Used car dealers tampering odometer readings

[Atrecord]

AFAIK, TC, VW, KM will reveal mileage or service history if you can prove ownership of the car.

 

The other one which sells many cars will be tough. Even after you bought the car, they will refuse to reveal the service record... one customer service told me I had to get the previous owner's written consent before they can reveal. And after you get that consent (tough luck if you buy from dealer), what you get does not include detailed servicing invoice, only date of servicing. Wanna know when the spark plugs were last changed? Too bad.

And if you car is older than, I think, 3 years, tough luck because they told me they don't keep too long a record. I experienced this when I bought a 2nd hand car and wanted to know the service history. 

 

 

Yup, that's what that one did when i asked.

 

So the dilemma is this:

a prospective buyer of a used car is trying to do some due diligence by checking to verify what the seller claimed, before deciding whether to believe and buy the car.

 

But the ADs, citing PDPA, cannot divulge anything until you have bought the car - by which time it's too late to regret the decision if it turns out thing were not correct...

[leehock13828]

Actually I'm surprised at the case, because it says Tan Chong revealed the last mileage.

 

I tried to call Borneo to ask about a used Vios that i considered buying to renew COE. BM refused to divulge any details about the car, except the last servicing date.

 

They cited PDPA, and said cannot divulge customer's data...

 

Not sure whether after buying an AD car, whether they will definitely reveal the servicing record.

Maybe they trying to protect the car dealers

"traded in the Nissan for a brand-new Citroen Picasso."

 

Wonder if she will start to sue Citroen when the car breaks down?

Are French cars reliable?

[Huat138]

Actually I'm surprised at the case, because it says Tan Chong revealed the last mileage.

 

I tried to call Borneo to ask about a used Vios that i considered buying to renew COE. BM refused to divulge any details about the car, except the last servicing date.

 

They cited PDPA, and said cannot divulge customer's data...

 

Not sure whether after buying an AD car, whether they will definitely reveal the servicing record.

 

most likely the owner bought the car and bring it back to AD for servicing, from there, they will know when is the last servicing date and also the mileage. 

[Atrecord]

most likely the owner bought the car and bring it back to AD for servicing, from there, they will know when is the last servicing date and also the mileage. 

 

Yes, that's what the owner told me, that it was agent-serviced all along. Mileage was v low, but car was vibrating a bit when i tested it. And the seats were in quite bad state.

 

So i just wanted to verify what the owner said, and tried to call AD... and hit a blank...

Maybe they trying to protect the car dealers

Are French cars reliable?

 

In my case, it was a direct owner. No dealer leh..

[flashbang]

Yes, that's what the owner told me, that it was agent-serviced all along. Mileage was v low, but car was vibrating a bit when i tested it. And the seats were in quite bad state.

 

So i just wanted to verify what the owner said, and tried to call AD... and hit a blank...

 

 

In my case, it was a direct owner. No dealer leh..

In this case, they already bought the car, that's why AD tell them the mileage.

[Throttle2]

When i buy, i always warn the dealer to reveal to me, if not i find out later sure i surely whack them

 

So at least twice, the dealers admitted to me that the odo was adjusted easily 30-40k km.

I am ok with higher mileage but price commensurates.

 

Dealers better be honest and can go a long way.

[Atrecord]

In this case, they already bought the car, that's why AD tell them the mileage.

 

That's the thing I don't understand:

 

They cited PDPA, said need to protect anything related to the owner.

 

If that's the case, then they should continue to do so even after the car is sold. The new owner will have to take the chance. If need any history/details of servicing, can only ask the seller for it. If seller gives, that's of his/her own free will. If the AD is serious in protecting the seller's personal data, then even after sales also shouldn't give mah... 

 

Unless police/court case...

[Soya]

"traded in the Nissan for a brand-new Citroen Picasso."

 

Wonder if she will start to sue Citroen when the car breaks down?

Errrrr....tink a 200,000km Nissan may still be more reliable than a new frenchie

[TangoElite]

besides going back to dealer, any other accurate way to check/verify mileage, like OBD2 port? 

[Beng2]

No lor...

 

Unless report police, going by this case 

In this case, it appears that they bought the car without realising the actual odo reading. Else how to get $20k compensation?

[leehock13828]

When i buy, i always warn the dealer to reveal to me, if not i find out later sure i surely whack them

 

So at least twice, the dealers admitted to me that the odo was adjusted easily 30-40k km.

I am ok with higher mileage but price commensurates.

 

Dealers better be honest and can go a long way.

Tell us how you make them reveal?

[Wyfitms]

So far both cars I sold off were 100+km

And I saw them in sgcarmart advertised with the real mileage

[Hamburger]

Errrrr....tink a 200,000km Nissan may still be more reliable than a new frenchie

 

still living in the 90's era?

[Atrecord]

In this case, it appears that they bought the car without realising the actual odo reading. Else how to get $20k compensation?

 

Yes, that's what was reported in the papers.

 

They bought it thinking it's only 75k.

 

then quickly developed many problems.

 

So they went back to TC to ask. And then TC said last servicing was 200k...

 

then peek-ja lobang liao...

 

straightaway call lawyer ---> this last line i add one 

[Fcw75]

SVTA is a joke.

 

They know it's common but nothing is done. What good is the ASSociation then?

 

To protect a**holes?

[Soya]

still living in the 90's era?

 

 

u still living in dreamland? 

 

look at the bottom 20 in the list below: 12 out of 20 are frenchies

 

http://www.reliabilityindex.com/top-100

[Limws1]

besides going back to dealer, any other accurate way to check/verify mileage, like OBD2 port? 

 

OBD2 info will not capture mileage. Check the condition of the brake pedal. If it is very worn out, the car probably have high mileage. Based on my own car experience, the corner of the brake pedal should be pretty worn out at 200k kilometers mileage.

 

Wrote to the newspaper once complaining about the rampant illegal ODO adjustment of 2nd cars but LTA choose to turn a blind eye against this problem. My last car has its ODO adjusted but I caught it. So happen the dealer show me the annual inspection certificate which have the mileage printed on it. The mileage was not the same as the ODO. Complained to the dealer and they agreed to readjust the mileage and gave me 2k discount.

 

Not always the mileage will be printed on the inspection certificate although LTA has the information collected during inspection. Asked LTA to make it compulsory to print mileage on inspection certificate and make dealers accompany all 2nd cars with inspection certificate but LTA choose to support this illegal activity.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Limws1

[flashbang]

That's the thing I don't understand:

 

They cited PDPA, said need to protect anything related to the owner.

 

If that's the case, then they should continue to do so even after the car is sold. The new owner will have to take the chance. If need any history/details of servicing, can only ask the seller for it. If seller gives, that's of his/her own free will. If the AD is serious in protecting the seller's personal data, then even after sales also shouldn't give mah... 

 

Unless police/court case...

 

IMO PDPA is nonsense excuse. There is nothing personal about car mileage and servicing information. A car is not a person.