How do Gig Harbor car owners know if an odometer is telling the truth?
Well, back in '86, Congress passed the Truth-in-Mileage Act to protect Washington consumers against mileage fraud. It says a Washington seller must certify the mileage reported is the Actual Mileage.
To have your odometer checked in Gig Harbor Washington, stop by Mackert Automotive:
Mackert Automotive
Gig Harbor, Washington 98335 253-851-3307
If it isn't, the seller must say why; like maybe the odometer is past its mechanical limits. Some older odometers only go to 99,999 miles and then start over at 0. Or, the odometer has been tampered with, broken or replaced.
If the seller tells you the mileage isn't accurate, there's not much chance of putting a good number to it; And there's the unscrupulous seller who claims the reading is true, but it's not so. What can Gig Harbor drivers do?
First, you can go to www.CarFax.com, where for a small fee, they'll give you a comprehensive vehicle history search on your car, truck, SUV, showing local Gig Harbor, Washington ownership history, accident reports, total-loss events, manufacturer buybacks, Lemon reports and warranty status.
Gig Harbor drivers can get a mileage history by checking with the local Washington DMV (or wherever you happen to be) and other verified sources looking for inconsistencies in the mileage reported when the car's bought and sold. If there are signs odometer rollback, now you'll now.
If so, proceed with caution. Or, negotiate a lower price. Or just walk away. There's always another.