Some sellers tampering with car metres to make profit

Published: 9 February 2025

Various methods used to tamper with the metre that shows the distance travelled by a car

The practice of tampering with odometer (metre which shows the total kilometres travelled by a car) is one of the most prominent challenges facing the used car market today, as some people use this trick to illegally reduce the distance traveled by a car, Al Raya said in a report, quoting experts in the field.
Low kilometres leads to raising a car’s market value and deceiving buyers.

Experts explained that tampering is done through various means, such as using advanced electronic devices to reset the meter, or replacing it completely with another meter that displays a lower read-ing, and sometimes modifying the electronic records of some modern cars, the report adds.

They pointed out that detecting such manipulations requires great awareness from the buyer, as it is recommended to inspect the car at authorized maintenance centers or refer to the maintenance rec-ords and periodic technical inspection, which can reveal the last correct reading of the meter.

They also stressed the importance of dealing with reliable car showrooms with a good reputation to reduce the possibility of falling into the trap of forgery.

Salah Al-Ajji, the owner of a car showroom, confirmed that tampering with odometers has become one of the most common methods of fraud in the used car market. He explained that fraudsters tam-per with clean cars in excellent condition, and reduce their odometers to achieve large profits. “There is another category of fraudsters who turn to luxury cars that have only undergone maintenance a few times, as they buy them and tamper with them to achieve profits of up to more than QR50,000.”