Did You Know These Ways To Detect Odometer Fraud?

By Author: Andrew Richardson
Total Articles: 66
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Odometer fraud is very rampant in used car sales. It is estimated that more than 450,000 vehicles are sold with tampered odometer readings.
Odometer fraud is the intentional alteration or resetting of a vehicle’s odometer to change the number of miles on the vehicle. This enables the fraudsters to show lower usage for the vehicle and quote a higher price.
This article explains how it is possible to lower the miles on a digital odometer and the ways you can detect odometer fraud.
How To Lower The Miles On A Digital Odometer
At the outset, we need to explain that this is not intended to guide how to lower the miles on a digital odometer but only to raise awareness on how fraudsters do odometer fraud.
As with any vehicle component, an odometer can be rolled-back to eliminate hundreds or even thousands of kilometers on display. The odometer reading is a key information point for prospective buyers, and unfortunately, people have been using this trick for generations.
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... In the past odometer, rollback entailed manually rolling back the number of miles on a mechanical odometer to show a shorter distance a vehicle has traveled.
With digital odometers, one can remove the vehicle’s circuit board to alter the odometer reading or use specialized equipment that hooks up to the electronic circuit of the car.
How To Determine If The Odometer Has Been Rolled Back
Any used car you plan to buy should be inspected before purchase, and a vehicle history report should be obtained. A document like the Indiana odometer disclosure statement could be useful. As a permanent record of what the odometer reading was on the car at a specific time, you can see those readings in a history report.
Apart from that you can inspect the car and look for the following signs:
1 – Body Condition
If a car has been used extensively, the signs will be visible on the car’s body. Look for fading paint, scratches, and dents. If the odometer shows a smaller number in comparison, most likely it has been tampered with.
2 – Inspect The Tires
If a car has not run too many miles, the owner would not need to change the tires. It could be an odometer rollback if you see new tires on the vehicle.
3 – Check The Pedals
If the pedals are worn out, it could indicate the usage of the car. Usually, it takes around 62,000 miles before the pedal grooves thin out. There could have been a rollback if the odometer shows a lesser number.
To summarize, odometer rollback is a fairly simple process, making it one of the most widely reported auto fraud. However, if you follow the suggestions mentioned above, it is possible to determine if an odometer has been tampered with. If you have been a victim of odometer fraud, the attorneys of Allen Stewart can assist you.
Andrew Richardson is the author of this Article. To know more about Illinois Odometer Disclosure Statement please visit our website: allenstewart.com