Mileage for 2001 Ducato: Real vs. Reported

Hello everyone,

I recently purchased a 2001 Fiat Ducato 2.8 JTD (230) Automatic (4HP20), manufactured in 2002. The odometer shows 9,000 kilometers, but according to the dealer, the actual mileage is 18,000 kilometers because the odometer was replaced at some point.

A Fiat dealer I contacted supposedly read out a control unit and recorded a "genuine" mileage of 27,000. He wrote this by hand on an Explorer printout and in my service booklet. Another Fiat dealer said this was nonsense, claiming that the actual mileage cannot be read. A third dealer said that it sometimes is possible, but he couldn't do it with his Explorer on my Ducato.

Interestingly, it's possible to disable the instrument panel by pulling a specific fuse. This also stops the odometer from counting. Therefore, such manipulation is relatively easy, even for non-experts.

Does anyone know the exact conditions under which the "actual" data can be read from Ducato vehicles, and how to do it?

The Ducato is at the dealer for a few days for some warranty repairs. Is it possible that the dealer could now erase the actual mileage and thereby destroy evidence? Would soldering work on the engine control unit be necessary for this (and potentially detectable)?

Thank you for the helpful information!

Hi,

If you don't get an answer here: Perhaps Fiat itself might be interested in this matter. I can easily imagine that they would not agree with it if a dealership were to manipulate [something] in that way...


Regards,
Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"Micha"

Many authorized dealers are manipulating things! This includes VAG dealerships!!!

Many "fly-by-night" car dealers, who collect social welfare benefits and sell cars on the side, engage in this practice! Independent dealers also often manipulate the mileage, especially on company cars that are driven a lot. It's common to see cars being bought, then polished to a high shine, with the mileage being reduced. They intentionally damage the timing belt sticker with a pressure washer, making the mileage reading difficult or impossible to read. They also throw away the service booklet or have a friend from the workshop create a fake one, carefully matching the font and ink color. The best thing to do is to find the phone number of the previous owner and ask them. If you suspect fraud, you can report the dealer, which can result in up to one year in prison. Additionally, they often replace things like the pedal covers, gear lever boot, and gear knob, and repaint the hood and bumper to cover up stone chips, etc.
I never buy cars from dealerships; I prefer to buy them from older German couples.