Do people still try to set the odometer back when they sell a car?

NAH, THAT’S JUST A MYTH. Now step over h here andd l let me showh you this cherry 1978 Cortina we got in on trade from a little old lady who only took it to and from church – on the back of a flatbed truck. Zero kilometres! Can you believe it?

No, we can’t. Of course “people” – and we use the term loosely, as only a despicable animal would engage in such chicanery – set back odometers, but we were shocked to learn how common it is, even in this age of digital counters. Peeling kilometres off can add thousands to a car’s value, so the incentive is strong. Used-car-data purveyor Carfax estimates there are as many as 1,5 million vehicles with doctored odometers in the US alone.

Time was, odometers were mechanical affairs and cheats could nudge number wheels back with dental picks. Less patient crooks could attach a drill to the odometer’s control cable and spool it backward. Eventually, manufacturers wised up and installed stops to prevent the wheels from turning in reverse. Sleazes overcame this by disassembling the entire odometer and putting it back together with the desired data showing.

Today there are no wheels to turn, but the problem persists. “Odometer fraud has reached the digital age,” says Carfax spokesman Chris Basso. “Now instead of having to physically roll the analogue odometers back by hand, it’s as simple as going on the Internet and buying tools and software that plug into the car’s computer. Those will change the distance within seconds.”

That’s a vexing thought, though there are ways to protect yourself. Reports from information services such as Carfax may contain odometer readings recorded over a car’s life. If those numbers don’t match the reading on the dash, it’s a strong hint that that little old lady is the invention of a rip-off artist. PM