How to know if the odometer of an old car is rewound?

It is quite common to buy a used car with the odometer set back, making a car with a lot of mileage look like a car with little mileage. These cars may have their odometer set lower than the actual odometer, and the interior may be refurbished and worn parts replaced, making the car appear to have been used less.

In addition to the basic inspection steps, when going to "look at" a used car, to know if the car's odometer has been rolled back or not, the buyer needs to consider other factors such as maintenance history, oil change process, etc.

Below are some ways to identify used car buyers should know to avoid buying a car with a odometer that has been rolled back.

Track distance traveled and usage time

Normally, a car model used for personal or family use will fluctuate around 10,000-20,000 km per year, a service car will be about 3-4 times higher than this number. If the car is advertised as a service car, the model year is high but the number of kilometers traveled is shorter than estimated, it is very likely that the car has been rewinded, making the car newer than it actually is.

Therefore, more careful consideration should be given to cases where there is a clear discrepancy in distance traveled and vehicle usage time.

Request to check maintenance and repair history

Vehicles always need regular maintenance to operate optimally. Whether maintained at an authorized workshop or an outside workshop, the vehicle's current condition is recorded, including vehicle information such as chassis number, engine number, and mileage at the time of maintenance.

The previous owner will probably keep these maintenance invoices, in written or photographic form, and customers should request them when purchasing a used car, with the maintenance schedule and mileage shown in full chronological order.

A car without a clear maintenance schedule is at greater risk of losing mileage than a car with a full maintenance schedule.

Observe natural wear and tear details

The naturally worn-out parts of the car that consumers should pay attention to when choosing to buy a car include the clutch/accelerator/brake pedal, steering wheel, gear lever, seats, function buttons, and floor mats.

These are areas that wear and tear over time, such as cracked or wrinkled seat leather, worn pedal surfaces, frayed seat/steering wheel leather, old floor mats, or faded function buttons.

If you choose a car that has been bought for a long time and is rarely used but these parts are completely replaced, it is very possible that the car has been re-tuned to "refurbish" it into a car with little use.

In addition, experts advise customers to check the condition of the vehicle's exhaust pipe. Vehicles that have been used for a long time often have rust, oxidized, and are no longer shiny because this part is often made of metal, located close to the road surface and has to withstand high temperatures for a long time, so it is more susceptible to wear than other parts.

If the car has low odometer but the exhaust is rusted, the customer should suspect that the car has been revved.

Test drive

Test driving a car will give you a feel for its performance, noises, vibrations, throttle delay, etc.

After checking some of the above details yourself and still not completely satisfied, you can take your car to reputable garages or authorized centers.

Although it will cost extra, this is the most reliable way to check the overall condition of the car before you make a decision.

Observe the vehicle for abnormalities

If the vehicle uses a mechanical odometer, you should check for signs that the odometer has been modified, including scratches on the dial, fingerprints, loose clamps and screws around the meter, signs of being opened, the meter being replaced, and scratches on the numbers on the odometer.

If the vehicle uses an electronic meter, it will be more difficult to quickly determine the actual odo level most accurately, which can only be checked with separate tools, machines and software.

If these signs are detected, the next step should be to have a more thorough inspection at an authorized service facility, where there are tools and machines to comprehensively check the vehicle's condition.