Ask the Experts: How far has my new car gone? (2024)

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How many kilometres should one expect on the odometer when taking delivery of a new car?

Ask the Experts: How far has my new car gone? (4)

Drive Team

03:5010 October 2016

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Ask the Experts: How far has my new car gone? (6)

Q. How many kilometres should one expect on the odometer when taking delivery of a new car?

I would have thought it should be zero to 10 kilometres at most, otherwise it would be classified as a demo.

Also, if the car has done more kilometres, can the buyer refuse to take delivery? What are the buyer's rights?

Rocky

A. There is no written law on this. Technically a ''new'' car is one that has never been registered, while a demonstrator vehicle is one that has been registered.

Both are able to be driven and it is not unusual for a new car to have 20 kilometres to 30 kilometres on the odometer, especially if the car is imported, as they get road tested at the factory, moved on and off ships and trucks and road tested as part of the pre-delivery inspection.

Some vehicles are selected randomly off the production line for an extended quality-control test, adding more kilometres. The vehicle could also be a stock swap from another dealer.

Most dealers will notify you if the vehicle has more than 50 kilometres on the odometer and most consider it OK if the vehicle has up to 100 kilometres on the clock.

If that concerns you, it's best to notify the dealer before you commit to the car and have the request noted in the sale contract.

Send questions to qa@drive.com.au or discuss at drive.com.au/qa.