Watchdog Report: the Peugeot 307's over-counting odometer

BBC's Watchdog programme investigated a fault that will sound familiar to anyone who doubts that odometers can simply be wrong: Peugeot 307s recording substantially more miles than their owners were actually driving.

Owners featured in the programme reported main odometer readings rising roughly 25–30% faster than the distance genuinely travelled — one kept a log showing his trip meter recording 273 miles over ten days while the main odometer added 343. Another found his car adding miles with the ignition on while parked. For one owner on a fixed-mileage lease, every phantom mile carried a direct financial penalty; for others, the inflated readings meant earlier service intervals and a lower resale value. A valuation expert told the programme that cars with unreliable odometers are genuinely difficult to sell on, because buyers can no longer trust what the clock says.

Peugeot ultimately acknowledged a mileage-calculation fault in the car's software, issued a free fix for affected drivers, and began a recall campaign.

The story illustrates the legitimate side of our trade well: odometer readings are data, data can be wrong, and when it is wrong the vehicle's recorded history — and value — is wrong with it. Correcting a reading like that (and disclosing the correction, as the law requires) puts the record straight.

If your vehicle's odometer is misreading, call Dash Wizard on 07958 171 171 for advice and a quote.