Piston Slap: Hacking the Unrollable Odometer?

Brian writes:

I had a conversation with someone the other day who claimed his mechanic rolled back the odometer on his car. This is a late-model car with a digital odometer. I always thought digital odometers were protected from this, but a quick Google search reveals that it’s actually quite common and easy to roll back a digital odometer. I guess this is now something a buyer has to worry about on top of everything else when buying a used car.

For example, how could you ever tell a car was rolled back — say, 10,000 miles — when the car is legitimately in good condition?

What are your thoughts on this? And how can a buyer protect themselves?

Read more
  • Theflyersfan I think color is FINALLY starting to return to car lots. After what seems like over a lost decade of nothing but shades of gray, whites, and black, I'm seeing a lot more reds and blues creeping into luxury car lots. Except Audi and Volvo. They still have at least 6-8 shades of gray/silver. But they at least have a nice green. Honda and Acura seem to have a bunch of new colors. And all carmakers need to take a serious look at the shades of red seen at the Alfa Romeo lot and tell themselves they want that because that looks amazing.
  • Bd2 Well, it's no Sonata, no does it have the panache of the Optima.
  • Teddyc73 "eye-searingly"?
  • Teddyc73 I applaud anyone who purchases a vibrant, distinct or less popular color. We need these people. Our road ways have turned into a dreary gloomy sea of white, black, silver and greys, most with the equally lifeless black wheels. Mr Healey is guilty of contributing to this gloom apparently. It looks like a black and white movie across the nation when grouped with our grey houses with grey interiors. Totally dull and lifeless. And what is with this awful hideous trend of dull grey with black wheels showing up everywhere? It's on everything. Just awful. Come on people! I'll keep my Ram 1500 with it's deep rich sparkling Western Brown paint as long as I can.
  • Shipwright As my Avatar shows I had an '08 GT 500, Grabber Orange convertible. I now own a '12 GT 500 Kona Blue coupe.