Nowadays, anyone can cheat the mileage of a car in order to increase its price several times. To do this, it is not necessary to have special skills - it is enough to use the services of a specialist, especially since this procedure costs only 1,500 rubles. For this reason, anyone who is going to buy a used car and does not want to be deceived should have an idea of how to determine the real mileage of a car.
Especially for those who are new to this business, today we will tell you how to find out the mileage of a car using the VIN code at home and what you can pay attention to when inspecting the car in person.
What is a VIN code
Thousands of cars are produced every day around the world. To avoid confusion, identification numbers have been introduced. A unique code is assigned to each vehicle leaving the assembly line. Today, the VIN code is required in two cases:
- During the process of vehicle registration, that is, at the time of registration and registration of the car.
- When concluding a car insurance contract.
Along with this, since the VIN code is unique, it is used to obtain information about the past and present of the car. By the number you can find out whether the car has been in an accident, whether it is pledged, and so on.
The identification number is stamped by the manufacturer on the car parts. Moreover, there is no single rule for placing VIN codes, that is, companies themselves decide where to place the combination. The number must be indicated in two places and duplicated in documents.
When buying a car, you should carefully check the codes indicated on the body and in the documents. If there are errors, you should refrain from the transaction, as there is a possibility that the papers are counterfeit.
Why do car owners change the numbers on the odometer?
The answer is simple: to increase cost. Mileage is the number of kilometers that a car has traveled from the date of purchase to the date of sale. The greater the mileage, the greater the wear and tear on the structure, moving parts and systems of the machine.
If there are large mileage numbers on the odometer, you can indirectly judge the condition:
- engine;
- gearboxes;
- chassis and the car as a whole.
To hide this data, actual mileage is often "twisted" downwards, creating the illusion of garage storage, moderate driving and maintaining the good technical condition of a used car. Less wear – higher price.
Sometimes mileage is overestimated: this is done on cars with European or American registration. The higher the number on the odometer, the cheaper the customs clearance of the car. After passing through customs, the mileage is again reduced, but to a lesser extent for the purpose of profitable sale.
It is important to understand that changing the mileage readings on a car’s odometer is not only a price ploy, but also a certain danger: vehicle manufacturers often provide a guarantee specifically for mileage, and recommendations for replacing working fluids are tied to kilometers. Having inaccurate mileage data, the new owner loses guidance on replacing consumables and some components, which creates the risk of an accident.
For example, 95 thousand kilometers require changing the oil, working fluids, filters and other consumables. And at 115 thousand mileage it is necessary to replace the timing belt, brake pads, oil seals and anthers. Imagine that the odometer at this time shows only 50 thousand kilometers traveled. This means that you won’t think about replacing another 50 thousand kilometers, and in reality the car will travel almost 150 thousand kilometers without mandatory routine maintenance...
Is it possible to check the mileage of a car using the VIN code?
Using the vehicle identification number, you can find out a lot about it. It is best to trust official databases, of which there are quite a lot today. If you check the car for everything, you can get comprehensive information. Key resources include:
- Government services portal;
- Traffic police website;
- Autocode.
To check whether a car is pledged, you can use the federal notary chamber and the FSSP. For the second one, you will need not a VIN code, but the full name and date of birth of the owner of the vehicle.
Some of the above services allow checking the car's mileage. However, some options only work in certain regions.
Useful article on the topic:
How to check a car for registration in the traffic police database
How to check mileage
It is difficult to determine the actual mileage of a car, since sellers of used cars try to embellish the past of the car. And given that a number of services operate only in a limited number of entities, the situation becomes more complicated. Currently, there are several available ways to obtain reliable information. Let's take a closer look at them.
To Autocode
The Autocode website offers checking the history of a vehicle if it is registered in Moscow or the region. The presence of functionality is explained by the large volume of the secondary car market. The procedure requires the following information:
- VIN code or state registration number;
- STS for the car.
The process itself looks like this:
- Go to the official website of the company. Within a few minutes, register on the portal, or, if you have a profile, log in to the system.
- Enter the vehicle information provided above. In the left line you need to select the verification method by VIN code, since the default is the state registration number.
After entering the complete data, the site will display the result of the vehicle history. In particular, the mileage of the car will be indicated.
Please note that in this way, only those who purchase a car registered in the capital can check the mileage of a car using its VIN code for free.
In other regions, the option is not provided, and therefore the verification procedure before purchasing becomes more complicated.
It will not be possible to find out the mileage of a car by VIN code if it is not registered in the capital, even through an official request to the traffic police, since the department’s database does not contain such information about the vehicle.
On other services
There are no such high-quality services as Autocode for the capital in other regions. Therefore, verification will have to be done through several resources and indirect observations. Let's look at programs that allow you to find the necessary information about a car's mileage by vin:
- The official website of the traffic police will provide information about accidents in which the car was involved, about all previous owners, and the like.
- Autobot collects information from all existing resources and combines it on its website. Shows whether the car has a diagnostic card.
- RCA is a database that unites all auto insurers. First of all, people turn to it to find out about the car’s accidents over the last year, but you can also request information about the indicators during the last technical inspection.
Checking the mileage of a car can also be done through an external condition assessment. Let us note several criteria that may suggest false information and the need for analysis:
- Paint chips - mileage over 100,000 kilometers;
- Worn edges of the driver's seat - from 50,000 kilometers;
- Rust at the muffler outlet - at least 30,000 kilometers.
So, you can check the mileage of the car and the most important thing is to do it. If the seller deceives the buyer about the mileage, then there may be other understatements. As a result, the buyer will receive a car suitable only for recycling, but will not be able to get the money back.
A qualitative analysis of a vehicle can only be carried out by an experienced specialist . If you do not have sufficient knowledge in this area, then it is better to trust online services or contact service center professionals.
You might be interested in the article:
How to check your driver's license online using the traffic police database
How to determine the real mileage of a car
To find out the real mileage of the car you like, the buyer has a number of ways. All of them can be divided into two groups - computer diagnostics and the expert method. The latter allows you to determine the actual mileage based on the analysis of documents on the car, as well as the assessment of indirect signs indicating the condition, age and mileage of the car.
Inspecting the odometer for incorrect mileage
One sure way to check whether the mileage is incorrect is to check the odometer. To do this, you will need a computer and an OBD-2 USB cable. With it you can connect to the ECU, which will display the actual mileage. True, some sellers know how to change data in it, so this method cannot be called one hundred percent.
If the odometer is mechanical, you can determine interference in its operation by carefully looking at the location of the numbers. If they are uneven in relation to each other, the likelihood that the mileage will be lost is very high. It is also necessary to check the connection points of the speedometer drive cable; if the nuts were unscrewed recently, then this is direct evidence that a motor was connected to rewind the mileage.
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Checking a car with a scanner
A diagnostic scanner will help determine the actual mileage. Together with it, an adapter is used to read and decode information from individual modules of the machine, as well as a gadget with a program that controls the adapter. If the seller decides to calculate the mileage only from the module that displays the mileage, it is quite easy to find out the real mileage.
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Reconciliation of mileage with documents
Another way to check whether the mileage is correct is to ask the seller for the car documents and service book. The registration certificate contains a record of the year of production of the car. Also, the release date, if you know where to look, can be determined by the glass, body parts and seat belts. Knowing this information, it is not difficult to calculate the approximate mileage. The date of customs clearance in the case of importing a car into the Republic of Belarus, registration with the State Traffic Inspectorate is also valuable information applicable to rolled mileage. If the procedure was performed many years ago, and the mileage is very small, such a contradiction should raise suspicions that the seller is unscrupulous.
On average, a car in Belarus covers 15-20 thousand km per year. The exception is cars used by taxis and car rental companies owned by legal entities. Multiplying these data by the age of the car, expressed in years, we get the approximate mileage. We also recommend that you look at the service book, where next to the list of work performed, the mileage as of the date of the work is indicated. You can ask to see the oil change document, which usually states at what mileage the service was performed. Compare this information with the odometer data and draw conclusions.
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Inspection of the body, interior, engine compartment
An indirect sign of long-term use is a worn windshield, which no one will change specifically for sale. But if polishing was carried out during pre-sale preparation and the glass looks like new, then this should also alert you. Chips and scratches indicate a solid mileage. Inside the cabin you should pay attention to the following details:
- worn-out gearshift switch (worn numbers on the handle, worn leather cover);
- cloudy odometer and speedometer glasses;
- the presence of scratches and wear on the dashboard;
- abrasions on the side support rollers, power windows and pedal pads,
- erased relief on the rubber of the pedals is a sign of intensive use.
Shiny fabric upholstery usually indicates that the mileage has exceeded 100,000, while scuffs and torn seats that are clearly visible to the eye indicate that the mileage may be approaching 200,000 km.
It is important to pay attention to the sounds your car makes. The hum and knocking of the bearings coming from the gearbox confirms high wear and significant mileage. Each part and assembly has its own service life. So, the pump, on average, lasts about 100 thousand kilometers, its replacement indirectly confirms the achievement of this indicator. Replacing other peripheral parts (and the more, the more obvious) also indicates high mileage.
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Other ways to check mileage
Checking the actual mileage of a car can also be done by indirect methods . For example, it is worth requesting a current MTPL policy. The fact is that insurers do not sell policies without a diagnostic card, and it includes information about mileage. The information is duplicated in the document itself.
If the seller refuses to show OSAGO, this is a reason to be wary.
To find out about the mileage of the car, you can contact the service center. But, if the readings were underestimated by the pros, then the equipment will not establish this fact. That is, the attempt will be pointless. Although, in some cases, kilometer cleaners do not pay attention to the internal memory, so it is possible to restore the information. The cost of verification does not exceed 500 rubles.
External inspection of the vehicle is the least reliable way to check:
- Firstly , the car could be operated carefully and carefully.
- Secondly , cars are prepared for sale by undergoing cosmetic repairs. Using indirect signs, only experienced auto mechanics determine mileage.
How to understand that the mileage has been completed?
Correcting mileage on mechanical odometers is inexpensive and easy. Even a DIY mechanic in a garage can do it. A small electric motor is connected to the speedometer cable (disconnected from the gearbox) and rewinds the readings. A few hours - and 50-60 thousand kilometers have been “twisted”. You will not be able to detect interference in the operation of the meter.
Note! If you look under the bottom of the car, you can find a nut that secures the cable to the gearbox. If the nut is visually different from the surrounding parts (less dirty and sooty), it means that it was recently unscrewed and the mileage was removed.
Another method for correcting mileage readings is to disassemble the mechanical odometer and reassemble it with the necessary data. The reels with numbers are put into place in the correct and “needed” order. You can check the real mileage only by looking at the uneven line of numbers on the reels: after assembly, the symbols are in a “walking” position and do not converge into one straight line.
Video instruction
Finding out the real mileage of a car by VIN code is not so easy. This is largely due to the tricks that car sellers go to in order to inflate the price of the car. In practice, there are a number of services that make it possible to comprehensively study the history of a car.
The easiest service for residents of the capital will be the Autocode service. People from other regions have the right to use other resources to obtain information, as well as conduct analysis on their own through examination or diagnostics. The actual mileage of a car is an important indicator that reflects the wear and tear of the vehicle and, as a result, possible problems.
