Help please...I think I got ripped off!!!
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16
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2001 S500 Designo
Help please...I think I got ripped off!!!
I was cleaning the inside of my 2001 S500 after just purchasing it about a week ago when I noticed a receipt for a safety check and oil change. The mileage on the reciept was 93,000 km, and the receipt was issued in Aug 2003. I just bought this car a week ago with 103,000 km. So that means this car was only driven 10,000 km for the last 21 months...I smell an odometer rollback.
Is this even possible on the new digital cars?
How can I prove this?
Here is my VIN if someone has any ideas:
WDBNG75J01A168694
I didn't purchase the car from a Mercedes Dealership.
Is this even possible on the new digital cars?
How can I prove this?
Here is my VIN if someone has any ideas:
WDBNG75J01A168694
I didn't purchase the car from a Mercedes Dealership.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 345
Likes: 1
If i was you, i would have perfomred a car fax check prior to buying the car, car fax will tell you if the car had been in an accident, lemon return, accidents, salveged or even an adometer fraud. if car fax does not show that the car had odometer fraud, it would prbably be hard to prove whether they tampered with it or not. but for $20 its worth the peace of mind.
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 716
Likes: 1
From: Alaska
Lexus
miles
Mercedes are a little different than a taurus. My last s class I only drove it maybe 4 thousand miles in over a year. We had 2 other cars that were daily drivers and would only drive the mercedes on weekends and on trips. Call the stealership and ask them for the service history. They are kinda touchy when you ask, be polite but firm.(basically you are going to bug the hell out of everyone at the dealership until they fax it to you kinda sentiment) I wouldnt worry, even if they were rolled the car will still last. Dont mention it to the dealership when you call, they will put a note in the vin file and resale on your car will go to s h i t real quick.
The history report is cool,mine let me know everything that it went in for.. the original owner must have been picky and a roofing contractor. 6 flat tires within 40k miles. They had serviced it over 23 times in 43k miles. Also out beside it it said "sign and drive" does this mean it was covered under warranty?
The history report is cool,mine let me know everything that it went in for.. the original owner must have been picky and a roofing contractor. 6 flat tires within 40k miles. They had serviced it over 23 times in 43k miles. Also out beside it it said "sign and drive" does this mean it was covered under warranty?
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 277
Likes: 3
From: Western Australia
124, 140, 211, 220, 221, 996
just to let u know, it is possible to rollback the odometer although it's the new digital ones. but doing this needs a trained MB mechanic and also there has to be something that is disconnected and connected again from somewhere below the right part of the front of the car. my cousin told me about this cos he saw one being done on a CL500.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,677
Likes: 3
From: California
i535
More likely car wasn't driven frequently. Hovewer considering high milage of the car I can suppose that decision to sell this car was that an owner didn't need it anymore and the car just collected dust.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: SoCal OC
S, GL, Escalade ESV, my shoes
I once saw it done by a guy who barely qualify as mechanic. What happen is that they replace the instrument cluster. Since the mileage is stored in the ROM of the cluster, the car will display whatever mileage in that cluster.
If you search eBay or junkyard lot, there're always MBZ clusters for sale.
CarFax only work if the accident is severe, or that if the car change hand. If the car stay with same owner, it won't be able to tell.
In CA, mileage is registered with DMV everytime a car is smog checked (every two years), but as long as the later registration have higher milage than the earlier one, CarFax and DMV will consider it as clean. They don't have sophisticated software (and I think also legal issue) to tell if the car rack up 90K mile in the first 2 years, and 8K mile in the next two, there's something fishy here.
If you search eBay or junkyard lot, there're always MBZ clusters for sale.
CarFax only work if the accident is severe, or that if the car change hand. If the car stay with same owner, it won't be able to tell.
In CA, mileage is registered with DMV everytime a car is smog checked (every two years), but as long as the later registration have higher milage than the earlier one, CarFax and DMV will consider it as clean. They don't have sophisticated software (and I think also legal issue) to tell if the car rack up 90K mile in the first 2 years, and 8K mile in the next two, there's something fishy here.
Originally Posted by schwarz
just to let u know, it is possible to rollback the odometer although it's the new digital ones. but doing this needs a trained MB mechanic and also there has to be something that is disconnected and connected again from somewhere below the right part of the front of the car. my cousin told me about this cos he saw one being done on a CL500.
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