Southern Qld: Peter Gunders)
In one of the most serious cases, two men are accused of tampering with the odometers of 50 vehicles. The pair will face court in Brisbane next month.
Multiple states have launched crackdowns on the practice in recent years, with maximum penalties ranging from $50,000 to $200,000.
Alexander Hallett was fined $25,000 for odometer fraud at used-car dealerships he operated. (ABC News: Glenn Mullane)
The deputy chief executive of the Motor Trades Association (MTA) of Queensland, Kellie Dewar, said dodgy dealers were able to use software to reprogram digital odometers on modern cars.
"It still is very widespread," Ms Dewar said.
"With advances in technology, unfortunately, come advances in people working out how to do the wrong thing."
The MTA has created an online portal to report odometer tampering in a bid to weed out repeat offenders.
In New South Wales and Victoria, buyers can access odometer readings listed on a vehicle's previous roadworthy inspection reports.
Spotting the warning signs
The MTA said the likelihood of identifying odometer fraud increases dramatically with a pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic.
"There is no use buying the car and then doing a check," Ms Dewar said.
While some of the telltale signs can be hard to spot, there are red flags that can be picked up by an untrained eye.
The MTA recommends checking for excessive wear and tear on the steering wheel, seats, seat belts, gear stick, brake and accelerator pedals.
"Do a bit of a sanity check to say, 'Does this match up with the kilometres travelled on the car?'" Ms Dewar said.
NSW Fair Trading officers inspect an imported second-hand vehicle in Sydney. (AAP: Paul Miller)
She said current punishments were inadequate and people caught winding back the clock should be forced to pay compensation.
Experts said buyers should also review a used car's log books and service history, which creates a "paper trail" for odometer readings, and ask questions if those documents were not available.
Motoring journalist Paul Gover said while tampering was often difficult to prove, if buyers had suspicions, it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Like everything in life, if it seems to good too be true, it probably is," he said.
"If you have got alarm bells ringing, just walk away."
Written by Mackenzie Colahan, Nicole Dyer and Kelly Higgins-Devine, ABC News.
