On average in Russia, the number of used cars with bent odometers reaches 33%, these data were provided to socialbites.ca by experts from the Russian Association of Automobile Dealers (ROAD). Advertisements that analyze statistics only if there is a history of vehicle use state that, according to a study by the Avito Avtotek service, this figure varies between 17% and 24% depending on the region.
The largest percentage of “rewind” cars on sale (24%) was recorded in the Krasnodar Territory. This is followed by Samara, Chelyabinsk and Rostov regions and Bashkiria with an indicator of 23% (see infographic).
According to estimates from Avito Avtotek, Ford car dealers (32%), Land Rover, Infiniti and Mitsubishi (31% on average) mostly underestimate mileage, followed by Cadillac, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz.
How much does the buyer lose?
At the same time, the cost of cars can vary greatly depending on how far a particular car is traveled. For example, according to classified ads, a 2016 Renault Logan with a mileage of more than 300 thousand km is offered for 650 thousand rubles, but for a car with the same parameters and a mileage of 48 thousand km you can get 950 thousand rubles.
In the case of Toyota Camry, the price difference depending on the mileage of the car is even greater: the difference between the cost of a car with a mileage of 37 thousand km and 218 thousand km exceeds 1.1 million rubles.
Mileage inflating is considered a major problem in the professional dealer community – which, by the way, is also abused by some unscrupulous market participants.
“We now see three stages: First, the introduction of requirements for mandatory recording of odometer readings when changing ownership, undergoing technical inspection, repairs and insurance. Currently recording odometer readings is optional,” ROAD press service told socialbites.ca.
In the second stage, dealers propose to introduce administrative penalties for falsification of odometer readings, and then add criminal penalties.
Who turns it around?
Dmitry Rogov, founder of the RogovMobil company, noted that cars of premium European brands, traditionally imported to Russia from the European Union, face the risk of low mileage.
“The mileage of such cars on the highway, they have a wear-resistant interior and in Belarus they have excellent details. You look at a car with such 200 thousand kilometers, it is like new. We even came across a diesel Audi A6 that looks great, but its mileage is 300 thousand km – Up to 80 thousand km – underestimated.Speaking to socialbites.ca, Rogov said that almost all cars brought from Europe for resale are at risk.
For newly purchased three-year-old cars in Russia, mileage is usually adjusted to the “psychological mark” of 50 or 100 thousand km. He added that this is aimed at buyers who don’t know much about it and are limited to looking for cars in classifieds.
“Another category at risk is old cars. They do not want to buy mileage of 200-300 thousand kilometers, because this greatly affects the cost. “In addition, buyers of such cars have a tolerant attitude towards odometer figures,” Rogov concluded.
In modern conditions, a potential buyer can check the history of a car using numerous databases that collect data from many sources. Therefore, dishonest sellers try to adjust the odometer readings to the last recorded value when rolling back mileage, warns Maxim Shelkov, head of the expert center Autocriminalist.
“For example, if a car currently has a mileage of 200 thousand km, and the last time it was recorded was 120 thousand km, they can put 125-130 thousand km to make it look believable,” Shelkov explains to socialbites.ca. . .
As a rule, cars that are three or four years old and whose factory warranty has expired suffer from low mileage. The official explained that the first owner, as a rule, adhered to the service intervals and had it serviced at a dealer where the mileage was precisely fixed. Mileage will usually be adjusted two or three times in the future.
Shelkov warned that this could be done by both the second owner of the car and the third owner.
According to him, a car with incorrect mileage is offered for sale at least 20-30% more expensive than its real value, and incorrect mileage can be found most easily in dealers and “gray” car dealerships, but such cars can also be found in official dealers.
“Such a car can be handed over to an official dealer if it is not correctly identified when purchased,” Shelkov said.