[USMA:22988] Re: "Odometer Fraud Increases in Canadian Used Car Trade

[Michael Payne]

The only US Federal requirement is that the odometer show miles and km, the odometer in km is perfectly acceptable. Both of my vehicles have km/h as the primary indication with mph secondary (and near invisible) with km on the odometer. I imported a car from teh middle east 15 years ago and had all the federal documentation. The above was the case then and I'm sure it is now.

 

Mike Payne

Potomac Falls VA 20165

----- Original Message -----

From:

To: U.S. Metric Association

Sent: 29/10/02 06:13:06

Subject: [USMA:22981] Re: "Odometer Fraud Increases in Canadian Used Car Trade

In a message dated 2002-10-28 23:52:22 Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:

2002-10-28

Exactly why MUST their speedometers and odometers be changed to miles?  Why
can't and don't the cars just keep the original equipment?

Personally I'm overjoyed that this cheating has happened.  It shows the cost
and the folly of not keeping the vehicles metric.  do Canadians require that
American cars sold in Canada have their meters converted from miles to
kilometres, or do they allow the car to be sold as is?

John

Federal law.  I was in Montreal in August when my ancient 1988 Saab 900 died (engine blew).  A dealer there took the hulk off my hands.  I knew I had to buy another used car.  They had a couple of nice ones.  I went onto the Internet at my friend's house to do some research.  Turns out Saabs for the USA and Canadian markets are identical! ! ! so no problem with the emissions or the safety equipment, but there is one difference:  those sold in Canada have speedometer in km (ONLY - good for them).  To get it across the border I would have had to have it replaced.  If it had miles inside that might have worked; I don't know.  Odometers in km are ok; it's the speedometer that is the problem.

Ironically, there was a two-year loophole (1999-2001) in which EITHER miles OR km were acceptable.  In 2001 they caught it, dammit.  "We meant miles are mandatory, not optional.  Sorry."

So there's the problem.

I don't know if it works the other way.  American cars have km on the dial but it's almost grudgingly obscure.  On the car I bought down here, km on the inside lights up in bright orange; miles on the outside in dimmer green.

The situation that has led to this idiocy should have ended long ago.

Carleton

 

--- Michael Payne

--- [EMAIL PROTECTED]

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