A 'low-km' tradie HiAce with a service book that didn't add up
Cross-checking PPSR, service stickers and ECU hours exposed a 180,000km odometer wind-back
2019 Toyota HiAce LWB 2.8L Diesel — 'displayed' 87,400km
Why this looked clean on paper
PPSR was clean — no finance, no write-off. Service book had Toyota dealer stamps up to 60,000km, then independent stamps after. The dash showed 87,400km. The asking price was right where a genuine 87,000km HiAce should sit.
What our inspector cross-checked
- Windscreen oil-change sticker (from a Castle Hill mechanic): 'Next service at 281,800km — current 271,800km'.
- ECU engine-hours counter (read via scan tool): 5,210 hours. At an average 50km/h tradie-use, that's ~260,000km.
- Driver's seat bolster wear, steering wheel polish, pedal-rubber wear all consistent with 250k+, not 87k.
- Brake-disc wear lip and clutch pedal travel consistent with high mileage.
- Service book pages 7–9 were a different paper weight to the rest — likely substituted.
Outcome
The buyer walked immediately and reported the seller to NSW Fair Trading with our report attached. Realistic market value for a 260,000km HiAce is around $32,000 — a $14,000 over-valuation, before factoring in the premature drivetrain wear that comes with hidden km.
"I run a small reno business — I needed this van yesterday. Marco found it in 45 minutes. He saved my whole financial year."
More case studies
A 2021 Tesla Model 3 with a battery-health concern
Private seller. Asking $42,990. Listing claimed 'genuine 480km range'. The case records an 82.4% SoH result. That is a test-time assessment, not a prediction of when replacement will be required or what it will cost.
$7,800 negotiated off · buyer purchasedA 'one-owner' Ranger that had been hit hard at the rear
Dealer listing, 'no accident history'. Our paint-depth gauge read 380μm across the tailgate and rear quarter — twice the factory thickness. The dealer eventually disclosed the vehicle was a recorded repairable write-off.
Book the same inspection.
Same inspectors, same 150-checkpoint methodology, same report. 90 seconds to book.