Mileage tempering or odometer fraud is a common issue, especially within the used car market in Kenya.
It is the illegal practice of rolling back odometers to make it appear that the vehicles have a lower mileage than they actually do.
Essentially, the seller of the vehicle will falsely represent the condition of the vehicle in order to get more money out of the buyer.
However, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) unveiled a short SMS code to help Kenyans seeking to buy motor vehicles easily confirm their details.
According to KEBS, buyers can confirm the authenticity of inspection details and full information regarding the vehicle they intend to purchase, whether brand new or used cars by sending the chassis number to 20023.
Kenyans.co.ke explores some of the reasons why it is important to verify a used car's mileage before purchasing it.
Understand How Much the Vehicle has been used
Verifying a used car's mileage before buying it is important in understanding just how much the vehicle has been used.
Keep in mind that when the plastic and rubber components of a car are not used regularly, they will get brittle, and verifying the mileage enables the estimation of the extent of their wear and tear.
Keep up with Important Maintenance Milestones
Cars whose mileage has been tampered with often provide owners of used cars a false sense of security when it comes to repair and maintenance.
For instance, at 160,000km, Subaru recommends a drive belt replacement, Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF), and differential fluid replacement.
Furthermore, it recommends plug and Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve replacement.
Without verifying the mileage, it is highly likely that you get a car whose odometer has been interfered with and when these parts fail, you end up blaming the manufacturer and having to possibly replace or rebuild the engine.
Get Value for Money
Verifying a used car's mileage saves you the pain of paying more than you possibly should.
A well-maintained car with genuine mileage may sell for a high "true" price, but when you pay a high price for a car with faked mileage and possibly poor maintenance, you're being ripped off.
Avoid Insurance Problems
Verify a used car's mileage through the KEBS shortcode number to avoid running into insurance problems in case of a serious claim.
Imagine that you have totaled your car and the assessor happens to discover the mileage has been rolled back. Your insurance claim is highly likely to be rejected.
In a nutshell, a car whose mileage has been tempered may lead you to more problems than you bargained for.
There are many approved dealerships in Kenya that provide pre-purchase inspection, a process that can help you save yourself a lot of problems in the future.
