Tag Archives: odometer

Miami, FL car dealer charged with rolling back odometer

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According to news reports, Miami-Dade police recently arrested a used car dealer and charged him with rolling back the odometer on a used 2101 Mazda CX9, erasing more than 81,000 miles.

Electronic odometers were supposed to make it harder for car dealers to cheat used car buyers by lopping miles off odometers. But the switch to electronic odometers just spawned a black market in odometer-tampering tools that are cheap and easy to buy online.

The multi-billion $$ fraud continues to plague used car buyers. In fact, it’s ridiculously easy for crooked car dealers to engage in odometer fraud, with little fear of getting caught.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is tasked with policing odometer fraud, but the agency is chronically understaffed and under-funded, and seldom acts unless they find a widespread pattern of illegal rollbacks.

One of the worst impacts of odometer fraud: victims of the illegal practice often end up having to pay out of pocket for expensive, unanticipated repairs that can leave them deep in debt or without a car.

A double whammy — even if you buy an extended service contract, they usually exclude coverage for vehicles with altered odometers.

How can you avoid falling prey to crooked car dealers who alter odometers? Check out CARS’ tips for how to get a good deal on a safe, reliable used car, without having to set foot on a car dealer’s lot.

Read more: Miami Herald: “Miami car dealer rolled back 81,000 miles off odometer, cops say”

Odometer fraud — the “Fountain of Youth” for high-mileage cars

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A lot of people think that odometer fraud is a thing of the past, thanks to digital odometers. Unfortunately, that’s just wishful thinking. In reality — crooks have found ways to hack into vehicle computer systems and re-set odometers. All it takes is a simple gadget that you can buy online — and a lack of scruples.

Making matters worse:  thanks to incredibly stupid rules the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued years ago under the Federal Odometer Act, vehicles more than 10 years old are exempt from key provisions of the law. That never did make sense, since all it does is encourage fraud that hits low-income used car buyers the hardest. It makes even less sense now, when RL Polk says that the average age of all light vehicles on the road in the US has hit a record 11.4 years.

One of the worst things about odometer fraud:  an altered odometer can make the warranty void, or make any service contract you buy with the car worthless and void.

According to AOL Autos, a New York man was alerted by friends that his used car miraculously showed less mileage after he sold it on Craigslist:

http://autos.aol.com/article/buying-used-car-tips-odometer-fraud/

How can you avoid getting scammed by an odometer fraudster?

1. Insist on seeing the work orders showing past repairs — and look carefully at the mileage.

2. Call repair shops that worked on the car and are listed on the work orders to confirm the numbers.

3. Have the vehicle inspected by your own independent auto expert BEFORE you agree to buy it. They can hook it up to diagnostic equipment that will access the onboard computer systems — which may reveal telltale records of higher mileage.

Here’s a good place to find a good mechanic:

Car Talk Mechanics Files