Odometer fraud exists everywhere, but cross-checking several data points makes it hard to fake: 1) Maintenance records: ask for service history with mileage entries. Gaps or resets are red flags. 2) Tire wear: a car showing 30,000 km should not have nearly bald tires. Compare tread depth against the claimed mileage. 3) Pedals, steering wheel, and seat bolsters: heavy wear on these with low odometer readings is a classic mismatch. 4) Diagnostic scan: request an OBD readout. Many control modules store mileage data internally — if the ECU shows 120,000 km while the dash shows 40,000, you have your answer. 5) Vehicle history report: in China, apps and platforms can pull insurance claim records and registration history, which often reveal the true mileage trail. Always request a live video showing the odometer with the engine running, and have the number written into your contract.

The registration certificate will show whether the previous owner was an individual (registered with ID) or a company (registered with a business license). Vehicles under a company may be driven by multiple people, so we will focus on checking the uniformity of interior wear and the condition of the chassis.

Due to legal restrictions preventing unregistered vehicles from high-speed driving on public roads in China, most of our dynamic tests are conducted in a closed area (with a maximum speed of around 60 km/h). This is sufficient to test for suspension noise and low gear smoothness, but it cannot simulate high-speed wind noise and tire balance vibrations at 120 km/h.