Ontario woman buys van with odometer rolled back almost 100,000 kilometres

An Ontario woman thought she got a good deal when she bought a van for $2,700, but later learned the odometer had been rolled back nearly 100,000 kilometres.

"I panicked, I started crying, I started sweating and looked at my partner and said, 'I got scammed,'" said Mackenize Jordan of Oshawa, Ont.

Jordan recently had a baby and with a growing family she said she wanted a mini van, and found a 2010 Mazda 5 for sale on Facebook Marketplace.

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While the mileage was 196,000 kilometres, she thought it was reasonably priced at $2,700.

"I saw this $2,700, six-passenger van, all the kids would have their own seats and they wouldn't be squeezed together," said Jordan.

After Jordan bought the van, she said it was not long after when it started to have transmission issues. That's when she noticed an oil change sticker on the windshield that listed a different mileage.

"I was sitting there in the car and I looked up and I saw the Mr. Lube sticker and it said 288,000 kilometres and the next service was supposed to be October 24th," said Jordan.

When Jordan checked the Used Vehicle Information Package (UVIP) more closely, she said she saw the odometer had been rolled back 92,000 kilometres. Jordan tried to message the seller, but said he wouldn't respond.

"I tried contacting him and I was blocked, and my partner was blocked," said Jordan.

In the early 2000s, most odometers were mechanical in nature, and they were harder to roll back. Now, most odometers are digital and with the right tool – easily found for sale online – they can be rolled back quite easily.

"We find that many vehicles sold by curbsiders (a seller illegally selling used cars) have odometer rollback issues," said Sam Cosentino, director of enforcement with the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC), which oversees vehicle sales in the province.

Cosentino said if you buy a used car with a rolled back odometer from a dealer you have some protections, but not in a private sale.

"We do have a compensation fund, but that fund is only available to consumers who purchase a vehicle from an OMVIC-registered dealer. Those protections are not there for private sales," said Cosentino.

To avoid buying odometer rollback cars, purchase a UVIP and a CARFAX vehicle history report. Also check the seller's identification to ensure they are the lawful owner of the car, ask for service records, and have the vehicle inspected by your mechanic.

Jordan says she now worries she could have to spend thousands in repairs on the car.

"The car sounds pretty rough, but it runs. However, my lights and my transmission lights on my dash are on," said Jordan.

Odometer fraud is illegal, and Jordan has filed a complaint with OMVIC. Jordan said the seller continues to post other vehicles for sale on Facebook Marketplace.