A driver reportedly bought a Jeep off Facebook Marketplace but didn’t realize he had been scammed until he looked up the CarFax.
The TikTok account of Auto Parts City (@autopartscity), an auto salvage and recycling facility in Gurnee, Illinois, brought the story to light in a post that received over 77,000 likes as of this writing.
“This is another of those Facebook Marketplace scam deals,” they say while panning over a yellow Jeep Renegade. “Wait till you see the CarFax on this one.”
“This Jeep is even more messed up than I thought,” they continue, listing its many issues in the text overlay, which reads, “Bad transmission, suspension worn out, airbag light on, electrical problems.”
They point to the vehicle identification number and then note the number on the odometer—117,571 miles. The video then cuts to the CarFax.
“So the person that junked this car with us at Auto Parts City thought that this car had 100,000 miles on it when he bought it,” they say. “However, if you look at the CarFax along the left side, you can see the mileage climb 70, 80, 90, 100,000 miles.”
“And then this one climbs all the way up to 200,000 miles, where it gets traded in at its Chevy dealer,” they continue. “They sell it at the auction, some scandalous person buys it, dropped the odometer down to 102,000 miles and now my guy is driving around with a piece of junk car with about 250,000 miles on it and had to junk it.”
The video received numerous comments, with viewers sharing their thoughts in the comments section.
“These were awful from brand new. shocked it made it the 200k,” said one person.
“Odometer rollback is insane,” said another.
@autopartscity Guy got scammed ! Bought a Jeep Renegade with over 200,000 miles on it ! #carfax #jeep #jeeprenegade #scammed #odometerfraud #junkyard #autopartscity ♬ original sound – AutoPartsCity
One viewer wondered how it was possible for the odometer to show a different number than what was on the CarFax.
The creator explained that it was not that difficult.
“Buy an instrument cluster with lower mileage on eBay. Swap them,” they said.
“My number 1 rule never buy a car from those little corner dealers they buy cars from auctions and this is what happens,” wrote someone else.
Although people can find excellent deals on Facebook Marketplace, it’s advisable to get a second opinion when making a large purchase like a vehicle, as the platform does not offer the regular protections of an authorized car dealership. The Daily Dot has previously reported on another TikToker who warned viewers about “title jumping,” another common practice on Facebook Marketplace wherein a person resells a car that has not been titled in their own name.
The Daily Dot reached out to Auto Parts City, CarFax, and Stellantis, the manufacturers of Jeep, via email for further information.
Update 3:15pm CT, May 24: In an email to the Daily Dot, Auto Parts City said dialing back a car’s odometer is a common scam.
“A lot of the cars that end up in the junkyard have previously had their odometers tampered with,” the company wrote. “It’s common that a high mileage car is sold at auction, odometer lowered. New buyer has the car for a year or two before it starts having major issues, and then they junk them with us.”
The company also shared a resource on avoiding Facebook Marketplace scams and encouraged people to follow it on TikTok and YouTube for more tips.
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