The Fiats used to have a H letter on the odometer, as long as it within the first 200 kms

BHPian nova.19_exe recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Well okay, everytime someone posts about them buying a new car, I have always noticed that the ODO reading stand at 3kms, 7kms, heck even 23kms at times! But I've always been curious about this!

Is there a way for a car to be delivered from factory-yard-showroom with 0kms on the ODO?

Curious to see if there are ways to get it done and your takes on it?

Cheers!

Here' what GTO had to say o the matter:

There is a "jugaad" way, although it may not mean that the car has run for 0 km. Many manufacturers allow dealers to reset the odometer one single time before delivery. Here's a related thread.

Here's what BHPian govigov had to say on the matter:

The FIATs used to have a H letter on the odometer, as long as it within the first 200 kms, the odo can be reset to 0 kms at the time of delivery. It can only be done once, so that the customer can get the car with 0 kms on the odometer at the time of delivery.

Here's what BHPian PaddleShifter had to say on the matter:

As per standards expected from a manufacturer, various quality assurance protocols require testing of a product. A pre delivery inspection protocol mandates that dealers also do such testing before delivering the car to an owner.

Having an odometer reading of 5-10km actually shows that such inspections have been done thoroughly. Delivering a car with 0km indicates no road testing has been carried out.

The only way to ethically bypass it is to have a temporary odometer, e.g. in FIAT cars, the odometer reads H 0 to H 200 kilometers after which it resets to 0km to start the permanent odometer reading that can not be reset anymore. During the initial 200km with the prefix H, the odometer can be reset once to zero to begin the permanent odometer counting.

Here's what BHPian condor had to say on the matter:

In India, practically no.

Dealerships have their yards outside the city where the cars are brought to from the factory. I would say the cars would have run at least a km in the factory itself. Then the car has to be brought to the showroom from the yards. So I will not expect a car in India to have a 0 km reading, unless it has been reset at the dealership.

Here's what BHPian brownkaiser had to say on the matter:

In Mahindra XUV 5OO, there is an option to reset the odometer to 0, before it reaches 100. This can be done only once and also before you cross 100 kms.

My car had 13 km on the odo while taking delivery, and I used this trick to reset it back to 0.

Here's what BHPian Gansan had to say on the matter:

The only way is for the dealer to reset the odo to zero before delivery. There is no other way.

In Chennai it is common for Maruti cars to be unloaded at a railhead about 40 km away and then be driven to the dealer stockyard from there. Then there will be a drive from stockyard to the showroom. Then a drive from the showroom to the RTO office.

What some dealers do is disconnect the speedometer right at the railhead and then drive the cars to the yard. In short, even if your brand new car's odo shows a perfect zero at the showroom before delivery, can you believe it.

Just observe the condition of the tyres, it will be very easy to spot new tyres that have not been driven much. There will be telltale signs if otherwise.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Currently I am on cusp of hitting this threshold with my Nissan Terrano

BHPian SideView recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hitting 1,00,000 is special for any driver be it in kilometres or miles, especially if it is your first vehicle or if its your first time after owning multiple vehicles.

• Currently I am on cusp of hitting this threshold with my Nissan Terrano from 8 years of ownership (around 1.5k still to go)
• 60k was done by 2018

Covid shutdown + shifting jobs reduced my vehicle usage drastically.

Curious to hear some stories or special moments that you recollect when you had touched this milestone or on the way to this milestone.

Did you have anything special planned(roadtrips/get together)? Any other celebration? Or makeover for vehicle?

Or

Was it more of thought “ OMG I am going to loose all that resale and need to sell it off fast ”

My journey so far has been a mixed bag:

Have I been stranded on remote road during my travels: Thankfully No.

Have I been stranded in front of my house: Yes (Door got auto locked with engine running that too on a sunday)

Some weird issue here and there but nothing of that sort that makes me WANT to sell my vehicle.

But as soon as I get behind the wheels especially on a highway it brings a smile on my face (K9K 110 ps + turbo combo is addictive)

Inshort: I am a satisfied soul.

Feel free to share some of your stories! (So that i can also plan something similar lines or atleast make me think)

Here's what BHPian Small Bot had to say on the matter:

Most recently, we had two cars in the family, which had gone beyond 1 lakh kms.

A second-gen i10 which ran for more than 1.5 lakh kms before an engine seizure caused it to be replaced by an i20 Active (which then ran for 80K kms before being replaced by a Grand Vitara). And a Brio which is currently at more than 1.75 lakh kms and still running.

The respective owners (father and brother) didn't really seem to care much about any milestones though. The cars just ran and ran, the Brio still is mechanically sound with no issue. No-nonsense people with no-nonsense cars.

I suppose I'll also probably just follow suit, keep driving my car and remember touching 1 lakh kms only after I cross 1.2 lakh kms.

Here's what BHPian tharian had to say on the matter:

Hitting the lakh kms on the odo is a big deal and excitement for me. It is a big milestone for the vehicle and for the owner on how it has been maintained to reach that mark.

The first vehicle that comes to mind was my old carb Maruti 800 that was a hand me down from my dad to my sister and to me. It was 96 model and I got it when it had run around 88k kms. I hit the lakh mark when I sold it. Still ran well for its age in 2010.

The second vehicle is my 2002 Bullet Electra currently at 1,28,000 kms on the stock un-opened engine. Still runs fine. I celebrated the milestone by doing a 400 kms ride during which it hit the mark.

Recently, it was a 72' Fiat 1100D that hit the lakh. The car came to me when it had around 97k kms from a friend and fellow member who left it in my care. Again, running on the stock unopened engine and runs perfectly.

Here's what BHPian GForceEnjoyer had to say on the matter:

Our 2006 Ford Fiesta 1.6 petrol hit the 100k kilometres mark in a setting that really suits its character. It was on a late night airport run while going WOT (wide open throttle) on an ORR entrance ramp.

While I don't have any pictures of the reading, the moment is ingrained into my memory. The hundred-thousands digit of the odometer changing from a 0 to a 1 for the first time ever was quite historic!

We didn't really have anything specific planned for the car. In fact, we actually received only bad news on the next service: we were told that getting a replacement rear reading light was not possible, since the part had apparently been discontinued for years! Soon after though, we did take it on a very fun road trip to Gandikota, barely a week before Covid19 hit.

Here's what BHPian FlashMustang had to say on the matter:

On October 28, 2023, we completed the 100,000 km milestone with our Honda City 3rd generation face-lifted version purchased in 2012.

We crossed the milestone as part of our yearly vacation that we usually plan for our wedding anniversary.

For this year's vacation, we planned a road-trip and a stay near Ooty.

On October 28, 2023, we drove from Hyderabad to Mysore, and on the next day, drove from Mysore to Ooty (through Bandipur and Mudumalai), driving up the 36 hair-pin bends up to Ooty for our vacation.

We crossed the milestone on October 28, 2023 around 6:15 AM on the Hyderabad-Bangalore highway. We were somewhere in Andhra Pradesh (around the vicinity of Gooty) when we clocked the 100,000 km mark.

As we neared the dates to our annual vacation, I realized that we'll cross the 100,000 km milestone of our car as part of this trip. When starting from Hyderabad, I calculated the kilometers left to reach 100,000, and calculated the approximate time when we would touch this, and kept a mental note of the time. Sure enough, around the time, we were around 99,995 km on the odometer. I drove the next 5 km quite slowly, savoring the drive, and anticipating the milestone.

We did a quick stop at the 99,999 km mark for a photo.

When we touched 100,000 km, we safely parked the car out of the main carriage-way of the highway to capture the moment.

View from my driving seat at 100,000 km.

My wife and myself got down from the car to take a photo of us together with the car on this milestone.

The car has served us well, and we have many happy memories with the car. We hope to hold on to it for as long as we can.

Apart from periodic maintenance, the car has been quite trouble-free, with zero rattles till date. This is one of the generations of the Honda City with the Torque Converter automatic, and the gearbox combination with the i-VTEC engine is a true enthusiast's delight. It works great for both sedate driving, as well as enthusiastic driving when I'm in the mood for it.

It allows munching miles quite effortlessly, as long as the road conditions are great.

Looking forward to many more happy miles with it!

Here's what BHPian Night Raven had to say on the matter:

The 100000 moment of our beloved Punto.

That day my wife left her car at a parking spot and got in to the Punto with me so that she could be there for the moment.

We went to a nearby cake shop and brought home a cake to honour the achievement of the car and the driver.

We had almost decided on selling the Punto off after it got flood damaged in 2018 when it was around 50000kms on the odo, but the trusted horse came back and ran another 50000 without any issues. Even when I sold it off it was more because of my health issues and not that of the car. That recollection made this moment even more worth celebrating for us.

Here's what BHPian sudipta had to say on the matter:

Reached this milestone with our Scorpio on 23 Nov 2023. Parked aside and took a picture to remember this event. I was a happy and a bit emotional remembering all that we have been thru together. She will be 15 next year and plans are in progress for the renewal of RC.

Here's what BHPian Cool Piscean had to say on the matter:

This is an interesting topic. All cars that I have owned have achieved this milestone & I have been lucky to enjoy this feeling twice.

My first car was an Indica Xeta purchased in the year 2007 & I reached the milestone of 100000km in the year 2011 & 200000km in the year 2015. This journey had been a roller coaster ride for me because of the aftermarket CNG kit that I got installed. I still have this car in my garage because of the emotional attachment that I have with my first purchase.

In 2015 I bought my first SUV, TUV300. This was a gem of a car & never gave me any major problem except for the famous vacuum modulator issue. While selling this car in 2023 the odo was standing at 197000km. I never wanted to sell this SUV because of the strong work horse nature. It was a no-nonsense car & I could take it anywhere without having to think twice. Because of the weird NGT rule for diesel cars in NCR I had to sell it with a very heavy heart, as it was nearing the 10-year limit.

Felt extremely proud when the magical figure of 1L & 2L km was achieved.

Latest addition replacing my TUV is another beast from Mahindra stable, XUV700 & I again hope to achieve the magical 2L km figure with this beast.

Here's what BHPian vimalvittaladas had to sayon the matter:

I had the opportunity to clock 100000 kms in 3 of my vehicles:

Maruti Suzuki WagonR(VXI).

My first car which I bought in 2009 and sold in 2012. We were a family of three(me, wifey and daughter) and used the vehicle to the maximum. I was staying at Borivali due to my official obligation and made it as a habit to use it gor my yearly trip to Kerala. Had been a wonderful partner and I sold it with heavy heart in 2012 with 115000 kms ODO, as I was moving to Hong Kong.

Maruti Suzuki Swift ZXI

My second vehicle which I bought soon after I returned back to India in 2017. During the stay at HK, I never drove a car as the public transport system was top class.Moreover owning a personal vehicle was expensive too. The itch to drive was too much that I ended up making payment to buy the car as soon as I landed in India. On second day of landing in India, I had the vehicle with me. I used it till June 2020 and covered states of KL,TN,AP,MH and GA. I sold it in June 2020 with 120000 kms in ODO.

Hyundai Creta 2020 SX Petrol MT

I shifted to Creta from Swift in June 2020 while I was working at Chennai. The usage was for 2 years till June 2022(when I bought my Thar). The stay at Chennai ensured two drives every month to Trivandrum which contributed towards the ODO which stood at 140000 kms(in 2 years). It was the most enjoyable driving machines I owned till then.

So I had the opportunity to clock 3 vehicles to north of 100000 kms as explained above. Now holding a Thar and Hyundai Creta(2023 model). Thar is shy of 100000 kms by 1/4 th of it while October bought Creta already approaching 10000 kms.

Check out BHPian comment for more insights and information.

My granddad's 2006 Maruti Alto LXi hasn't even crossed 7,000 km.

BHPian karthi.stark recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

As BHPians, if there's one thing we love dearly, it is our own cars. Not only do we use them to get from point A to point B, but also sometimes to distract ourselves from our monotonous lives! I received my license recently and I simply could not resist the urge to drive a car ever since. However, with fuel prices at an all-time high, my chances are quite limited.

The smallest car we have is a Maruti Alto LXI owned by my grandpa and bought in the year 2006. My dad felt that driving it first was the best way for me to develop and improve on my driving skills. When I got behind the wheel for the first time, I was shocked! It was not anything regarding the car that had shocked me, but the reading on the odometer that did.

Or is it pretty common out there? So I decided to start this thread on the forum to see if any odometer reading comes close or even lesser than what I have observed. We have seen people boast about their "highest Odometer readings" while I'm here boasting about the "Lowest Odometer Reading"!

So BHPians, please let me know:

What's the lowest odometer reading you have seen in a car for the number of ownership years?

Here's what BHPian Shiftlock had to say on the matter:

Interesting thread!

When my dad sold our BMW X1, it stood at 27xxx km’s after 8 years of ownership (bought in 2012). It was used as a weekend car or reserved for special events. Everyone we spoke to found it hard to believe that the odometer reading was true and not tampered with. (Car had seen some small abuse for a brief period of time).

Here's what BHPian CEF_Beasts had to say on the matter:

Our Ford EcoSport had done only 17,000 km in 7 years, we sold it in Mid-August! The least a car has ever run by us!

Here's what BHPian TorqueMonster had to say on the matter:

None of the vehicles in my house have a very high odometer reading. In a span of 10 years, the Enfield has covered almost 40k kilometres, which is around 4,000 km every year. The car is 12 years old and has run 80k kilometres, making it run an approx 6,666 km a year.

Then comes the KB100 in my garage. For a period of 30 years, the bike has run 50k kilometres, a mere 1,600 km per year running.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I'm getting a bunch of other options in Mercedes and BMW with higher kilometres like 30,000 - 50,000km.

BHPian evolution recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I'm looking at a bunch of options in the used market at the moment. Looking only at convertible / cabriolet options.

One really stands out - it's a 2013 Mercedes with only 5000 km on it. Cost is around Rs 40 lakh.

I'm getting a bunch of other options in Mercedes and BMW with higher kilometres like 30,000 - 50,000km. Range for this is Rs 25 - 30 lakh.

For some reason the first option has always been calling out to me because of such less km on it. It looks like a fantastic deal. I don't care too much about it being an old model, with older looks, etc.

So, would you consider the first one a great deal and something exceptional? Or am I putting too much weightage on the km. Please advice!

Here's what BHPian JoshMachine had to say on the matter:

Given that you are looking at a pre-owned car, I would personally prefer a car which has been run closer to the service schedule running per year basis for that car category.

An 8-year old Mercedes with only 5000 km has spent almost its entire life in a garage/hardly any life on the road - meaning a very high natural entropy of the car’s energy coupled with natural atrophy of the car mechanicals. I would be wary buying such a car.

On the other hand, a relatively higher / adequately run car will most probably mean that the car has been serviced at regular intervals (which can be easily verified).

Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:

A car's usage should be commensurate with its age. Neither too less nor excessive. If one finds a car that has run 75,000-100,000 km on its odo that has been very carefully used, with all service records maintained, it is preferable to one with 25,000-50,000 km done, but abused. Some cars are used by several hands at home or are chauffeur driven. Such cars are best avoided. Not saying all chauffeurs are callous, but checks are needed on such cars. The wheel rims, tyres, driver's seat and suspensions (while test driving) are places that show tell-tale signs of abuse and are the first items to be affected. The cars that have done 25-30,000 which you have stated also need consideration upon merits.

My nephew who just bought a 2016 Chevrolet Volt in Santa Clara, CA says that most cars in the US in the used car market of this age have done 100,000 plus miles. And at this stage these are selling like hot cakes due to the unprecedented short supply of new cars.

Here's what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:

Don't rule out buying a new car. You might find a good deal on a new car itself. Or you can buy a new Audi A3 cab instead of a used E class cab.

When it comes to buying a used car, knowing the genuine history of the car is the most important thing. This is extremely difficult as cheating and withholding information is the norm in our country.

If you want to be efficient about buying a used car, don't chase good deals instead look for good cars. The very first elimination criteria is to ask for complete service history at the authorised service centre (ASC). ASC will provide you this only if the current owner authorises them to share it with you. I won't go near any car unless I do this as a first step. You would be surprised to know how rare it is to get such a simple and obvious request as this being fulfilled.

If the car has periodic services done without any gaps (1yr or 10K km intervals) with or without usage, lockdown or no-lockdown, you have a candidate to shortlist. Go through the full service history on their computer to ensure there are no unusual service jobs (accidents, repeated attempts to repair, etc.)

Next elimination criteria is to check the latest insurance policy. It should have "No Claims Bonus" discount of 50% if the service history shows no insurance claims, if not the car has been fixed outside. If there are claims in the service history, it should be basic stuff like bumper/fender-bender repairs and not any major collision stuff. It boggles my mind if someone says there is no valid insurance.

Trust me, 99% of the cars in the used car market that are available to average public don't meet these two simple criteria. The good cars are usually sold to friends and family and rarely make it to the open market. They also don't sit for too long waiting for a buyer. The talk of Odo meter reading and visual inspection that we normally do is just throwing dice when it comes to luxury cars.

I can share another tip, haven't used it myself but it might be a good strategy :-) Shortlist a car from the open market and take it to the ASC for inspection and service estimate. Make friends with the service advisor and tell him you are looking for a clean and well-maintained car of the same model. He could be an excellent source for clean cars. These guys would know niche category cars very intimately.

Don't rule out a new car. Have patience if you are looking for used car. If you find the right car, buy it without delay by paying whatever reasonable premium is being asked for.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Guys, keep in mind that he is talking about convertibles. It is absolutely normal for niche cars, off-roaders, superbikes, classic cars & superbikes to have very low running. My own '97 Jeep is now more like a toy and probably does just 500 - 1000 km a year. There are many Harley-Davidson & Ferrari owners who have the same kind of low usage.

As long as the car is clean, you get a full PPI done and follow our used car checklist, you should be okay.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The tampering wasn't just limited to analogue odometers, but on digital ones as well.

A car dealership owner in the USA has been caught and jailed for 5 years for odometer tampering. The owner is also said to have been fined close to US$ 4 million in restitution.

According to reports, the owner had a long-running scheme where he would purchase cars, tamper with its odometer and sell them to unsuspecting customers for a profit. The car dealership owner, along with his brother, is said to have tampered with odometers of approximately 690 vehicles they sold between 2006 and 2011. Over the years, the owner is said to have rolled back the odometer reading by around 69,000 miles on an average.

The reports go on to suggest that the owner and his brother would purchase cars from different states (Florida, Illinois, Maryland & others) using fake names and fake dealer names. They would then change the odometer readings and resell the same cars, now with a lower mileage, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

The tampering wasn't just limited to analogue odometers, but on digital ones as well. The car dealership owner is said to have pleaded guilty back in August last year and was sentenced earlier this week after multiple delays.

Source: Justice.gov

We love to drive & we love road-trips. Hence, some of us will see 200,000 km on the odometer. Are you one of them?

I feel that 200,000 km is the new 100,000 km because the overall quality of cars has significantly improved compared to the 2000s. Earlier, 1 lakh km was the tipping point at which owners would either sell their cars off, or expect major troubles. Today, if you adhere to the OEM maintenance schedules and follow some best practices (Best Practices : Maintain your Car in Top Shape), most cars - even budget hatchbacks - will deliver 200,000 km of fuss-free service.

Unfortunately though, the average new car ownership period is ~5 years in India, hence few first-owners will ever see even 100,000 km on the odo, leave aside 200,000. That said, a majority of BHPians are now open to holding onto their cars for 10-years (Your car's age: How long do you plan to hold onto your current car?). We love to drive & we love road-trips. Hence, some of us will see 200,000 km on the odometer. Are you one of them?

If you are, please share the following details on your 2 lakh km car:

• Year, make, model & engine

• Current odo reading

• Major work done

• How much longer do you plan to retain her?

• Pictures

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Here's what GTO shared about his Mahindra Classic 

• 1997 Mahindra Classic 4x4, with a 2.5 IDI diesel under the hood

• 2+ lakh km. Don't know exact reading as the odo broke down way too often to keep track

• Major work done: It's running on its 3rd engine currently. Original 2.1L XDP diesel gave up on Valentine's Day in '06 with 1.4 lakh km, then I foolishly swapped a used Contessa ISZ 1.8L Petrol. Ran that with lots of trouble, got fed up and bought a brand-new 2.5L (Bolero) diesel from Mahindra. Got it installed a decade back from a Mahindra workshop and she runs just like she did when new. Except for the chassis, dashboard, rollbar & a few other parts, everything in the Jeep has been replaced (e.g. tub has been changed twice). It's from an era when Mahindras were built like Premier 118NEs (read = very shoddy).

• How much longer you plan to retain her? A tricky question as I want to replace her with a 2021-22 Thar, but have hit some complications in the paperwork. If that gets solved, I won't hold onto her much longer. If not, then she will be a part of my garage for a long time to come. 

 
I take her everywhere, even fancy late night dinners & parties:

And pleasure drives. Driving just for the sake of driving: