Just found out odometer was altered and I just bought the car! :(

[runfree]

What is the name of your state? California.

Few days ago I saw a posting in OfferUp app that selling a vehicle with year of 2000 and very low mileage 85k that I am interested in. I was at work so I didn't have time to deal with it, so I sent the screenshot to my brother. He contracted the seller and went check out the vehicle and everything looks great so my bro paid with cash ($2500)and got the keys. He got the written bill of sales from seller, title already signed, another sheet of paper with signatures from both parties and stated with the amount of purchase and address. The seller who sold us the car is not the same name with the tile, he claimed the title name is his dad (even though they don't even have the same last name when I saw the title later). So when I got off work, my bro picked me up to pick up the vehicle just purchased. That vehicle is basically for my parents; they don't drive the car much so it mostly use for groceries and doctors commute. When I drove the vehicle to my parents place, everything seems fine and I noticed the vehicle temperature gauge never raise up but always stay low during the trip. Also I noticed the low mileage and wondering can the digital odometer these day be alter? I also notice something weird on the title paper work odometer written with "075640", the first written digit '0' seems like bolder black ink and overwritten from the blue ink '2'. Since that point it looks fishy.

I arrived at my parents location and they checked it out and doesn't seem to enjoy it so much from the smell and the age of the vehicle. And also the cracked windshield. I told them it's easy cheap fix. But after a while when we tried to start the car again and everything was dead! There's no electric power and we couldn't start the vehicle! I popped the hood and checked out everything and engine seems clean and it just been sprayed on and cleaned recently. I also noticed the battery connector the positive '+' with a screw to make it tight. But I couldn't figure out what else cause the dead car. To make this part of story short I called AAA and they figured out it was the negative part of the terminal came loose and easy fix and just need a part and replace it. So that wasn't big issue but now it raised a flag for everything.

My brother ran a CarFax report and found out this vehicle was already 6th owner! and previous owner had odometer reading of 275K+ when they passed the emission test! So we finally realized this car is a fraud and the odometer is altered! The '2' has been erased and the odometer reading now shows only around 85k miles. We tried contact the seller again and of course he didn't pick up!

I am very frustrated and feel very bad especially this car was suppose to be for my parents. They almost use a very unsafe vehicle!!

Now I tried looking for some option, I found out that it is a felony to alter the odometer and not advise it when selling the car. I am planning to contract local enforcement, which I am going to do so since he never get back to us!

So what are you guys advise on this? I still have not officially transfer with DMV or sign the title (I don't think I want to do so now anymore since this car is a totally junk!). Also I heard suing the seller but what are the chance that I can get my money or portion of it back? Or should we even go to seller place again and knock on this door?? Contact local police first? Sell the car to junk yard?

Good thing though, my brother did took a picture of the seller photo ID..

I am very frustrated that so many fraud people out there doing very bad business..

Appreciate any inputs here!

Thank you!

 

[NeilTheCop]

I'm assuming that the odometer readout is digital and the '2' does not display. This assumption is based on personal knowledge that it's almost, if not totally impossible to access or alter the body control module memory chip that stores the mileage and in most cases the VIN number.
You will have a hard time proving in a court that the previous owner altered the readout especially as you didn't actually purchase it from the previous owner but a person who told you he was related to the previous owner despite the differing last names.
A 18 or 19 year old vehicle with only 85K on the clock for $2500 which from your description is showing signs of age and neglect, the alarm bells should have started ringing, then the title already filled in and the sellers name not being on the title should have had those bells deafening you.
Is OfferUp anything like Craigslist?

 

[adjusterjack]

A 18 or 19 year old vehicle with only 85K on the clock for $2500 which from your description is showing signs of age and neglect, the alarm bells should have started ringing, then the title already filled in and the sellers name not being on the title should have had those bells deafening you.

I think most people have a problem with paying $40 for a Carfax. The sad part is that Carfax has plenty of low priced competition for reports that would have revealed the mileage for as little as $6. There is even one that I use that is free. For anybody reading this who plans to buy a used vehicle (with a 17 digit VIN), here it is:

https://www.vehiclehistory.com/

If you want a sample report, put in your own VIN and see what you get.

Is OfferUp anything like Craigslist?

Yes.

Even Facebook has an ad feature these days.

 

[runfree]

Yes the odometer is digit and I thought it cannot be hack when I first saw it. From what I read from carfax, the previous owner had over 275k mile when it passed the emission check, so the odometer must display around 275k, right? But now the odometer display only 85k miles, unless the '2' cannot be display on the odometer, it only display through some sort of reader?

Yes from what I recalled back, we were very dumb and fooled! I guess at some point, even experienced can be fool again.. sigh..

Yes OfferUp is more like Craigslist, more widely use in mobile phone and to sell anything you wish and a lot people using it.

 

[runfree]

I think most people have a problem with paying $40 for a Carfax. The sad part is that Carfax has plenty of low priced competition for reports that would have revealed the mileage for as little as $6. There is even one that I use that is free. For anybody reading this who plans to buy a used vehicle (with a 17 digit VIN), here it is:

https://www.vehiclehistory.com/

If you want a sample report, put in your own VIN and see what you get.

Thank you! I never knew this site!

Yes.

Even Facebook has an ad feature these days.

 

[adjusterjack]

So what are you guys advise on this? I still have not officially transfer with DMV or sign the title (I don't think I want to do so now anymore since this car is a totally junk!). Also I heard suing the seller but what are the chance that I can get my money or portion of it back? Or should we even go to seller place again and knock on this door?? Contact local police first? Sell the car to junk yard?

You'll frustrate yourself even more trying to go any of those routes. The chances of getting your money back from the scammer are slim to none.

My advice, go get the car titled and registered in your name, put the proper mileage on the title application, and put it back out for sale with the accurate mileage information and see how much of your money you can recover.

Lessons for the future:

Never believe anything you are told by somebody selling you something. Run a Carfax (or its equivalent) before handing over the money. Have the car inspected by a mechanic before buying it. And NEVER buy a car that's been title jumped, no matter what the explanation, unless you can meet the person whose name is on the title and HE signs a bill of sale after you check his ID.

 

[runfree]

You'll frustrate yourself even more trying to go any of those routes. The chances of getting your money back from the scammer are slim to none.

My advice, go get the car titled and registered in your name, put the proper mileage on the title application, and put it back out for sale with the accurate mileage information and see how much of your money you can recover.

Lessons for the future:

Never believe anything you are told by somebody selling you something. Run a Carfax (or its equivalent) before handing over the money. Have the car inspected by a mechanic before buying it. And NEVER buy a car that's been title jumped, no matter what the explanation, unless you can meet the person whose name is on the title and HE signs a bill of sale after you check his ID.

Thanks for your input. This is truly a lesson. I put a 275k mileage and fair value online and the car quoted only worth $200. I guess meaning a junk yard price. It will even cost money to transfer title and there's a few fix before I can drive the vehicle. I just don't know if this car worth anymore time to deal with..

 

[Zigner]

It's possible the speedometer (odometer) was replaced.

 

[adjusterjack]

I put a 275k mileage and fair value online and the car quoted only worth $200

Where online did you do that? Never mind. Look on CL for the same year, make and model with that kind of mileage. You can do a lot better with an as is driver (mechanic's special).

It will even cost money to transfer title

It's illegal to sell a car that isn't titled to you as the owner, remember? It's one of the lessons you just learned.

I just don't know if this car worth anymore time to deal with..

If it's drivable as is, it's worth more than $200. But if you want to turn it over to a junk yard and see if you can find one that isn't too sticky about the title, that's up to you.

 

[NeilTheCop]

It's possible the speedometer (odometer) was replaced.

Could be.
Reprogramming an odometer EPROM is difficult, but it can be done, if you know how

 

[Zigner]

Could be.
Reprogramming an odometer EPROM is difficult, but it can be done, if you know how

...assuming that this 2000 vehicle has an odometer EPROM and further assuming that it wasn't also changed out (like with one from a junkyard).

 

[runfree]

It's 2000 Toyota Camry LE. It's a very popular car and someone out there must knows how to program the odometer easily.. My brother will head to local enforcement to report tomorrow, we will see what happen..

As for the title, it says it needs to transfer within 10 days of sales, but with all these things going on, can they freeze the title and investigate? The information from the title is part of the evidence..

 

[NeilTheCop]

...assuming that this 2000 vehicle has an odometer EPROM and further assuming that it wasn't also changed out (like with one from a junkyard).

It seems that there is a government entity dedicated to combating such things
NHTSA Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation.
And there's lots of laws regarding tampering.
https://www.justice.gov/civil/case/federal-odometer-tampering-statutes
So changing out the speedo for one from the junkyard could be illegal.

 

[Zigner]

It seems that there is a government entity dedicated to combating such things
NHTSA Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation.
And there's lots of laws regarding tampering.
https://www.justice.gov/civil/case/federal-odometer-tampering-statutes
So changing out the speedo for one from the junkyard could be illegal.

I don't believe that I said otherwise.

 

[runfree]

Well, since it was my brother bought the vehicle and he was busy all day today, so he postponed to police station until tomorrow.. Keep you guys posted tomorrow..

btw, thank you for all your advice!