Can You Tell If Main Odometer Has Been Reset?

[BayArea3timer]

Just bought my third LS and am a little nervous about mileage readout. Car was built in April '02 and shows 16,900 miles. Bought it at BMW dealership (skip the jokes about that :D ) several hundred miles away, had best friend from college testdrive first following detailed guidelines...reported it as clean.

Here's the thing. When I saw the car, I noted chrome wheels with tires that looked like they had closer to 30K than 17K (original dealer's sticker, still with car, showed no chrome wheels, and tires were Dunlops while full size spare, new, was Yokohama). I test drove, it seemed fine, I know dealers and sellers often swap wheels and tires so wasn't too concerned. Bought it, brought it back yesterday, ran wonderfully, all systems flawless in operation, car extremely clean and unblemished.

Then I noted that battery was aftermarket. Web search alerted me to other boards indicating that under certain circumstances (i.e. jump starting a dead battery), the main odometer can sometimes reset to zero.

Two questions: do any of you know of this happening to LS430s, and from the evidence I presented, anyone have opinions on the likelihood this is true mileage on my car. I would have to move quickly to have any chance of undoing this deal...

Thanks in advance for your help...

[lexus400]

Don't know about the 430's specifically but a car with that mileage should have the original mats, battery (unusual to me that it would be new @ two years old), tires (asuming that they weren't swapped). I've had pretty good luck tracking down original owners either by finding something inn the car with a name/address or getting a printout of the maintenance from the dealer. Sometimes the customer name will still be on it. Most people would be happy to give you the background on a car they have owned. I don't know any cars that the odometer will "reset" when swapping the battery. For peace of mine, disconnect the battery for a day and see what happens... then you'll know for sure.

Bob

[95LS400Bob]

Have a Lexus dealer run a report on the car. Oasis I believe it would be called. Also prior smog tests have recorded mileage. I am sure a speedo not that easy to set back as speedometer roll back fraud all manufacturers are aware of.

A carfax report may be another way to check.

[VBdenny]

I know that unhooking the battery will not reset the odometer. All that stuff is highly regulated by the feds. If the state has annual inspections the milage is listed on the inspection. Check the service records at any Lexus dealer (free), and run a carfax. Most likely someone bought the rim used with used tires. The battery change out is a mystery though.

[GRAND_LS 4]

I know that unhooking the battery will not reset the odometer.  All that stuff is highly regulated by the feds.  If the state has annual inspections the milage is listed on the inspection.   Check the service records at any Lexus dealer (free), and run a carfax.  Most likely someone bought the rim used with used tires.  The battery change out is a mystery though.

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Don’t worry, disconnecting the battery will not reset the mileage. It MIGHT reset trip A and B in some cars, but not the ODO EVER!

Now if the car was a bit beat up, and a 95 model, bough from a cheap o “Joe’s Auto” I would be worried somewhat, but not on a '02. Especially because the BMW dealership must screened the car before they bought it, they would never sell you a car with misrepresented mileage count, for the extra few thousand in profit will not offset all the legal fees and penalties associated with such practices.

I say run a carfax, just for the peice of mind. Chances are, the car might have been parked for a few months, (battery then dies) then the owner had it replaced. Actually, makes perfect sense for the battery to be aftermarket when the car has such low miles on it. Just means that it has been sitting in a garage for long intervals.

Relax, your car is just fine.

[Lexls]

Yeah, don't worry, I'm sure it's just fine. Disconnecting the battery does not affect the odometer because it's stored in a flash memory I believe. I wouldn't worry about the aftermarket battery either. Sometimes batteries die quickly; it's strange but it happens.

Enjoy your new car :) .

[lovlex]

i heard that parking a car on concrete for an extended amount of time will drain a battery also. with the low miles, someone probably had it sitting in the garage a lot.

[92Lex]

i heard that parking a car on concrete for an extended amount of time will drain a battery also.

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Concrete? Where'd you hear this from?

[Unlisted]

Just bought my third LS and am a little nervous about mileage readout.  Car was built in April '02 and shows 16,900 miles.  Bought it at BMW dealership (skip the jokes about that  :D ) several hundred miles away, had best friend from college testdrive first following detailed guidelines...reported it as clean.

Here's the thing.  When I saw the car, I noted chrome wheels with tires that looked like they had closer to 30K than 17K (original dealer's sticker, still with car, showed no chrome wheels, and tires were Dunlops while full size spare, new, was Yokohama).  I test drove, it seemed fine, I know dealers and sellers often swap wheels and tires so wasn't too concerned.  Bought it, brought it back yesterday, ran wonderfully, all systems flawless in operation, car extremely clean and unblemished.

Then I noted that battery was aftermarket.  Web search alerted me to other boards indicating that under certain circumstances (i.e. jump starting a dead battery), the main odometer can sometimes reset to zero.

Two questions: do any of you know of this happening to LS430s, and from the evidence I presented, anyone have opinions on the likelihood this is true mileage on my car.  I would have to move quickly to have any chance of undoing this deal...

chrome wheels we a dealer add and wouldnt show on the sticker. he may have also bought them after the fact used. Car fax and dealer records should set it straight

Thanks in advance for your help...

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[BayArea3timer]

Thanks, all for the great input. I did run a Carfax, and it came back clean. However, a spontaneous reset of the odometer would not necessarily be something an owner would report (might celebrate instead, especially if it was from, say 20,000 to zero, and could be made to look credible).

I've got the selling Lexus dealer's name and will contact them for any possible service records they may have...but I will also follow the poster's advice and enjoy my car.

Thanks again for the thoughtful feedback. Great group!

[Unlisted]

Thanks, all for the great input.  I did run a Carfax, and it came back clean.  However, a spontaneous reset of the odometer would not necessarily be something an owner would report (might celebrate instead, especially if it was from, say 20,000 to zero, and could be made to look credible).

I've got the selling Lexus dealer's name and will contact them for any possible service records they may have...but I will also follow the poster's advice and enjoy my car.

Thanks again for the thoughtful feedback.  Great group!

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good luck.. any lexus dealer can give you the national history.

[VBdenny]

I never, ever heard of an odometer resetting itself. I'm sure there are ways to hack anything but again very unlikely. Big, big fines and penalties for such activities. Your car is 99.99% original. Now get it out there on the road and report back on how fast it goes!

Enjoy!

[ArmyofOne]

it is virtually impossible to roll back a digital odobeter on the LS400/430 and later model ES's...IIRC only 1 company can alter the mileage onthese.

run a carfax and call Lexus.