Authorities Winding Up Against Car Dealers Who Wind Down Odometers

[colourclassic]

In the Daily Telegraph today, watch the video too.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/reading-the-riot-act-to-dodgy-car-dealers-over-odometer-tricks/story-fni0cx12-1226759295622

NSW Fair Trading and the Motor Traders' Association have warned the odometers of more and more vehicles - imports in particular - were being tampered with because, as things stand, "unscrupulous" car yards can get away with it.

But under a plan being developed by Fair Trading with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), cars bound for Australia would have to be accompanied by papers showing their odometer reading at the time of deregistration in that country. This is not a requirement at the moment.

John Rolfe in front of a questionable Toyota Supra on Parramatta Rd, Concord. Source: News Limited

Fair Trading is also exploring whether the Motor Dealers Act should be amended so car yards have to provide potential buyers with such information. Then dealers wouldn't be able to plead ignorance - which is enough to get them off the hook under current laws.

"Odometer tampering is a problem and it's on the increase," Fair Trading investigations director David Byrne said. The main source of imported used cars is Japan - about 5000 cars a year.

A web-based service which claims to be able to ascertain odometer readings on cars from Japan said 90 out of 100 odometers checked at the request of Australians were found to have been wound back.

In NSW there were 13 breaches in 2010-11 involving odometer tampering, 20 in 2011-12, 15 in 2012-13 and seven in less than four-and-a-half months this financial year, Fair Trading data shows.

Action is already on the way, with the penalty for tampering about to be doubled to $22,000.

Public Defender began investigating tampering after a tip from a victim, who pointed out a 2002 Toyota Supra. Auction papers he supplied - which I could not verify - said the car had done 91,170km when sold in Japan. This week I found the car on Sydney's Auto Alley. The odometer read 48,260km.

When it was put to the dealer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, that the odometer had been wound back, he said it wouldn't surprise him: "If that's happened it's happened on Japanese soil … I'm not the one who tampered with the odometer."

The dealer said the yard tried to limit its exposure to cars with tampered odometers but it was "rife" in Japan. There was no way of telling if a car had been driven further than its dashboard indicated.

Later the dealer rang to claim the auction papers I showed him may have been altered but he could not provide proof. Regardless, the Supra would be "removed from sale", he said.

A good step forward?

Edited November 13, 2013 by colourclassic

[SCRMER]

Goodbye Edward Lee's

[10 4]

^plz

[colourclassic]

When it was put to the dealer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, that the odometer had been wound back, he said it wouldn't surprise him: "If that's happened it's happened on Japanese soil … I'm not the one who tampered with the odometer."

Right-o

[junkie]

Took them long enough... about freaken time. Now, watch half the import dealers bail and disappear

[scotty nm35]

That won't stop anything, not until the heaviest fines start getting handed out at least. It's just too hard to prove who dunnit.

[PN-Mad]

Well, when their stoopid enough to post Japanese agent shot videos with the original mileage visible, the car in their possession and the car arrives with 90k kms less, then it shouldn't be too hard.

However is that good enough for the law? I dunno.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

You're able to request for the de-registration papers when the vehicle was in Japan.. it shows you the exact details, the KMs, etc...

I like how dealers always blame the Japanese winding down KMs, etc.. they're a very honest society, they wouldn't do any of that shit. Even when the tsunami took out a town, ATMs were destroy and money was floating about.. no one looted, no one picked up a single note floating about. So what says they want to even wind their KMs back?

It's all done here before compliance.

[Al Despo]

Interesting nonetheless

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

I'm sure my R33 has about 300 000 km+ on it, and probably was sold at a dealer back in 2005 when it was import at 30 000 kms LOL

[PN-Mad]

You're able to request for the de-registration papers when the vehicle was in Japan.. it shows you the exact details, the KMs, etc...

I like how dealers always blame the Japanese winding down KMs, etc.. they're a very honest society, they wouldn't do any of that shit. Even when the tsunami took out a town, ATMs were destroy and money was floating about.. no one looted, no one picked up a single note floating about. So what says they want to even wind their KMs back?

It's all done here before compliance.

Interesting idea, and I agree with you about Japanese culture. However I believe there are a lot of people of a certain ethnic group that is not Japanese that are a big part of the car business. I've seen details of it in the past, however can't remember where I saw it.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

so those dealers blaming the Japanese docks can go get fuarked...

The cars in Japan are all auctioned with usually 100 000+ kms on them some how they end up here with like 1/3 of the kms. I've seen it with my own eyes, same car in an auction site, de-registration papers, then blame at XYZ dealer in Parramatta Road with 1/3 the kms.

[PN-Mad]

Oh yeah, there are some dodgy characters in japan, as I eluded too, but the large majority of dodgy ness goes on onshore here no doubt.