8 Tips to avoid ODO Meter Fraud while buying a used Car

Some people roll back the odometers on their rental cars in order to avoid paying the mileage fees. Several people can also tamper with the odometers when they are looking to make a bit more money when selling a used vehicle. The average odometer rollback is around 48,000 kilometers or 30,000 miles, which can, in turn, increase the value of the used vehicle by a couple of thousand dollars. Avoid this fraud by following the steps as listed below. Recommended: 5 Factors to consider before buying a Used Car

1-Examine the odometer and look for the number of miles: Most vehicles on average travel around 20,000 KM every year. Hence if the car is 5 years old and it has less than 100,000 Km on it, then you can suspect that the odometer has been tampered with.[irp]

2-Look extremely closely at the numbers indicated on the odometer: Some of the automobile manufacturers have programmed the odometers to indicate an asterisk on the odometer if the mileage has been tampered with. The General Motors odometers usually have a black space in between the numbers. If you notice a silver space or white space in between the numbers, then the GM odometer has been probably changed.

3-Ask the seller to show you the original title, not duplicates: If the title is conveniently from a different state or is brand new, then it may be a case of title fraud or title washing. Hence the mileage on the odometer will also be fake. Be extremely sure to closely examine the number of the mileage and look for any signs of tampering or smudging.

4-Ask to see the maintenance and oil change receipts along with inspection stickers: Examine the mileage on the inspection stickers and receipts and then compare it to the number on the odometer. The inspection stickers are usually found on the door frames or windows.

5-Look for any missing screws near or on the dashboard: If the dashboard does not look like it has been put together perfectly, as it would have been in the manufacturing unit, you can be sure that the odometer has been tampered with.

6-Inspect the floor mats and brake pedals: If the floor mats and/or the brake pedal looks to be worn out badly and yet the odometer shows low mileage, then it may be a clear-cut case of odometer fraud.

7-Take the vehicle to your trusted mechanic and ask them to examine the car from top to bottom: Your trusted mechanic will know exactly what to look for and where to look for it. The mechanic would know what parts are most commonly replaced with newer ones and which parts are kept original despite the age of the car.

8-Measure the depth of the tread of the tires: If the odometer displays only 40,000 KM or so, the car should be having the original tires, and the tread should not be deeper than 1/16 of an inch or around 1.5875 mm.