Rosa's car desk

For 42 days I've tracked one car: a 1989 Mustang GT convertible, red, $19,000, on a dealer's own showroom page.

Everything looked clean – until I stopped reading the listing copy and read the dealer's own disclosure line:

“The mileage shown for this vehicle is unverified and is not considered actual mileage.”

TMU – True Mileage Unknown. Stated twice on the same page. The odometer says 62,425. The paper says that number is a question, not a fact. Forty-two days of tracking, and that line mattered more than anything in the photos.

What it means for a buyer: TMU moves the price and changes your questions. Ask for service records with dates and mileage. Check the wear items (pedals, shifter, seat bolsters) against 62k. Comp against cars with documented miles – not against the asking price of the one in front of you.

The gap wasn't missing paper. It sat in plain print.

I read this stuff for people before they buy: [email protected].