Truth in accumulated miles.
 

I have been over time trying to examine the claimed odometer readings by vendors on ebay of the post 617 diesel cars. Since the odometers went digital I had hoped there would be less odometer tampering.

Instead I suspect far too many of the examples have about a hundred more thousand miles on them than indicated and claimed. The sellers even have the balls to claim things like it was their fathers car since new and the milage indicated is correct.

Then you read the semi useful at best carfax and the milage claims do not even match up. The claimed milage is accurate to some extent but is usually what the car had perhaps 12 or more years ago. Or the reports are even greater. Most of those car type reports are of little use in evaluating the overall milage. Or should I say totally useless.

Still the paid for reports where I really found a few helpful where generally totally in disagreement with the sellers claims. Far too high a percentage of them to take a chance.

People will really have to do their homework on the somewhat newer diesel cars if they are going for them. I have no reason to suspect off ebay cars are treated much differently. You do not want to land up with a three hunded K car that still looks good having 160k showing on the odometer. To add insult to injury having paid he premium for the 160k car you did not get. It is fraudulent in nature but still all too common in my opinion.

I reckon you are better off looking at paid receipts for recent work done. The amount of miles doesn't really mean anything to me any more - well - I would use an indicated high mileage as a lever to make the price lower...

...but for the age of the vehicles I'm likely to be buying I look at condition, some form of decent history, and the owner. I have found that if you buy the car from a total wanker then the car will be as bad as the seller.

The Carfax on my signature car added up, but what really confirmed the mileage was an oil change sticker showing 45K miles in 1991. It was also in one family its entire life.

There is no doubt that some are legitimate. Just extreme caution is advised from my short look at the issue.

I always want to see the factory oil change booklet good up till about 125K miles still in the dash. If the claimed milage is lower why is the booklet not present? Or if higher it indicates whe the 125k point occured.

When it is absent is a good reason to be suspicious. I purchased a couple of the cars off ebay many years ago. One of my initial questions was if the booklet was present or not. If the answer was no I just passed the car by.