Dead Odometer

The odometer on my 1998 F150 stopped working at it was turning over to 95000. My mechanic says to repair it most likely the whole dashboard has to come out, a three or four hundred dollar job. Is it possible that there is an easier fix? Will have a stopped odometer be a legal problem when I try to sell the truck?

You will have to check a box on the title that says the odometer reading is not accurate. It won’t be a legal issue, but you’ll have a hell of a time convincing people that you aren’t lying about the mileage, no matter what you say it is.

Your truck is 13 years old by the model year. I don’t think I would spend three or four hundred dollars to repair the odometer. I would keep the maintenance up to date and keep a record of this.

When I have purchased cars more than six or seven years old, the last thing I check is the odometer. In earlier times, it was common for dealers, even new car dealers to turn back odometers, so I learned to check the condition of the vehicle when buying used.

My brother bought a 1999 F-150 several years ago that had 140,000 miles on the odometer. The truck checked out and the price was great. The truck has been very dependable. If I needed a pickup truck and you were selling your truck at a reasonable price and you had maintained the truck well, I wouldn’t have any hesitation on making the purchase. In most states, all you do is check a box on the title transfer that the indicated mileage is not correct.