Incorrect odometer reading
 

Hi everyone,

I was in the market for a mazdaspeed 3 and found a gen 1 for a good deal and under kbb. The vehicle itself is well taken care of and doesn't seem to have any problems. The only part that I feel a little weary about is that I was told that the cluster was replaced (due to the speedometer breaking) so the car reads mileage that is around 10k under the actual mileage. This was confirmed with the carfax which shows the time of discrepancy and the miles on the carfax just kept building off of the new cluster's mileage.

I was wondering if I would run into any problems with the warranty or insurance due to the problem.

He also changed it out himself as a mechanic so there doesn't seem to be any documentation for the mileage change.

Thanks for any help

There are MazdaSpeed 3s still with warranty? I doubt your dealer will realize that the mileage is wrong. Only question is, how honest is this guy? He/s honest enough to tell you he swapped the odo. Is he honest about the miles, though?

He has a transferable mercury platinum warranty program that lasts until 100k on the vehicle. He seems pretty honest with the car. The only record that I would have for the miles would be based off of the carfax report that shows a number of services that were done at the dealership. At one point in history report, the mileage changes from around 50k to 40k

I am always a bit concerned when anybody tries to say the mileage is off because something "broke".
Not so common these days but once upon a time was an everyday occurrence for shady dealers.
The Carfax helps a little but who knows how many miles were actually put on between those reports.

I think a broken cluster, especially an newer Japanese car is rare and this is kind of fishy. I think if you plan trade in the car, the value will be discounted because the car is not as "clean". anyway, you should call the warranty and insurance companies to see what is their policy because individual companies all had different protocols.

Good description. The title is no longer "clean". When an odometer breaks, usually the dealer swaps to a new one and alters the mileage using their super secret software to show the cars actual mileage. I'm not saying to stay away from the car, but it does lower the car's value in my eyes. The worries you have now are the worries a prospective buyer will have in the future when buying from you.

Yeah...ummm I'd personally stay away. There's no peace of mind in this purchase, unless it's really a good deal.

I thought the mileage was in the computer and when you plug in any cluster the actual amount pops up.

Shit! Of course it is!!!!! I had mechanical stuck in my head. The odometer on these should be just a display. That would make it even more suspicious.

Why did mr platinum warranty change the odometer himself instead of using his warranty?

Hate to say it OP but the jury seems to be in and the deal looks more shaky every second!

Well that's not completely fair. I changed the cluster on my 3G Acura TL because the old one broke, and the new one is at 120k km, as opposed to my 65k km on my old cluster.
Sucks for me, but I did it myself because it's so much cheaper than going to the dealership.

And I think I'm a pretty trustworthy guy. lol

Was it a mechanical odometer? I am now curious as to whether the electronic ones store data in the computer or the actual gauge.

Okay thanks for the help guys, the guy backed out on the sale and sold it to someone else instead