Vehicle odometer fraud jeopardizes safety...and pocketbooks

When we think about car safety, we usually consider the obvious features – seatbelts, air bags, brakes, rear-view visibility.  But some less obvious equipment, like a vehicle's odometer, can be just as important.

Making sure your new cars are safe is certainly a big part of our safety mission at the Department of Transportation.  But within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Odometer Fraud Investigations, DOT professionals are working hard to protect the safety--and wallets--of used car buyers.

Automakers often recommend part replacements based on a car's mileage.  So a vehicle's odometer is one of the easiest ways to judge expected wear and tear on parts that can affect your safety like ball joints, suspension and timing belts. 

If an unscrupulous seller rolls back the odometer, you could end up driving a car that is considerably less valuable and less safe than you thought.  Some sellers even roll back the odometers on recent models, so buyers think they're getting a brand new vehicle--you can imagine the extra cost consumers pay for that fraud.  The most dangerous odometer rollbacks occur on vehicles that have been in serious crashes and should no longer be on the road at all.

The Office of Odometer Fraud Investigations has been working hard to track down crime rings that repeatedly buy high-mileage vehicles, tamper with their odometers, and resell them as lower-mileage cars to unwitting drivers.  Fortunately, the office has tools to help investigators see patterns and trends and to sort through piles of records.

Just last week, for example, came news of federal charges against four members of an organized crime ring involving at least 75 vehicles.  NHTSA agents worked on the joint investigation with the Seattle Police Department, the IRS and the U.S. Attorney’s office to track down the men accused of buying cars from private parties, rolling back odometer mileage readings, and then selling those cars for a profit.

One way NHTSA's Odometer Fraud unit can protect consumers is by arming you with information before you make a purchase.  They can help you determine the vehicle fraud laws in your state.  And they offer helpful tips so buyers can identify the signs of odometer tampering.

This is particularly important with newer models because, with digital odometers, you can’t tell if the mileage has been rolled back just by making sure the numbers are aligned correctly.  But even with digital odometers, there are several things consumers can be on the lookout for when purchasing a vehicle: 

• Compare the odometer mileage with maintenance and inspection records,
• Look at wear and tear on the vehicle and make sure it seems consistent with the stated mileage,
• Run a free CARFAX Odometer Check and consider requesting a Vehicle History Report to check for odometer discrepancies in the vehicle’s history.

I’m proud of all the hard work our odometer fraud investigators put into the job of keeping America's drivers safe.  But remember, when buying a vehicle, your own observations may be the best safety feature on the market.

Comments

[Denise Barker]

Carfaxes are not free

[Rob]

The CarFax Odometer Check is indeed free. The Vehicle History Report is not free.

[Asheville Photographer - Blue Bend Photography]

I've always had at least one highly trained mechanic look over the car before I bought it. I don't put any faith in the odometer. How many miles are on the car is only one indicator of the condition of the car. I have seen plenty of cars that were very unsafe after only 70k miles. And conversely many cars that were mint with over 200k.