CASE sees rise in complaints over pre-owned cars; mileage tampering among issues flagged

Industry players say squeezed margins and the difficulty of selling high-mileage cars can tempt unscrupulous dealers to manipulate odometers.

Pre-owned car buyers have complained about repeated breakdowns, dealers not honouring warranties, and misleading claims about the condition of cars. (Image: CNA)

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SINGAPORE: Complaints involving pre-owned cars rose in the first eight months of this year, with buyers reporting problems such as repeated breakdowns and suspected mileage tampering.

The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) received 163 complaints from January to August, up from 116 over the same period last year, according to figures provided to CNA.

Of these, 22 involved alleged mileage tampering, compared with 17 in the corresponding period last year.

To get a closer look at how used cars are bought and resold, CNA accompanied a car dealer – who asked to be identified only as M – to a closed-door inspection where dealers examine vehicles before bidding for them in an online auction.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less Some of these cars are trade-ins from customers who buy new vehicles from authorised distributors. At the inspection, dealers check the condition of the cars’ interiors, what is under the bonnet and their mileage – a key consideration as lower-mileage vehicles tend to attract more attention and sell faster. One car that CNA saw had a recorded mileage of about 125,000km. About three days after the auction, what appeared to be the same car was advertised on a popular car website with a mileage of 88,000km – roughly 37,000km lower. The online listing carried the same Additional Registration Fee (ARF) and registration date as the car seen at the auction. M said he had encountered similar discrepancies in the past and flagged them to the online platform carrying the advertisements. According to him, the platform removed the mileage information from the listings and said it would monitor them.

Some of these cars are trade-ins from customers who buy new vehicles from authorised distributors.

At the inspection, dealers check the condition of the cars’ interiors, what is under the bonnet and their mileage – a key consideration as lower-mileage vehicles tend to attract more attention and sell faster.

One car that CNA saw had a recorded mileage of about 125,000km.

About three days after the auction, what appeared to be the same car was advertised on a popular car website with a mileage of 88,000km – roughly 37,000km lower.

The online listing carried the same Additional Registration Fee (ARF) and registration date as the car seen at the auction.

M said he had encountered similar discrepancies in the past and flagged them to the online platform carrying the advertisements.

According to him, the platform removed the mileage information from the listings and said it would monitor them.

The online listing for the car showed a mileage of 88,000km (left), compared with nearly 125,000km recorded on what appeared to be the same car CNA saw at the auction days earlier. (Image: CNA)

CNA has contacted the platform for more information but has not received a response so far.

M said dealers may sometimes be able to compare the mileage with earlier servicing records from an authorised distributor.

"So they can call in and perhaps arrange for a next service as well as to enquire about when the vehicle was last serviced,” said M.

But if several years have passed since the car was last serviced there, its subsequent mileage may become harder to verify.

“This will be the point where the dealer is incentivised and able to tamper with the vehicle's mileage,” said M.

A false mileage reading could also obscure possible problems with the car.

Car dealer M (left) speaking to CNA's Nadirah Zaidi (right). (Image: CNA)

"For example, we have our timing belts, our timing chains, as well as our spark plugs and our plug coils, other stuff such as our transmission fluid and our differential fluid … if we do not change them at regular intervals, it might result in unexpected breakdowns,” said M.

Failing to maintain these components could result in a “huge nightmare and headache” for buyers who think they found a “gem of a vehicle”, he added.

When problems emerge, warranties offered by such dealers may not provide the protection buyers expect. Some exclude wear-and-tear parts, potentially leading to disputes.

The Singapore Vehicle Traders Association (SVTA) said it was aware of unscrupulous dealers tampering with mileage and strongly discouraged the practice.

It added that its new executive committee plans to discuss the issue internally and remind members to operate with transparency and integrity.

SVTA said it was aware of unscrupulous dealers tampering with mileage and strongly discouraged the practice. (Image: CNA)

ONLINE PLATFORMS CHANGING USED-CAR MARKET

Dealers told CNA that margins in the used-car trade have shrunk as the rise of online platforms makes it easier for buyers and sellers to compare prices.

They said profits have fallen to around S$1,000 to S$3,000 (US$780-US$2,350) per car, from as much as $10,000 to S$20,000 previously.

Mr Martin Yeo, director of MY Autohaus, said online listings have made prices increasingly transparent for car sellers.

“Everyone wants a high price for their vehicle, and with the prices being so transparent, everyone wants to match the market price,” said Mr Yeo.

Mr Martin Yeo, director of MY Autohaus, speaking to CNA. (Image: CNA)

“But the thing about a dealership is that we can't buy a car at a market price because if we buy at the market price, then we can't sell for a profit. After all, dealerships are profit making."

Mr Eric Chua, honorary secretary of SVTA, said dealers are having to sell more vehicles to compensate for the lower margins.

“We just got to work doubly hard to make the same money. But I think that's the way it is in the market, and that's how the market has evolved."

Mr Eric Chua, honorary secretary of SVTA, said dealers are having to sell more vehicles to compensate for the lower margins. (Image: CNA)

For dealers, every day a car remains unsold also means another day their money remains tied up.

Mr Yeo said that, from his experience, high-mileage cars generally attract few enquiries and are slow to move.

“Some dealers buy the car in and they cannot sell for like three, four months because of high mileage, so these black sheep will be tempted to actually adjust the mileage to make it more marketable and easier to go."

He cautioned consumers to pay attention to what dealers promise them, and to scrutinise warranty terms and exclusions.

Consumers who discover defects after buying a used car may have recourse under the Lemon Law, which covers second-hand goods.

But resolving a dispute can become complicated when a dealer contests responsibility or stops responding.

This can be particularly difficult with suspected mileage tampering when a vehicle may have changed hands several times, said Mr Roy Paul Mukkam, associate director at A.W. Law.

"The vehicle may be … second hand, third hand, fourth hand. So who tampered with it actually? That is the issue we face,” said Mr Roy.

Mr Roy Paul Mukkam, associate director at A.W. Law speaking to CNA. (Image: CNA)

Some buyers turn to lawyers after dealers fail to act, even while the car is still under warranty.

“It's always very similar – the engine stalls, it's a faulty vehicle. I have to get a tow truck to come, and then I approach (the dealer) and say, ‘Look, the engine is faulty, can you fix it?’ They don't answer. They don't do anything."

A lawyer can send a letter of demand, giving a dealer an opportunity to resolve the dispute without going to court.

But Mr Roy said the dealers in the cases he has handled did not respond to such letters.

“I will have to advise my clients – look, if they are not scared enough from a law firm's letter of demand, means they just don't care. They will do something to evade liability – sell the company, sell their assets, all that, they will disappear."

Dealerships can also change their names.

Of the car dealers registered from 2020 to 2025, 174 had changed their names by May this year, according to ACRA data.

A company changing its name does not in itself indicate wrongdoing, but it can become an issue if buyers are not able to identify the legal entity that sold them the car.

If the company shuts down altogether, pursuing a claim can become more difficult.

Mr Roy said sometimes taking legal action also does not make financial sense if the legal fees cost more than the claim.

He recommends approaching CASE first before a dispute reaches such a stage.

SEEKING HELP FROM CASE

Mr Linus Ng, a member of CASE’s central committee and chairperson of the consumer education committee, said mediators look at how the needs of consumers can be addressed.

"It need not be a total refund ... sometimes it can be servicing, more services being rendered, or a change of the car, or a change of the components, for example,” said Mr Ng.

CaseTrust-accredited dealers are contractually bound to take part in mediation if a dispute cannot otherwise be resolved.

Consumers who bought from dealers that are not CaseTrust-accredited can still approach CASE and seek mediation, but the dealer is not obliged to participate.

Mr Linus Ng, a member of CASE’s central committee and chairperson of the consumer education committee, said mediators look at how the needs of consumers can be addressed. (Image: CNA)

WHAT STEPS CAN BUYERS TAKE

For buyers hoping to avoid getting into such a situation in the first place, industry players cautioned against judging a used car by its mileage alone.

A higher-mileage vehicle that has been well maintained could be in better condition than a lower-mileage one that has not.

Buyers should also consider having the vehicle independently inspected before purchasing it and ideally choose a mechanic of their own.

CASE also recommends using its Standard and Functional Evaluation (SAFE) checklist when buying a pre-owned car.

The checklist records information provided by the dealer, including the car’s mileage and whether it has been in an accident affecting the structure of the chassis.

The dealer signs off on the information, giving the buyer a written record of what was represented to them should a dispute arise later.

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业内人士表示，利润空间收窄以及高里程汽车难以销售，可能会诱使不法经销商篡改里程表。

二手车买家抱怨车辆反复出现故障、经销商不履行保修义务以及对车辆状况的虚假宣传。（图片：CNA）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：今年前八个月，二手车投诉数量上升，买家反映的问题包括反复抛锚和疑似里程篡改。

据新加坡亚洲新闻台（CNA）报道，新加坡消费者协会（CASE）今年1月至8月共收到163起投诉，高于去年同期的116起。

其中，22起涉及篡改里程数，而去年同期为17起。

为了更深入地了解二手车的买卖过程，CNA 记者陪同一位汽车经销商（他要求只透露自己的名字是 M）参加了一次闭门检查，经销商们会在网上拍卖中竞价之前检查车辆。

CNA游戏 猜词游戏 逐行破解单词 流行词游戏 用给定的字母组成单词 迷你数独 小谜题，脑力挑战 迷你填字游戏 小方格，大挑战 单词搜索 尽可能多地找出单词 显示更多 显示更少 这些车辆中有些是客户从授权经销商处购买新车后置换的。在验车时，经销商会检查车辆的内饰状况、发动机舱内的配置以及里程数——里程数低的车辆往往更受关注，也更容易售出，因此里程数是一个关键因素。CNA看到的一辆车的里程记录约为12.5万公里。拍卖会结束后大约三天，一辆看似相同的车出现在一家热门汽车网站上，里程数为8.8万公里——比拍卖会上的车辆少了大约3.7万公里。网上发布的车辆信息显示，附加注册费（ARF）和注册日期与拍卖会上看到的车辆相同。 M表示他过去也遇到过类似的差异，并已向刊登广告的在线平台举报。据他所说，该平台已从广告信息中删除了里程信息，并表示会对此进行监控。

这些车辆中有些是客户从授权经销商处购买新车后置换而来的。

在验车时，经销商会检查汽车的内饰状况、引擎盖下的构造以及里程数——这是一个关键的考虑因素，因为里程数较低的车辆往往更能吸引眼球，卖得更快。

CNA看到的一辆车的行驶里程记录约为125,000公里。

拍卖会结束后大约三天，一辆看似相同的汽车出现在一家热门汽车网站上，里程数为 88,000 公里——比拍卖时的里程数少了大约 37,000 公里。

网上发布的车辆信息显示，其附加注册费 (ARF) 和注册日期与拍卖会上看到的车辆相同。

M 表示他过去也遇到过类似的差异，并已向刊登广告的在线平台反映了这些问题。

据他所说，该平台已从列表中删除了里程信息，并表示将对此进行监控。

该车的网上挂牌信息显示里程数为88,000公里（左图），而几天前中央社在拍卖会上看到的同一辆疑似车辆的里程数却接近125,000公里。（图片：中央社）

CNA已联系该平台以获取更多信息，但目前尚未收到回复。

M 表示，经销商有时可以将里程数与授权经销商之前的维修记录进行比较。

“这样他们就可以打电话来安排下次保养，也可以询问车辆上次保养是什么时候，”M说道。

但如果距离上次汽车在那里保养已经过去了好几年，那么之后的里程数可能就很难核实了。

M表示：“这时经销商就会有动机篡改车辆的里程数。”

错误的里程读数也可能掩盖车辆可能存在的问题。

汽车经销商M（左）正在接受CNA记者Nadirah Zaidi（右）的采访。（图片：CNA）

“例如，我们有正时皮带、正时链条，还有火花塞和点火线圈，以及其他一些东西，比如变速箱油和差速器油……如果我们不定期更换它们，可能会导致意外故障，”M说道。

他补充说，如果未能维护这些部件，可能会给那些认为自己找到了一辆“宝贝车”的买家带来“巨大的噩梦和麻烦”。

当出现问题时，此类经销商提供的保修可能无法提供买家期望的保障。有些保修条款甚至不包括易损件，这可能会导致纠纷。

新加坡汽车贸易商协会（SVTA）表示，他们已经注意到一些不法经销商篡改里程数，并强烈反对这种做法。

声明还补充说，其新任执行委员会计划在内部讨论这个问题，并提醒成员以透明和诚信的方式开展业务。

SVTA表示，他们已经注意到一些不法经销商篡改里程数，并强烈反对这种行为。（图片：CNA）

在线平台正在改变二手车市场

经销商告诉中央社，随着在线平台的兴起，买卖双方更容易比较价格，二手车交易的利润空间已经缩小。

他们表示，每辆车的利润已从之前的每辆车 10000 至 20000 新元降至每辆车 1000 至 3000 新元（780 至 2350 美元）。

MY Autohaus 的董事 Martin Yeo 先生表示，在线列表使汽车卖家的价格越来越透明。

“每个人都希望自己的车卖个好价钱，而且由于价格如此透明，每个人都想与市场价格持平，”杨先生说。

MY Autohaus 董事 Martin Yeo 先生接受 CNA 采访。（图片：CNA）

“但汽车经销店的问题在于，我们不能按市场价进货，因为如果按市场价进货，我们就无法盈利。毕竟，汽车经销店的目的是盈利。”

新加坡汽车经销商协会 (SVTA) 名誉秘书蔡先生表示，经销商不得不销售更多车辆来弥补利润率下降。

“我们必须付出双倍的努力才能赚到同样的钱。但我认为这就是市场现状，也是市场演变的方式。”

新加坡汽车经销商协会（SVTA）名誉秘书蔡先生表示，经销商不得不提高销量以弥补利润率下降造成的损失。（图片来源：CNA）

对于经销商来说，一辆车一天卖不出去，就意味着他们的资金又被占用了一天。

叶先生表示，根据他的经验，高里程数的汽车通常很少有人问津，而且销售速度很慢。

“有些经销商进货后，由于里程数过高，三四个月都卖不出去，所以这些不守规矩的经销商会想方设法篡改里程数，让车更容易卖出去。”

他告诫消费者要留意经销商的承诺，并仔细审查保修条款和除外责任。

消费者在购买二手车后发现缺陷，可以根据柠檬法寻求补救，该法涵盖二手商品。

但当经销商否认责任或停止回应时，解决纠纷就会变得复杂。

AW Law 的副董事 Roy Paul Mukkam 先生表示，如果怀疑里程数被篡改，而车辆可能已经多次易手，那么这种情况就尤其难以处理。

罗伊先生说：“这辆车可能是……二手车、三手车、四手车。那么，究竟是谁动过手脚？这就是我们面临的问题。”

AW律师事务所副董事Roy Paul Mukkam先生接受CNA采访。（图片来源：CNA）

即使汽车仍在保修期内，如果经销商不采取行动，一些买家也会求助于律师。

“情况总是很相似——发动机熄火，是车辆故障。我得叫拖车来，然后去找（经销商）说，‘你看，发动机坏了，你们能修好吗？’他们不回答，也不做任何事。”

律师可以发出催款函，让经销商有机会在不诉诸法庭的情况下解决纠纷。

但罗伊先生表示，在他处理的案件中，涉事经销商都没有对这类信件作出回应。

“我必须告诫我的客户——听着，如果他们连律师事务所的律师函都吓不倒，那就说明他们根本不在乎。他们会想方设法逃避责任——卖掉公司，变卖资产，总之，他们会消失得无影无踪。”

经销商也可以更改名称。

根据新加坡会计与企业管制局（ACRA）的数据，在2020年至2025年注册的汽车经销商中，截至今年5月，已有174家更改了名称。

公司更名本身并不表示存在不当行为，但如果买家无法识别向他们出售汽车的法律实体，则可能会出现问题。

如果公司彻底倒闭，提出索赔可能会变得更加困难。

罗伊先生表示，如果诉讼费用超过索赔金额，那么采取法律行动有时在经济上也不划算。

他建议在纠纷发展到这种程度之前，先向 CASE 寻求帮助。

向案例寻求帮助

消费者权益促进协会（CASE）中央委员会成员兼消费者教育委员会主席林努斯先生表示，调解员会考虑如何满足消费者的需求。

“不一定是全额退款……有时可能是维修保养、提供更多服务、更换车辆或更换零部件等等，”吴先生说。

获得 CaseTrust 认证的经销商有义务在纠纷无法通过其他方式解决时参与调解。

从未经 CaseTrust 认证的经销商处购买商品的消费者仍然可以联系 CASE 并寻求调解，但经销商没有义务参与调解。

消费者权益促进协会（CASE）中央委员会成员兼消费者教育委员会主席林纳斯先生表示，调解员会着眼于如何满足消费者的需求。（图片：CNA）

买家可以采取哪些步骤

对于希望避免陷入这种境地的买家，业内人士告诫不要仅仅根据里程数来判断二手车的好坏。

一辆行驶里程较高但保养良好的车辆，其车况可能比一辆行驶里程较低但保养不佳的车辆更好。

买家还应考虑在购买车辆前进行独立检查，最好选择自己信任的机械师。

CASE 还建议在购买二手车时使用其标准和功能评估 (SAFE) 清单。

检查清单记录了经销商提供的信息，包括车辆的里程数以及是否发生过影响底盘结构的事故。

经销商会在信息上签字确认，以便为买家提供一份书面记录，说明当日所作的陈述，以防日后发生纠纷。

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