Help Me Hank: Help Me Hank! Mileage Mix Up

Go into Rita and Rhys Gibson's house and there's instant evidence of one of Rita's outstanding qualities. She's so organized, her CD's are in alphabetical order and she's kept meticulous records of her car's repair history, which is one reason she knew it was time to look for a new one.

"It had seen its best days. I loved it but I had to let it go," Rita Inoue-Gibson said

So Rita and her husband hit the car dealerships and Rita, being so organized, also put together stacks of research on makes, models and prices.

"I’d been doing serious research for a couple of weeks," Rita Inoue-Gibson said.

They finally signed on the bottom line at the dealer. Their big money purchase passed inspection and they proudly drove home in their first new car.

But then, Rita being Rita, decided to organize the paperwork and that's when she saw the odometer reading on the safety inspection report. It read more than 5,600 miles. The odometer disclosure said just 49!

"I was absolutely shocked," Rita Inoue-Gibson said.

Was this odometer tampering? Did Rita actually buy a new car or was it used? How could the inspection report show 5,000 more miles than it should?

"I was extremely worried," Rita Inoue-Gibson said.

Car history reports indicated the new car was new, but when Rita called the registry of motor vehicles, their inspection records showed the "new" car had 5,000 plus miles.

"She also expressed concern that there may have been tampering with the odometer," Inoue-Gibson said.

Rita's dad told her to call a lawyer and then the car dealer, but she had another idea.

"I emailed Hank," Inoue-Gibson said.

So you're probably thinking, as we did, something tricky is going on.

But it turned out it all happened during the car’s inspection, and it wasn't anything tricky, it was a typo.

The inspection mechanic, apparently trying to type in 56 the car's actual mileage, fat-finger-typed 5,661 instead, giving the car a history it didn't deserve.

The fix was quick and easy and soon the car's pedigree was perfect again.

And Rita, now finished with organizing the car’s paperwork, can start enjoying the results.

"This is our first new car together and it’s definitely ours to share," Inoue-Gibson said.

This proves the importance of reading all your documents before, during and after a car deal. For more information on your automobile rights and responsibilities, check the website listed below.

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