2023-11-23 11:00:06
Many used cars have altered mileage. And to this reality is now added that this type of vehicle can be sold for 21% more, on average, than it is really worth. Or what is the same, many Spaniards pay more for a vehicle without knowing that they have been victims of scammers, up to a fifth more than what a vehicle is really worth, thus losing thousands of euros, according to carVertical.
But the worst occurs in countries such as the United Kingdom (29%), Italy (29%) and Lithuania (25%), where the average increase in value is the highest among the 15 countries surveyed. Ukraine (17%), Poland (19%) and Romania (20%) are on the other side of the spectrum. However, these are still large numbers, indicating that fraudulent practices may be don’t lose popularity in the short term.
What’s more, when it comes to odometer manipulation, the age of a car is closely tied to the potential financial impact on a buyer. In the case of a 15-year-old car with manipulated mileage, it should be noted that this fraud can inflate the value of the vehicle by an average of 27%. To put this in perspective, for every 100,000 kilometers incorrectly represented on the odometer, the buyer could inadvertently spend an extra 2,000 euros.
Therefore, if the odometer shows 200,000 kilometers instead of the actual 400,000 km, the buyer could spend up to 4,000 euros more for that vehicle. While this price increase may seem excessive for a 2008 model, these values are calculated on the carVertical platform, where users typically review a greater number of high-end vehicles and a smaller number of economy class cars.
«The more expensive a car with an altered odometer is, the more money the buyer will ultimately lose. This underscores the importance of checking the vehicle’s history before purchasing. Otherwise, it could be too late, and getting the seller to refund your money can be difficult,” he says. Matas Buzelisautomotive expert and head of communications at carVertical.
Likewise, different car brands react differently to odometer manipulation. This can range from a 15% value increase on Mazda and Dacia cars to 27% on Land Rovers. Drivers could spend up to 2,200 euros more per 100,000 kilometers altered when purchasing an Opel.
However, other brands can mean even greater financial losses. Renault buyers can lose up to 2,300 euros for every 100,000 km altered, Nissan buyers 2,700 euros, Skoda buyers 4,200 euros and Toyota buyers 5,000 euros. Those who find it most difficult to change the odometer by 100,000 kilometers are buyers of premium brand vehicles, such as Audi (6,000 euros), Volkswagen (4,500 euros), BMW (7,000 euros) and Mercedes-Benz (10,600 euros). .
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