Used Sprinter buyer beware

[TJ959]

I sold my Sprinter earlier this year. It was getting a little long in the tooth and the transmission was completely dead. It seemed like a bad idea to invest a lot of money in it so I retired me and it. The guy who bought it was from Chicago and he was going to export it to Poland ( so he said). I sold it for next to nothing and figured he would use it for parts over there. Imagine my surprise when I got a phone call from a man in Manitoba who said he bought my old van on Ebay. Said he was real happy with it and that he thought it was in fairly good shape for having 103,000 miles on it. I told him he should be even more impressed because the last time I saw it there was 322,000 miles on it and it wouldn't move under it's own power.
Sooo....... buyer beware! Things are not always as they seem

 

[chefdennis]

yes indeed, "Caveat emptor"......

 

[lpgregory]

Sounds like the guy is buying lots of used sprinters and piecing together parts, frames, instrument panels, ect. to get working vehicles to sell. Not a problem if he would disclose this and not lie about what he is doing.

Not sure what the legal/ethical ramifications are to using an odometer from one vehicle on another. There is a definite legal problem if the odometer is found to be "rolled" back, but if it is just moved without changing it's current mileage would that present a legal problem?

LPGregory

 

[greg334]

Ah alteration of the odometer is.... well alteration of the odometer.

 

[TJ959]

It's real illegal. I'm sure glad I had the guy fill out and sign a mileage certificate and kept it for my files. I'm covered..... I don't know about the Canadian laws though.

 

[Mdbtyhtr]

There is a computer program being sold out of Germany to companies that repair speedometers to correct odometer readings on electronic odometers. The program and data cables cost around 4K, and it takes only the amount of time to type in the VIN and the desired mileage and it is done.

Scott

 

[Turtle]

You can swap out an odometer from another vehicle, even alter the odometer if you want, it's just that it has to be noted on the title that the odometer reading is not accurate. It's only illegal if you fail to note it.