I’m not knowledgeable about odometers at all, but if it’s as easy as “hooking up to a computer” to get the real mileage, why don’t people do that when they buy the trucks?
I was thinking about running the diagnostics immediately after delivery instead of after two dozen mechanical failures.
But another comment says the diagnostics software is very expensive and difficult to acquire, makes sense if true.
https://www.amazon.com/Veepeak-OBDCheck-Bluetooth-Diagnostic...
That said - odometer fraud is a big fucking deal here. A vehicle with unknown mileage is worth far less at auction (just the fact that it's unknown is a huge flag) and if the auctioneer was aware of the fraud (as they're implying Holman Fleet Leasing was) then I'm curious to see how this is resolved... a smaller auction house would likely see jail time for several employees.
The influx of chinese products has drive the price down to less than $20.
One of the ways tampering happens on digital dashes that read the mileage from the ECU is by putting a interceptor in between the dash and the ECU as it’s easier than reprogramming the ECU. https://youtu.be/f4af1OBU5nQ
>>Tom Layton here, the original plaintiff. I will check back often to answer all your questions. First off, you cannot check out auction vehicles with OBD scanners or any other engine scan tool because the auto auctions prohibit any such scanners on auction property. Furthermore., of the 500 or so I purchased 99% were purchased online at auctions all over the country. I had to believe what the auction stated on their condition reports. As far as wondering if FedEx did this on purpose? Both FedEx and Holman were fully aware of this 6 years ago when I filed my lawsuit in 2017. Do you think they stopped? Nope. They continued selling the replaced odometer vans defrauding the buyers right on up to, and including, this year, 2023. I think that answers the question if they did it on purpose! Post any questions about this largest odometer fraud in U.S. history and I will post answers periodically.
Now, if, for example, you buy a car that is advertised as runs & drives and it turns out the car does not, in fact, drive - you can talk to them and have them buy the car back or whatever. This happens every now and then. But aside from that, you’re SOL.
I’ve purchased a number of cars from them, and one issue that comes up fairly often is that they load the cars via forklift. Often, the forklift will cause damage to the underbody that was not present previously. In cases like that, you’re still pretty much SOL.
I use my $20 eBay OBD2 all the time on my Mk4 Jetta to confirm faults. However, even with such an old car with decent support, there are many things I'm unable to do or see.
Just to correct this - auctions operate with a whole lot of caveat emptor
which is why auctions are supposed to be relatively "value buys".. in an auction transaction.. if you're not sure if you're the sucker... then you're the sucker.
Why is this? Just a time restraint thing, or what? I don't understand why an auction wouldn't allow bidders an opportunity to check out the product before they purchase. The pessimist in me would say it's in the auctioneers best interest to give as little information as possible, in order to get the highest bids, but it seems odd that this sounds to be a standard practice.
Shouldn't bidders insist on at least a single 3rd party to say the mileage for the crowd?
I agree though that changing the odometer is criminal to do. But one shouldn't be buying cars at auction unless they know what they're doing. Buying a used FedEx van at auction comes with a few known... stipulations.
For example, on a VAG car, most generic diagnostics scanners just report the mileage as it's recorded in non-volatile memory in ECU/odometer/transmission (which people know how to change).
But a specialized scanner (VAG COM, for example) also displays freeze-frame information of diagnostic faults (and this sometimes includes mileage, depending on the module).
If the people doing corrections change the mileage reported by major modules that contain this information but do not bother to erase diagnostic faults, you can sometimes find the real mileage, as recorded by electric seat module which detected undervoltage condition when the battery was removed, or headlight module when the bulb burned out.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Market_for_Lemons>
Moreover, many states require regular smog checks, at least on passenger vehicles (though I'm not sure what the situation is for commercial vehicles). These entail a comprehensive electronic data record, much of which is automatically captured from the vehicle, and which is available for sale. Auto insurance companies have used these data for years, if not decades, to set policy rates as miles driven is a principle driver (ahem) of risk.
If VINs are avaiable for the vehicles being auctioned, it's possible that a service such as CARFAX might carry such data. I suspect bulk / corporate buyers would tend to have access to such information, whilst small-time operators / individuals likely would not, which throws an additional bias into such auctions.
FYI I do not reset odometers, I am on the other side, developing software for instrument clusters.
Agree, but not everyone here can afford <5 year old vehicle, so people have to do with the means they have. As soon as warranty/lease ends, people generally go with cheaper, non-manufacturer maintenance shops.
Though, yes, reality tends to be messier than economist's idealised models.