FedEx Odometer Fraud | Hacker News Reader

FedEx Odometer Fraud

jalopnik.com

37 pointst235 comments

Btw if somebody is asking why they just won't bring their own OBD scanner and plug it into the socket to see what mileage each ECU reports, there is an explanation in comments:

> Tom Layton here, the original Plaintiff. What you all must know is that the auto auctions prohibit buyers from bringing scan tools on to auction property. Therefore, you must believe what the auctions claim. Furthermore, of the 500 or so FedEx vans I personally purchased 99% of them were purchased on-line facilitated all over the country. I did not personally get to see or inspect them. I had to believe what the auto auctions stated on their condition reports.

What valid reason is there to ban scan tools? Seeing none, it sounds like the auto auction is complicit in the scam. Because if you cannot inspect a vehicle properly before purchase and are rushed into purchasing what is probably a lemon, then it's definitely a scam. And how convenient it is that they have their own "condition" reports. Hello CarFax, my mechanic, and a scan tool or no sale.

Perhaps to avoid a fake/tampered scanners creating a he-said-she-said situation. Independent inspection is probably a good middle ground if trust is low and expected sale price justifies the expense.

I wonder how long this was going on, and how widespread it was too. Because it seems difficult to pull this off. I don't know what "Freightliner" is, some kind of OBD-II software that queries the truck's computer for a second opinion? Anyway, anyone who knows about trucks, and knows FedEx, should be able to do some back-of-the-envelope math and estimate that if they're selling a truck too old to use in service, it must have multiple hundreds of thousands of miles on it, and surely at least a few would suspect something's up if that odometer is off by another few hundred thousands of miles. Because really, you're purchasing a used truck at auction, did you really expect it to be driven by a Little Old Lady from Pasadena to church every Sunday?

> I don't know what "Freightliner" is,

Freightliner is the manufacturer of the truck (a subsidiary of Daimler). They can read out lots of counters, etc, yes.

> should be able to do some back-of-the-envelope math and estimate

Even 200,000 miles of frequent stops in delivery usage is a heck of a lot. If typical EOL is 350,000 miles, you expect that there will be some trucks with a bit lower mileage. To think you're buying one of the lower mileage ones but get a 400,000+ mile truck is unfortunate.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com