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.
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