Trying to buy a car but owner says that original miles isn't real, 3,000 miles off...? He telling the truth?

Question

so i'm trying to buy a 04 honda civic and everything seems well but the owner told me that the miles on the odometer, which is 65k, isn't the original but about 3k miles over the original because the original cluster gauge for the car broke from the first owner so it was replaced.

now, he showed me the pinkslip which had the odometer reading of 58k, which was not the actual mileage, when he bought the car back in december of 07 from the first owner. And also, he said after you change the cluster gauge there is no way to set it to exact mileage.

Anyways tell me what you think. Does it seems pretty accurate when he says that it's just 3,000 miles over the actual mileage?

Thanks all.

Answer 1

it sounds like a scam.  there are so many civics out their don't settle for the first one you come across

Answer 2

I would be vary wary of something like this.  Sellers will say anything to make a sale.  If he's selling it for well below the blue book price, by that I mean half, than there's more to it than just an odometer going bad.  

Carfax the vin # and see what that tells you.  It should display the mileage reported over the years.  I've never heard of an Odometer going bad, especially on an 04 Honda Civic.  

Answer 3

Well he is being up front telling you the odometer has been changed.  However, since it has been changed, it could be off more than 3,000 miles and if you ever want to sell it and get your money out of it, the next person may not want to risk buying a car without an accurate odometer.  Unless it is a deal, and you plan to drive it out, and you really trust this seller,...... you may want to pass.

Answer 4

IF the owner can produce documentation that the cluster was replaced when the car had 3000 miles, you are OK.  If not, walk away.  Every time a shop does repair work on a car, they issue a receipt, and the car's mileage should be on the receipt.  If there is no proof of when the cluster was replaced, you could potentially be buying a car that had the cluster replaced at 75,000 miles, and the overall mileage on the car would be 140,000.  If it were me, no proof, no sale, period.