Buying guide

High Kilometres or a Wound-Back Odometer? How to Tell

Last updated 4 November 2026

Check the odometer against every record of the car's kilometres (the service history, receipts and, for a NSW car, the last three readings on the rego check), then against its wear: the steering wheel, pedals, gear knob and driver's seat. Readings that go backwards, or wear that's heavier than the kilometres suggest, point to a wound-back odometer, which is a reason to walk away. High kilometres on their own are fine on a well-serviced car at the right price.

What Counts as High Kilometres

The average Australian car travels about 12,600 km a year, so a 5-year-old car would typically have about 63,000 km and a 10-year-old one about 126,000 km. Well above that means harder use, often a work vehicle, fleet or rideshare car. Well below it isn't automatically good: ask why, and make sure the records back it up. A wound-back odometer is one of the hidden problems in how to avoid buying a lemon.

Check the Kilometres Against the Records

Every record of the car's kilometres should agree with the odometer and with each other. A PPSR search doesn't record kilometres (PPSR), so look at these instead, and see what documents to check for the rest of the paperwork.

Record	What to check
Service history	Each stamp or invoice shows the date and kilometres, and the readings climb steadily. A reading lower than an earlier one is the clearest sign of tampering. Call a workshop to confirm a stamp if anything looks off.
NSW rego check	For a car registered in NSW, the registration check shows its last three recorded annual odometer readings, from just the number plate (Service NSW).
Receipts and certificates	Invoices for tyres, repairs or a timing belt, an old roadworthy or safety certificate, or an inspection report often record the kilometres too.
Service stickers	A sticker on the windscreen or under the bonnet with the next service due should make sense against the odometer.
The listing's history	If the car was advertised before, an earlier listing's kilometres should be lower, not higher.

Check the Kilometres Against the Wear

Wear builds with distance, so a car that's done far more than its odometer shows usually looks it. Compare what you see with what the kilometres suggest:

Where	Signs of high kilometres
Steering wheel	Shiny, smooth or worn through where your hands rest, or a new cover hiding it.
Pedals	Rubbers worn smooth or to the metal, especially the brake, or brand-new rubbers on an older car.
Gear knob and handbrake	Worn smooth or faded.
Driver's seat	A flattened or torn outer bolster where you slide in, and sagging foam.
Carpet	A worn patch or hole under the driver's heel.
Buttons and key	Worn symbols on the most-used buttons, and a worn key or fob.
Front of the car	Heavy stone chips on the bonnet, bumper and windscreen, which come from highway kilometres.
Brakes and tyres	Worn discs or tyres that have been replaced more often than the kilometres suggest.

Wound-Back Odometers

Winding back an odometer is illegal, and digital odometers can be tampered with too. NSW reported that tampering rose fourfold over 2021 and 2022, mostly by sellers on online marketplaces, and gave the example of a car sold with 400,000 km taken off its odometer (NSW Government).

If the records go backwards, or the wear doesn't match the kilometres and the seller can't explain it, walk away rather than negotiate. A car with false kilometres may have missed services it was due, and you can't trust anything else the seller has said. Report it to your state's fair trading or consumer affairs office.

When High Kilometres Are Fine

A high-kilometre car with a full service history can be a better buy than a low-kilometre one that's missed services or done years of short trips. Highway kilometres are easier on a car than stop-start city driving, and a lower price leaves room for the work that comes due.

Before you buy one, check what's due at its kilometres: the timing belt (if it has one), the clutch, suspension, brakes and gearbox servicing, and price anything due into your offer. The model checklists say what to look for on each model, and the used car inspection checklist covers the rest.

Shufti, the used car inspection app, builds an inspection checklist for the car from its listing, with the PPSR and recall checks, so you know what its age and kilometres mean before you go.

Questions Answered

How can I tell if a used car's odometer has been wound back?

Check that the kilometres in the service history and receipts climb steadily, and for a NSW car, compare the odometer with the readings on the rego check. Then compare the wear on the steering wheel, pedals and driver's seat with the kilometres. Readings that go backwards or wear that doesn't match are the signs.

How many kilometres is too many for a used car?

There's no set limit. The Australian average is about 12,600 km a year, so compare the car with that for its age. A well-serviced car with high kilometres can be a good buy at the right price.

Can a digital odometer be wound back?

Yes. Digital odometers can be altered with the right equipment, so check the records and the wear on any car, whatever its odometer type.

Does the NSW rego check show odometer readings?

Yes. The Service NSW registration check shows the last three recorded annual odometer readings for a car registered in NSW, from its number plate (Service NSW).

What should I do if the odometer has been wound back?

Don't buy the car. If you've already bought it, keep the records that show the true kilometres and contact your state's fair trading or consumer affairs office.

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