Ontario man buys truck with odometer rolled back more than 250,000 kilometres
Because of the pandemic there has been a shortage of vehicles for sale and if you are searching for a used car, truck, or SUV be careful you don’t get one with a rolled back odometer.
"I just feel ripped off. I can’t believe there are guys out there taking money from people like this,” said Francisco Jardim, of Innisfill, south of Barrie.
Jardim needed a pickup truck and last August found a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado for sale on Facebook. Jardim met the seller in a parking lot in Toronto and said the truck seemed as though it was in good shape.
"The truck looked nice and the odometer said 187,000 kilometres so off we went for a test drive, it was smooth," Jardim explained.
Jardim agreed to buy the truck for $11,000, but when he went to register it the first red flag was that it was one model year older than the seller claimed it was.
“It ends up being a 2012 and I messaged him and he says ‘oh yeah sorry that was a mistake,’” said Jardim.
Not long after, Jardim found out the truck didn't have 187,000 km. A Carfax and Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP) showed its actual mileage was 455,000 km.
The odometer had been rolled back.
"They’re telling me, ‘it's got 455,000 km’ and I thought ‘are you kidding me?’ It’s like the guy rolled it back a whole lifetime,” said Jardim.
The seller had never registered the truck in his name and refused to return Jardim’s calls and messages.
In August of last year, CTV News Toronto did a story with Dennis Esteves of Whitby who also bought a truck with a rolled back odometer. Esteves thought the truck he bought had 184,000 km when it actually had 320,000 km.
"Clearly it had been rolled back and it needed a lot of work," said Esteves at the time.
Curbsiders, who illegally buy and sell vehicles, can use tools to change odometer readings. When buying a used vehicle privately, watch out for a seller who has multiple vehicles for sale and a vehicle that is not registered in the seller’s name.
Also, be cautious if someone doesn't provide the UVIP and refuses an inspection by the purchaser's mechanic.
Jardim paid $11,000 for the truck and said the truck is now worth about $7,000 less.
“If I get $4,000 I will be lucky. It shows you can't always trust what people say," said Jardim, who added “beware and be careful when you're buying a used vehicle."
When you purchase a vehicle from a registered car dealer in Ontario, if it has a rolled back odometer, the Ontario Motor Vehicle industry Council (OMVIC) has a compensation fund for anyone who is a victim of fraud.
However, if you buy privately and there is a problem you would have to take the seller to small claims court - if you can find them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.