Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading

Ik.Singh · 25th February 2020, 09:00

I voted for option 2: 26,000 km - 49,000 km

I think in the cities where most of the people's commute on a weekday is from home to workplace and vice versa, the average reading on the odometer should be in the range of 25k-30k approximately on a yearly basis. Hence, I am probably buying a vehicle which was bought about 2 years back. So, there is a high probability that the vehicle is in a good state.
Ofcourse we need to consider the brake and clutch wear due to heavy traffic in the cities.

JSR@007 · 25th February 2020, 11:01

Having a reputable repair shop inspect the car car is a good way to head off mechanical problems. Find a repair shop that is AAA certified if possible.If you pay a fair price for the car, if it is in good condition and you keep it that way, resale shouldn't be a problem. Although it's worth noting that brands with high consumer esteem will be easier to sell. Japanese cars are a good bet for resale.All this being said I would say the most important factor in getting a good car is to ask the person selling it lots of questions.The answers to the questions are important, but it is more important how the seller answers the questions. Do they answer naturally and logically or do they hesitate and seem like they are hiding something?If something doesn't seem right it probably isn't. If the car you're looking at has 50,000 miles on it, that basically means you can drive it for another 90,000 miles before you even get to the average. If the car has 100,000 miles on it, that's still nearly four years of driving to get to the average.

PrasannaDhana · 25th February 2020, 15:21

I chose the first option, with the least km on the odo. But if you ask me to buy a pre owned car now, I just wont.

I had an eye opening incident last week. I was travelling in one of my friends' S cross and asked him what his odo currently was. He told me he reached 75k km last month, and then tweaked the odo to 35k km at nearby FNG. He told me he would drive another 40k with regular services at FNG and during 75k km service he will go back to authorised A.S.S. That way , the service record will be intact while also using the car for more km than what the odo claims.

I don't believe pre owned odos anymore. I would rather buy a new hatch back than buy a pre owned D segment sedan at the same price.

jetsetgo08 · 25th February 2020, 15:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

I chose the first option, with the least km on the odo. But if you ask me to buy a pre owned car now, I just wont.
....
I don't believe pre owned odos anymore. I would rather buy a new hatch back than buy a pre owned D segment sedan at the same price.

This is where the tyre manufacturing date and the tyre wear inspection comes into picture. There is a high probability that someone would recognize tampered odo.

Although this is a common malpractice performed by the used car dealers, any specific reasons (apart from resale value) on why your friend is clocking back the odo?

Roadster17 · 25th February 2020, 16:20

Very nice and relevant thread. I have a query. How many kilometers on odometer is good to buy an used 2016 POLO GT TSI? Plus, what all should be one careful with while inspecting the car ?

gadadhar · 25th February 2020, 16:21

It will depend on the make and model for me. I won't hesitate to pick up a Toyota SUV that has done more than 1 lakh, especially if it is with a service history.

McLaren Rulez · 25th February 2020, 17:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

I was travelling in one of my friends' S cross and asked him what his odo currently was. He told me he reached 75k km last month, and then tweaked the odo to 35k km at nearby FNG. He told me he would drive another 40k with regular services at FNG and during 75k km service he will go back to authorised A.S.S. That way , the service record will be intact

If he really is rolling the odo back as claimed, he's a bit of an idiot. He should be turning the odo back by a smaller amount e.g. 15k for every 30k that he runs. Alternate services between FNG and A.S.S. This would lead to a far more convincing service record (now, he will have a huge time gap between the 60k and 75k services).

Even con-men are losing their edge these days...

PrasannaDhana · 25th February 2020, 18:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetsetgo08

any specific reasons (apart from resale value) on why your friend is clocking back the odo?

Quote:

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

Even con-men are losing their edge these days...

I was so shocked that I did not talk any further about the odo thing with him. I was just speechless that even educated, rich people do such cheap stuff for a few extra bucks a few years down the lane.

In my case, I log every 1000 km milestone here on teambhp and use it as an online record of maintenance and ownership. I have always shared the link to prospective buyers when ever I felt like knowing what resale value I could get for my car. No wonder I always got much low of a quote than I expected. Guess truth doesn't make a good sale nowadays.
And to know there are a vast majority of private owners (not second hand dealers) themselves who willfully act to cheat strangers was something I couldn't digest.
All my dreams of lateral upgrade to a 2.0 TDI sedan just flew out of the window, along with my trust on people in general.

Mortis · 25th February 2020, 18:38

I voted for 26-49k kms. Reason one being that obviously I would like a new-ish car and also pricing should be decent for it as it's been fairly used.

The reason ideally I wouldn't prefer a newer car is that there are chances that an owner wants to dispose of it quickly as it has some issue that the ASS hasn't been able to resolve. He's stuck with it for 10000km but now he's frustrated and wants to get rid of it

UMe · 25th February 2020, 23:13

I voted for 26000-49000 kms.
I think the car would have been old enough to get cost benefit of a pre-owned car. If you are lucky you could get warranty or extended warranty benefits too.
Most likelihood, the car would be within the 5 years of purchase, hence would be serviced at an authorized service center and having the service records. With so much talk on manipulation of the odometer, having service records would make sense.

iTNerd · 26th February 2020, 02:31

I picked up a genuine 46000 kms run Toyota Fortuner 2010 in excellent condition with company service history, just a month ago in Delhi and the only repair I did was to change the water pump. It still have plastic wraps in the seat adjusters bar (bottom). Only big investment I made was to change the 10 years old tyres to Conti ATs.

landcruiser123 · 26th February 2020, 04:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

He told me he reached 75k km last month, and then tweaked the odo to 35k km at nearby FNG. He told me he would drive another 40k with regular services at FNG and during 75k km service he will go back to authorised A.S.S. That way , the service record will be intact while also using the car for more km than what the odo claims.

A smart buyer will check the dates between the services and question the gap or walk away from the deal. While buying pre-owned, anything slightly out of place should set the alarm bells ringing.

But yes, there are many who'll fall for the trap.

gopikb · 26th February 2020, 10:09

I believe the actual vote should be for is "It depends". A bit of luck is also involved here. For me, buying a car from a 2nd and dealer or an through an ad from Ola truly gives me the jitters. It is mainly because of the zero trust that these guys have developed. There is a small percentage of genuine dealers and owners who post through Ola. However, for a layman who has very limited knowledge of cars and does not have a big clout to fight it out (like me), I would not go there.
Team-bhp on the other hand is a forum which has earned the trust of thousands of people. I am not telling this just because I am writing here. But the way the mods have taken care of going that extra mile just to take care of the quality of posts is really amazing. I have been watching the unbiased reviews of all cars from all manufacturers over the past 12 years which helps an individual to take the right decision based on his own needs.

Coming to second hand cars, I am glad Team bhp started the "Classifieds" section and I did buy a 72K km run 2011 Linea Tjet in 2018 from an active bhpian. Before the purchase, I went through the posts from the bhpian and clearly understood what issues he has reported during the ownership and when I talked to him the very first time, I clearly saw that he was very open with what is working well and what is not and it matched with his posts. That gave the confidence that the person is trust worthy. Moreover the bhipan had done his last service at the same FNG Pride cars where I service my Punto MJD. I went to Pride cars and asked the mechanic if the car was worth buying given that it had run 72K kms already. The mechanic looked through the service records and gave a clean chit and told me exactly the list of spares which he would change immediately to bring the car back to top shape. Took his advice, settled the deal and brought the car back home. Two years down the line, the car is currently at 84K+ kms on the odo and an absolute hoot to drive on the highway. Have never stranded me or my family anywhere and it perfectly satisfies our family needs as a second city car as well.

Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading-car.jpg

SRM · 26th February 2020, 13:12

Have never picked up a used car yet. But, somehow feel that needs to be the logical way forward with the insane prices that today's cars command.

Whenever that has to happen, I would want to preferably pickup a max 1-2 yr old car in its top variant with 10-15k which would be reasonable usage. It will help me knockoff 30-35% of the on-road price as well as still be under warranty for any unforeseen issues. Also, would give me an opportunity for extending the warranty. Ofcourse, there needs to be much further inspections to see if all is in place, but atleast this would be my screening criteria.

That's the current thinking, but then heart rules when you're actually in market for one

gaurav.kokra · 15th April 2020, 11:43

I have voted for greater than 1 lakh kilometers. The song cheap thrills will be apt over here.

If I find a car and a trustable seller who will be in my close contact I shall surely consider the vehicle.

The reason being that in my office group we are 3 people who have bought pre owned Vento TDIs with over 1 lakh kilometers from a trusted mechanic friend of ours. Touchwood, there has been no problem apart from routine wear and tear repairs/replacements.

Silver vento 2012- bought at 80000km, current odomoter around 135000.

White vento 2011 - bought at 135000 km, current odomoter around 143000.

Yours truly's vento rocky beige - bought at 108000, current odomoter 135000km.

All the three ventos have proved to be bullet proof in terms of reliability except mine where I was stranded due to an ABS problem. But no problem from the engine whatsoever.

All three vehicles still pull like a train as their meant to.

I'll let the pictures do the justice for the condition of the cars.

I have posted non-edited pictures to provide raw condition through pictures.

Thanks.

View Poll Results: The max km you are comfortable with, when buying used?
<25,000 km	180	27.61%
26,000 - 49,000 km	319	48.93%
50,000 - 74,000 km	71	10.89%
75,000 - 99,000 km	16	2.45%
I'm okay with 100,000+ km cars	66	10.12%
Voters: 652. You may not vote on this poll

25th February 2020, 09:00	#76
Ik.Singh Newbie Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Greater Noida Posts: 9 Thanked: 47 Times	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading I voted for option 2: 26,000 km - 49,000 km I think in the cities where most of the people's commute on a weekday is from home to workplace and vice versa, the average reading on the odometer should be in the range of 25k-30k approximately on a yearly basis. Hence, I am probably buying a vehicle which was bought about 2 years back. So, there is a high probability that the vehicle is in a good state. Ofcourse we need to consider the brake and clutch wear due to heavy traffic in the cities.
	() Thanks

25th February 2020, 11:01	#77
JSR@007 Newbie Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: Riyadh Posts: 2 Thanked: 0 Times	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading Having a reputable repair shop inspect the car car is a good way to head off mechanical problems. Find a repair shop that is AAA certified if possible.If you pay a fair price for the car, if it is in good condition and you keep it that way, resale shouldn't be a problem. Although it's worth noting that brands with high consumer esteem will be easier to sell. Japanese cars are a good bet for resale.All this being said I would say the most important factor in getting a good car is to ask the person selling it lots of questions.The answers to the questions are important, but it is more important how the seller answers the questions. Do they answer naturally and logically or do they hesitate and seem like they are hiding something?If something doesn't seem right it probably isn't. If the car you're looking at has 50,000 miles on it, that basically means you can drive it for another 90,000 miles before you even get to the average. If the car has 100,000 miles on it, that's still nearly four years of driving to get to the average.
	() Thanks

25th February 2020, 15:21	#78
PrasannaDhana Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: TRICHY - TN Posts: 2,923 Thanked: 18,375 Times View My Garage	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading I chose the first option, with the least km on the odo. But if you ask me to buy a pre owned car now, I just wont. I had an eye opening incident last week. I was travelling in one of my friends' S cross and asked him what his odo currently was. He told me he reached 75k km last month, and then tweaked the odo to 35k km at nearby FNG. He told me he would drive another 40k with regular services at FNG and during 75k km service he will go back to authorised A.S.S. That way , the service record will be intact while also using the car for more km than what the odo claims. I don't believe pre owned odos anymore. I would rather buy a new hatch back than buy a pre owned D segment sedan at the same price.
	(5) Thanks

25th February 2020, 16:20	#80
Roadster17 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Delhi Posts: 112 Thanked: 519 Times	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading Very nice and relevant thread. I have a query. How many kilometers on odometer is good to buy an used 2016 POLO GT TSI? Plus, what all should be one careful with while inspecting the car ?
	() Thanks

25th February 2020, 16:21	#81
gadadhar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,342 Thanked: 1,116 Times View My Garage	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading It will depend on the make and model for me. I won't hesitate to pick up a Toyota SUV that has done more than 1 lakh, especially if it is with a service history.
	() Thanks

25th February 2020, 18:38	#84
Mortis Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,322 Thanked: 1,402 Times	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading I voted for 26-49k kms. Reason one being that obviously I would like a new-ish car and also pricing should be decent for it as it's been fairly used. The reason ideally I wouldn't prefer a newer car is that there are chances that an owner wants to dispose of it quickly as it has some issue that the ASS hasn't been able to resolve. He's stuck with it for 10000km but now he's frustrated and wants to get rid of it
	() Thanks

25th February 2020, 23:13	#85
UMe BHPian Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: KA04--><--KL13 Posts: 93 Thanked: 109 Times	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading I voted for 26000-49000 kms. I think the car would have been old enough to get cost benefit of a pre-owned car. If you are lucky you could get warranty or extended warranty benefits too. Most likelihood, the car would be within the 5 years of purchase, hence would be serviced at an authorized service center and having the service records. With so much talk on manipulation of the odometer, having service records would make sense.
	() Thanks

26th February 2020, 02:31	#86
iTNerd Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Imphal/Noida Posts: 1,241 Thanked: 1,214 Times View My Garage	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading I picked up a genuine 46000 kms run Toyota Fortuner 2010 in excellent condition with company service history, just a month ago in Delhi and the only repair I did was to change the water pump. It still have plastic wraps in the seat adjusters bar (bottom). Only big investment I made was to change the 10 years old tyres to Conti ATs.
	() Thanks

26th February 2020, 10:09	#88
gopikb BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 554 Thanked: 390 Times	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading I believe the actual vote should be for is "It depends". A bit of luck is also involved here. For me, buying a car from a 2nd and dealer or an through an ad from Ola truly gives me the jitters. It is mainly because of the zero trust that these guys have developed. There is a small percentage of genuine dealers and owners who post through Ola. However, for a layman who has very limited knowledge of cars and does not have a big clout to fight it out (like me), I would not go there. Team-bhp on the other hand is a forum which has earned the trust of thousands of people. I am not telling this just because I am writing here. But the way the mods have taken care of going that extra mile just to take care of the quality of posts is really amazing. I have been watching the unbiased reviews of all cars from all manufacturers over the past 12 years which helps an individual to take the right decision based on his own needs. Coming to second hand cars, I am glad Team bhp started the "Classifieds" section and I did buy a 72K km run 2011 Linea Tjet in 2018 from an active bhpian. Before the purchase, I went through the posts from the bhpian and clearly understood what issues he has reported during the ownership and when I talked to him the very first time, I clearly saw that he was very open with what is working well and what is not and it matched with his posts. That gave the confidence that the person is trust worthy. Moreover the bhipan had done his last service at the same FNG Pride cars where I service my Punto MJD. I went to Pride cars and asked the mechanic if the car was worth buying given that it had run 72K kms already. The mechanic looked through the service records and gave a clean chit and told me exactly the list of spares which he would change immediately to bring the car back to top shape. Took his advice, settled the deal and brought the car back home. Two years down the line, the car is currently at 84K+ kms on the odo and an absolute hoot to drive on the highway. Have never stranded me or my family anywhere and it perfectly satisfies our family needs as a second city car as well. Last edited by gopikb : 26th February 2020 at 10:11.
	() Thanks

26th February 2020, 13:12	#89
SRM BHPian Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Bombay Posts: 88 Thanked: 70 Times	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading Have never picked up a used car yet. But, somehow feel that needs to be the logical way forward with the insane prices that today's cars command. Whenever that has to happen, I would want to preferably pickup a max 1-2 yr old car in its top variant with 10-15k which would be reasonable usage. It will help me knockoff 30-35% of the on-road price as well as still be under warranty for any unforeseen issues. Also, would give me an opportunity for extending the warranty. Ofcourse, there needs to be much further inspections to see if all is in place, but atleast this would be my screening criteria. That's the current thinking, but then heart rules when you're actually in market for one
	() Thanks

15th April 2020, 11:43	#90
gaurav.kokra BHPian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Kota, Rajasthan Posts: 66 Thanked: 352 Times	Re: Used Cars: Your upper limit for the km / odometer reading I have voted for greater than 1 lakh kilometers. The song cheap thrills will be apt over here. If I find a car and a trustable seller who will be in my close contact I shall surely consider the vehicle. The reason being that in my office group we are 3 people who have bought pre owned Vento TDIs with over 1 lakh kilometers from a trusted mechanic friend of ours. Touchwood, there has been no problem apart from routine wear and tear repairs/replacements. Silver vento 2012- bought at 80000km, current odomoter around 135000. White vento 2011 - bought at 135000 km, current odomoter around 143000. Yours truly's vento rocky beige - bought at 108000, current odomoter 135000km. All the three ventos have proved to be bullet proof in terms of reliability except mine where I was stranded due to an ABS problem. But no problem from the engine whatsoever. All three vehicles still pull like a train as their meant to. I'll let the pictures do the justice for the condition of the cars. I have posted non-edited pictures to provide raw condition through pictures. Thanks.
	() Thanks