Remember what happened back in “the old days” when cars closed in on 100,000 miles? We watched that odometer like a hawk because pretty soon it would do one long, slow-motion flip of zeros. Anticipation piqued around 99,990, fueling a palpable excitement inside the car. Anyone in there couldn’t help but feel the moment, and we just kept driving around town until the zeros rolled.
Reaching a high mileage milestone is still a badge of honor but, ironically, when buying a car, we want the mileage to be as low as possible. Sellers, of course, know this and the less honorable of the lot may resort to tampering with the odometer to “roll back the miles.”
Odometer Fraud Through the Years
Odometer fraud is nothing new; in fact, it has been around for decades, but tradition doesn’t make it forgivable or any less of a blow to unsuspecting buyers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officially defines odometer fraud as “the disconnection, alteration, or resetting of a vehicle’s odometer if done with the intent to change the number of miles indicated.”
Sellers typically roll back odometers to make more money or to help veil particular mechanical problems. In the end, the average rollback of around 30,000 miles can boost a final sales amount by thousands.
How do they do it? Older model cars had analog odometers buried in the front dash and getting to them meant infiltrating the dashboard to manually move the mileage dials in reverse. Only the most skilled could complete this nefarious task without leaving behind evidence—a cracked dash, a missing screw, greasy fingerprints.
It’s different today. Like everything else, odometer fraud has entered the digital age, and for those in the know, it takes less than a minute to plug a device into the car’s computer, adjust the mileage, and give the car a whole new, albeit fraudulent lease on life. They often get away with it because most of us don’t suspect it or we believe that odometer fraud is a thing of the past.
Hidden Dangers of an Odometer Rollback
A car with a history of damage or mileage rollback presents a significant risk to buyers, who end up with a vehicle with far more wear and tear than they thought. This could mean a major repair issue that might fail tomorrow or in three months in the middle of a five-state road trip. Safety concerns are the number one issue, and ultimately, mileage rollbacks directly affects the car’s value, resale price, function, and durability.
Indeed, a typical rollback scenario costs buyers roughly $4,000, including the lost value in the vehicle and future repair costs. Astonishingly, studies show there are 1.6 million cars on U.S. roads with rolled-back odometers, and that costs consumers millions of dollars. Even worse, the owners of all those cars don’t realize they are whizzing down the road with worn out parts and functions that present potential danger to them and other drivers.
How to Tell if an Odometer has Been Rolled Back
Detecting odometer fraud isn’t easy for an untrained eye, but there are many steps you can take to confirm odometer tampering and avoid making a regretful purchase, including reviewing the title, maintenance records, tire tread depth, and the vehicle’s parts.
Let’s look at steps to take to insure your next car isn’t hiding any secrets:
- Right off the bat, check the odometer. A typical car averages roughly 12,000 miles a year, but if the 5-year-old car you’re looking at shows only 35,000 miles, you either found a gem or the odometer might have been edited. Hot tip: Odometers on some newer cars show an asterisk if the mileage has been altered.
- Check that wear and tear on the car’s interior and exterior match the odometer’s reading. Something’s fishy if the mileage reads 50,000, but the rest of the car looks bedraggled. Obtain the vehicle’s history report for accurate details and peace of mind.
- Ask to see the original title. Is the title brand new or show an out of state address? Title washing might be in play, and if so, you can’t trust the odometer reading. Review the title’s mileage number for any suspicious smudges or other alteration evidence.
- Ask for maintenance records, receipts, and inspection stickers. Check the mileage listed on those records and compare to what shows on the odometer.
- Examine wear on the brake and gas pedals and floor mats. This sounds simple, but a car with worn-smooth pedals, especially the brake, or a hole in the floor mat from a busy heel are sure signs of lots of drive time.
- On older model cars, take a close look at the dashboard and nearby areas for missing screws or misaligned seams. If either of these is present, it could be a sign that someone went into the dash. Confirm with the seller if there was a legitimate reason.
- Check the tire tread depth. New tires should last 25,000 miles and still have a tread depth of more than 2/32 of an inch. Have a mechanic check it or purchase a depth gauge. Speaking of mechanics, your best approach is to take the vehicle to a trusted mechanic for a thorough review of the car. A mechanic will know what to look for and how to tell if critical components are in good shape or show signs of modification. For example, if a low-mileage car (per the odometer) is loaded with all kinds of brand-new parts, that could mean its mileage is far higher than indicated. If the seller refuses to let you take the car to a mechanic, that is like a confession that something is amiss, and you should walk away from the purchase right away.
- Is the car’s paint faded more than it should be for low miles, or is there visible body damage? These are red flags that something is amiss.
- Best advice: Do your research, check the documentation, and get a mechanic check to ensure your next car is everything it says it is.
