I have a 1999 Dodge Dakota R/T. It says it has 53000 miles on it. When I got the title it said not actual mileage. I bought it at the auction and they said it was a bankruptcy truck so they couldn't leagally say it was actual mileage because they were not the original owners. I was wondering if there was any way of telling if the instrument cluster was the original or not.

 

If you take the dash apart, there should be some stickers on the cluster stating the testing date for the cluster. Usually when a cluster is replaced (at least by a dealer) there is also a sticker on there stating the mileage when the cluster was replaced.

In your case though, I believe you have a digital odometer correct? IIRC, the mileage is stored in the PCM. I could be wrong though...I haven't dealt much with the digital Dodge odometers. [&:]

 

The mileage is stored in the cluster itself. It is digital. But if you change the cluster you get whatever mileage is on the new cluster. There is a barcode with numbers on the back of the cluster. No other info. It looks stock to me. I replaced one in another Dakota that I owned with a junkyard one because my brake light would not go out. I was told it is a common short in the Dakota dash. Changed the cluster and the problem was fixed but the mileage was changed. I am trying to sell this one that appears to actually only have 53,000 miles on it. It has only been driven by me the second owner 9000 miles in the last two years. Buyers are a little leary of the discrepancy on the title. I got it off of a bancruptcy and I am the second owner. The bank selling it could not legally say actual mileage because they were not the original owners. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I was wondering if the numbers on the back linked in any way to the vin# on the truck. And if there was a way to prove it.

 

Try running a Carfax and see if the mileage listed there matches up.Make a copy and show it to potential customers.