Dodgy car dealers are warning of the introduction of a new mileage check in the great Australian state
- Service NSW offers free mileage checks
- Check is available on the app or website
Service NSW has introduced a new feature to address odometer tampering as the number of car gauge interference cases quadruple in just two years.
The free mileage check feature became available on Tuesday for all cars registered or registered to be in New South Wales.
It comes after the state issued $113,000 in fines and 103 fines in 2021 and 2022 for odometer tampering, compared to just 38 fines in 2019 and 2020.
The feature is designed to help buyers of used vehicles avoid being tricked into paying more for a car with a higher mileage than shown on the odometer.
NSW resident David and his son realized that the odometer of the 2008 Toyota Hilux they had recently purchased for $26,000 had been tampered with after using the new check.
Service NSW launched its free odometer check on Tuesday to help buyers avoid being scammed by tampering (stock image)
The Hilux’s odometer indicated that it had traveled 188,000 kilometers in its lifetime.
However, when David checked the license plate through the Service NSW app, he found it had been rolled back by over 150,000 miles.
The father said the discovery devastated his son, who was buying a car for the first time.
‘He’s a young fellow, he works hard. He’s just an honest guy who got ripped off,” he said Nine news.
‘I’ve tried to contact you [the seller]. I sent him messages saying, “Can we please fix this?”
“I gave him a chance to be a man about it because he obviously did something wrong and I haven’t heard from him again.”
NSW Minister for Roads John Graham said the free check will help buyers “take back some of the power” from fraudsters.
NSW resident David (pictured) and his son realized the odometer of the 2008 Toyota Hilux they recently bought for $26,000 had been tampered with after using the new check
“Tampering the odometer is illegal and a trick used by unscrupulous sellers to misrepresent the value and condition of a vehicle,” he said.
“It didn’t work in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and we don’t want it to happen in NSW.
“This practice can keep victims out of pocket, which is why making this information freely available is great news for buyers in the used vehicle market.
“If you’re in the market to buy a used vehicle, you can now go to Service NSW’s website or app at the touch of a button and check for any discrepancies between the mileage displayed and the readings recorded.”
NSW Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trade, Anoulack Chanthivong, added that buyers should take extra care when viewing used cars online.
NSW Minister for Roads John Graham said the free check will help buyers “take back some of the power” from fraudsters. (Pictured: The Hilux that David and his son bought)
“In most of the cases studied, merchants operate through online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, usually using fake profiles and often through third parties,” he said.
“Buyers should be careful and this initiative will give them better access to good information that will help them make the best decisions.”
Anyone looking to buy a used car registered in NSW can check the vehicle for free to find out its make, registration, mileage and insurance using the Service NSW app or website.
Four cases of odometer fraud have already been reported via the free check.