Some advice needed really urgently.

I bought a 94 WRX wagon 6 days ago from an import dealer in West Yorkshire. When I bought the car it was advertised on the dealers website and on Autotraders site as having done 60,000 miles. I went to see the car and the clock said 104,000. I asked the dealer about this and he said the odemeter was in Kilometers. He explained that because the car was an import the clock is in Kilometers and the clock face is changed to read in MPH for the cars SVA testing. Both my girlfriend and Myself clearly heard him state this (we would have walked away if it was 104000 miles). He also wrote 104,000kms on the warranty paperwork which i signed when i bought the car. At no point was there any paperwork stating that the mileage was not verified or any sign on the car or any note on the websites.

I checked the car over before handing over my bankers draft and everything seemed fine. I took the car up to Scotland over the weekend and on the way back i noticed that the odometer was in fact clocking up the miles covered and not kilometers. The car runs ok but i'm sure it has covered 104000 miles and not the 60000 stated.

Whether or not the car has done 104k or 60k is not the main issue. When i go to sell the car next year it's probably going to be clocked at over 110 thousand miles..ie... nobody in their right mind will buy it.

Ideally i want my money back on the car or another car (even a different car from the same dealer if need be). What are my chances? I've had a look at some of the trading standards website and they state that if the car does not meet the descripion given by the seller, whether written or verbal, then i'm entitled to a refund.

Anyone else been in a similar situation? Any pointers? Any legal eagles out there?

I haven't spoken to the dealer yet (doesn't open again till tomorrow). I want to go in with as much info as possible before i confront him.

Any help would be VERY gratefully appreciated!!

thanks,

Marty.

You will probably find that this is infact correct, when some of the models of de-limiters are installed they will infact convert the odometer to read in miles rather than kilometers. As well as removing the 112MPH speed limit.

Some dealers will 'adjust' the clocks to display the total mileage in miles, rather than part kms and part miles.

Ian

[Edited by IanW - 9/30/2002 1:09:07 AM]

But that still means that my car shows 104000 miles and not the 60000miles or 104000kms that it should read according to the dealer. Do i have any comeback on that?

cheers,

Marty

That will mean that your car is showing 104000 kms and the rest in miles.

Ian,

Sorry... I should have explained a bit more. The car was originally imported just over 2 years ago. There was a previous owner in this country before me. Going by the cambelt service sticker i found in the engine bay, the car had the cambelt done a year and a half ago (in the UK) and the milage was 98000. I assumed that was 98000kms until i noticed the odometer this weekend.

Most used imports i've seen come into this country at between 40 and 55k miles.

If it has 2 years average use in this country i would expect it to read 88000 (original kms reading before import) plus 16000 miles in this country (1 years use plus the 6000 miles since the belt change). That figure is roughly what's on the clock now.

You reckon i'm worrying over nothing?

cheers,

Marty.

Ahh Ok that changes things slightly, i had assumed that it was a new import from a dealer.

I would speak to the dealer tomorrow, they may well have had the de-limiter fitted. I would also contact the previous owner and speak to them, I am more than happy to speak to anyone about my previous cars.

Speak to the dealer, IIRC you have 14 days in which time you can hand the car back (I may be wrong on that one though)

Ian,

I've heard 14 days from a friend i spoke to earlier today. I think that sounds about right. I think under the "sale of goods act 1974" i am entitled to a refund/replacement if the car does not meet the description given (even verbally) to me by the dealer. He stated that the odemeter read in Kilometers so either way, the car does not match the description given to me and my girlfriend. I'll speak to him tomorrow and see what he says.

I believe the dealer got the car from a mistubishi garage when someone traded in the scoob for an EVO. I don't think it'll be easy to track down the previous owner because of this.

As for the car, it does not have the 112mph limit but again, i don't know who put it throught the SVA. Hopefully the dealer can sort it out tomorrow (fingers crossed). I'd be happy to take another car from the same dealer (his cars are in very good order and come with a very good warranty) and i'm hoping that the dealer himself was just mistaken and believes the car is still reading in kilometers.

Guess I'll find out tomorrow.

Thanks for the info....

cheers,

Marty

The previous owners details should be on the V5, then make a quick call to directory enquires and you have the details.

Hope it all goes well for you, let me know what the dealer says.

Ian

Ian,

Thanks for the advice,

I called the dealer today and he claims to have paperwork that verifies the mileage the car had on it when it was imported and the clocks changed. He said he will send this out to me along with some service records he forgot to give me the day i picked the car up. Looks like i'm worrying over a few thousand miles rather than the 40000 that i was originally panicking about.

He also said he'd look into a noise thats been bugging me (nothing serious i think). Sounds like the guy is being ok about it. I'll know for definite when i get the paperwork through in the post.

cheers,

Marty.

<No one in their right mind would look at it with 104K miles on it>

Why not! Only just run in at that point (assuming it's been well lokked after!!} - look at the high mileage threads!