Dealer in court over odo tampering
A Tauranga-based dealer has been ordered by a court this week to pay reparation and his company fined $5,000 after selling a vehicle with a tampered odometer.
Sachinthaka Nagasinghe, the sole director of Sachis Holdings Ltd, trading as Carporium, has also bought back the SUV at the centre of the case after prosecution action by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
MBIE says Carporium purchased a Toyota RAV4 at an Auckland car auction in December 2023 before selling it the following February.
When the car’s new owner took it for a scheduled service in May 2025, technicians noticed the odometer reading did not match the vehicle’s recorded service history.
The odometer read 150,031 kilometres when it was sold at the car auction, but when it was sold three months later it showed 119,244 kilometres – a difference of more than 30,000 kilometres.
The concern was referred to the Registrar of Motor Vehicle Traders through NZTA and an MBIE investigation confirmed the odometer had been tampered with.
Before sentencing this week, Nagasinghe agreed to buy back the vehicle for its original sale price of $24,000.
The case involved two charges under the Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003 for tampering with an odometer without reasonable excuse, and for aiding and abetting the company in the offending.
Nagasinghe was ordered by the Tauranga District Court to pay $1,000 reparation for emotional harm and his company was fined $5,000.
Bevan Yee, national manager of Occupational Regulation, a business unit in MBIE, says this first successful prosecution demonstrates the department’s commitment to upholding the law and maintaining fair standards in the motor vehicle sales sector.
“This case sends a clear message that odometer tampering and other deceptive practices will not be tolerated,” he adds.
“Accurate vehicle information is fundamental to fair trading. When odometer readings are altered, consumers can end up paying more for a vehicle than it is worth and may be misled about its safety, reliability and maintenance needs.
“Most traders do the right thing and deserve to operate in a marketplace where unlawful behaviour is identified and addressed.
“MBIE will continue to take enforcement action where conduct undermines consumer confidence and damages the reputation of the industry.”
The Motor Vehicle Sales Act 2003 is aimed at promoting and protecting the interests of consumers. Penalties of up to $200,000 for a company and $50,000 for an individual may apply if a dealer commits an offence under the act. In some cases, the Registrar of Motor Vehicle Traders can issue an infringement notice that carries an instant fine of $500.
