Car mileage is one of the key deciding factors when buying a used car. It is wise to inspect whether the advertised mileage is accurate or not. You can check the number of kilometres on the odometer to see how much it was driven. A car that hasn’t been driven much has a better chance of lasting longer and driving better for the new owner. However, sometimes sellers indulge in an unethical practice of odometer rollback to show the wrong mileage.
Fortunately, there are few signs that can help you identify such actions. This guide explains how to check if a car’s mileage is correct.
WHAT IS ODOMETER ROLLBACK?
Odometer rollback is a term denoting that a car’s odometer is tampered with. This can happen by disconnection, resetting or any other types of alterations. Odometer rollback shows fewer kilometres that helps increase the value of the vehicle at the time of purchase. Moreover, such alterations in the odometer can also be detected in a pre-purchase car inspection conducted by experts.
This is why to make an informed decision, always follow the checklist when buying a used car in the UAE to avoid any extreme trouble.
HOW TO CHECK IF THE CAR MILEAGE IS GENUINE
Given that it is very important to check whether car mileage is genuine or not, let’s learn how to tell if the odometer has been rolled back
EXAMINING THE ODOMETER
The rule of thumb to check for mileage validity is inspecting the odometer. It’s one of the best, proven methods to save yourself time in going for other ways to verify its genuineness. It is important to note that if you are interested to purchase a vehicle approximately five years old, the odometer reading must be more than 50,000 km. By examining the odometer and not finding the range within the estimated figure, you would know that there is a high risk of the mileage being invalid.
Another way to determine it is by looking for an asterisk by the numbers on the odometer. Some model of vehicles displays an asterisk to indicate when the number has been altered. You can also examine the dashboard exhibit to see if there are any missing screws, unusual scratches, or something disproportionately off. This usually signifies that the car mileage is not genuine.
CHECKING THE CAR’S HISTORY REPORT
Always ask for the vehicle’s history report in the UAE when you venture out to buy a car, as it will save you potentially a lot of wasted time. Seek detailed reports as those will act as excellent guides in your buying process by sharing inward details of recorded mileages. The history report alerts you to any apparent mileage discrepancies by giving an accurate account of the car’s mileage on specific dates.
Using that report, you can check for any weird gaps or fishy mileages imputed under various dates. You can also compare the vehicle’s current odometer reading to that of the reports. Keep an eye on the fonts being consistent throughout the documents to ensure no tampering has been carried out.
HISTORY OF SERVICE
Another possible way to check for car mileage validity is to seek the vehicle’s service history. Most vehicles come with a service book or paperwork consisting of all the records of when the car had gone for servicing. Besides giving clues for odometer rollback, it also provides helpful insight into the car’s actual condition.
However, it should be kept in mind that service history reports must not be taken at face value. Private sellers and dealers have access to service records and they can tweak them with false information. Nevertheless, if you are doubtful about the service history, check the auto shop names where the car was serviced or look out for mechanics to ensure the service history report is genuine.
ASK A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC TO INSPECT
When left in doubt and find no way out, get a professional to help you resolve the case. A trusted mechanic can help you avoid used car scams and clear your doubts. Ask a professional to test the vehicle inside out using advanced tools and equipment that would otherwise not be in your access. These tools can help detect any tampering done to the odometer.
In case everything comes out clean, you can proceed to purchase the vehicle knowing that it has genuine mileage reading and accurate reports.
CHECK FOR WEAR AND TEAR INCONSISTENT WITH ODOMETER READING
Another clever way to check for a car’s nearest age (and thus, its mileage reading) is to see for specific wear and tear around the accelerator, brake pedals, and clutch if it’s a manual car. It can also be at the seat belts, sometimes door rubbers, and on the seats. Spraying can cover up the cracks on seats whereas painting can conceal the dashboard but the pedals and seat belts are harder to disguise. If you properly inspect these parts, you can determine the true age of the said vehicle.
APPEARANCE LOOKS MORE FRAYED THAN THE MILEAGE
Conclusively, how to check if car mileage is genuine is to trust your instincts and your vision. If you think that the signs of wear and tear don’t seem appropriate with the amount of mileage, you should there’s a red flag waving. In that case, either look for another option or take the car to a mechanic to properly notice these things and confirm if there is an odometer rollback.
Odometer rollback hides serious mechanical problems, devalue a car’s worth and cause major issues that would have been addressed on priority, but remained unidentified. Therefore, when buying a used car in the UAE, make sure that your chosen vehicle has not run about 100,000 km. Save yourself time, money, and (extreme) trouble by performing an odometer rollback check beforehand.
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