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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.