Hi all...I am in a market of a 00/01 GS 400/GS430...I've seen some very low mile cars and afraid if the odometer has been rolled back. Is it even possible that these cars can be rolled back? I think its a silly question, but how do we really know (even with carfax) or is it just luck really?

Specifically I am currently looking at '01 with 82K....carfax reports the whole period of 5 years with NO odometer reading. The car was been driven in DC during those years. Does DC records readings? Anyone here from DC can offer some thoughts???

Thanks

 

Finding a '01 with those miles isn't that rare. You will find that there are much lower mileage cars on this forum. When i bought my '00 two years ago, it had 70k on it. You have to remember that these cars were owned by older people who didn't always daily there car.

 

I purchased my 2000, gs4 two years ago and it had 52,000. Thank you old people.

 

Yeah, one advantage of us modding "old" people cars is that they usually have easy driven low miles. 82k miles is perfectly normal...

 

Ferris Buelller

 

Yes it is possible to "rollback" the odometer on these vehicles. My friend bought a '95 SC400 three years ago. He just bought it to turn into an import tuner'ish car for fun. He grinned from ear to ear when he told me he bought it for $5,200 with only 50,000 miles. I was skeptical, but I held my tongue as he looked so happy.

Flash forward two years and he was bored with the car and ready to move onto another project car. A buyer came to look at it and did a CarFax. Sure enough, the CarFax stated it had an odometer reading of 87,000 miles from a smog check, and another odometer entry of 127,000 a couple years later. Boy was he steamed...

What's the point? Buyer beware. Do your homework. Get a CarFax if you can. Ask the right questions. How long have you had this car? How often do you change the tires? How often do you fill up the tank? The seats are usually a dead give away. If they're ripped, or show alot of cracking, it's probably got more than 100,000 miles on the odometer. That being said, some people take really good care of their cars and this is not a definitive diagnosis.

 

My 01 GS 300 had 82K on it when I bought it earlier this year.

I get it - you're trying to figure out how to roll back your own odo!

 

my 99 gs400 had only 78k miles when I bought it couple years back. Ran the carfax, it was legit. Thanks to old folks!

 

i think you missed the whole point of this thread.

he did do a carfax but it doesnt have any readings from the last 5yrs.

 

i think if you buy a used low-mile cluster and install in the car, nobody would be the wiser. 10 mins, and you have less miles...... of course since mileage is reported during smog check and title transfers, it will be red flagged, not to mention illegal.

 

Well even if carfax reports yearly, it's still not 100% true....one scenario is that they could haven't driven 30K miles and rolled back to only 5K miles from the report point of view it still looks legit....this year reading is 5K more than last year (but again that'd have been done yearly)...I guess I haven't had any luck of any used cars, so I am being suspicious and paranoid :~) Thanks though for all the replies....

 

I think you missed the point of my thread.

The OP asked a simple question, "Is it possible to 'roll back' the odometer on these cars?" My answer was a long yes with a specific example, and some advice.

I mentioned CarFax in my friends scenario because that is how he eventually found out the odometer was incorrect. I did not mean CarFax is by any means the only resource one should base a used vehicle purchase on.

In my thread, I stated you've got to use your head, ask the right questions, and use every available clue/resource at your disposal before making a purchase. For instance, if one were to ask a seller, "How often do you fill up?" and the seller replies once a week when the low fuel light illuminates. Well that tells you they drive about 400 miles a week on average, or about 20,000 miles a year.

That being said, I am also not saying that a '01 GS with 82,000 miles has had the odometer "rolled back." I'm simply stating the OP should not ignore important clues. The OP should be aware of all the possibilities out there and make an educated purchase.

 

Inspect the condition of the interior. I'd pay extra attention to the pedal rubbers, steering wheel and driver's seat if anything (gives you a clearer indication of not only if the ODO reading is accurate but also how the driver maintained their car). Does the vehicle have any maintenance history?

 

Yes, I agree. I got my 2000 GS4 earlier this year with exactly 100k miles. It's quite high but it's highway miles. Thanks also to old folks who had just replaced new timing belt, water pump, tires, brake pads n rotors, even changed the oil exactly before he sold the car.

 

Odometer rollback is possible, but so is finding an older 2GS with "lower" miles on it.

I have a 99 2GS w/ 93K. I know the original owner well, and it was bought brand new, so it's possible.