Odometer Fraud:
Vehicle Odometer fraud is the alteration of a vehicle’s odometer with the intent to change the number of miles indicated. It could be done by disconnection, resetting, or alteration.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings.
The Odometer scam costs American car buyers more than $1 billion annually. We at CarDr.com want to help consumers to know how to spot odometer fraud and help minimize this with the correct use or technology and a comprehensive inspection. Used car odometer fraud is a bigger issue than most believed.
Odometer Fraud
Dash Odometer reading
can frame odometer
Variance of "Dashboard Odometer" and "OBD Odometer" reading should be under 5%
How is Vehicle Odometer Fraud Done:
Typically, the rollback con artist initially purchases the vehicle legitimately on the wholesale market from an auction. The con artist picks out a fleet car, two or three years old, showing mileage higher than “average” for a vehicle of that age. The odometer is rolled back to a mileage that is considered “average” or “low” for a vehicle of that age, increasing its resale value according to the “blue book.” The interior is cleaned thoroughly, new brake or gas pedals are installed if necessary, and the vehicle is sold at an inflated price to an unsuspecting dealer or auctioneer.
$1 Billion+ in Unites States lost due to odometer fraud.
Read the NHTSA Report on Vehicle Odometer Fraud. Read More
Odometer Fraud % |
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3.7%
Fill Counter
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The rate of odometer fraud can be as high as 5%. Though NHTSA study says 3.7% is porbably more common. Over 450,000 Vehicles Sold in USA have Odometer Fraud |
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How do we tell if an odometer has been rolled back?
There are Few ways to detect Odometer rollback in Vehicles:
1) Past Records: compare the mileage on the odometer with the mileage number on the vehicle maintenance records
2) Reads a) Manufacturer Specific ECU Code and/or OBD PID 166 from the Vehicle's On Board Diagnostics - OBD: A Vehicle Inspection APP reads the PID 166 and the manufacturer specific Odometer Code and compares it with the dashboard odometer reading (read by a professional inspector).
| A6 | 166 | 4 | Odometer | 0 | 526 385 151.9 | hm (km/10) | {\displaystyle {\frac {A(2^{24})+B(2^{16})+C(2^{8})+D}{10}}} |
if PID 116 is not supported. We try a combination of a) manufacturer specific ECU Code or b)
| 21 | 33 | 2 | Distance traveled with malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on | 0 | 65,535 | km | {\displaystyle 256A+B} |
| 31 | 49 | 2 | Distance traveled since codes cleared | 0 | 65,535 | km | {\displaystyle 256A+B} |
A variance greater than 5% between dashboard Odometer and OBD Odometer reading is a sign of Odometer rollback fraud.
CarDr.com Inspector APP conduct this reading as a part of every used car inspection - it uploads it to the server and the server does a historical and dashboard odometer comparison. The Odometer is also saved on multiple EPROM modules of the Vehicle and as many as 13 places on the ECU (Engine Control Unite) - and locations vary by manufacturer. A Conn artist who tries can change one place - but it's easy for them to forget other locations. Using advanced OBD detection by model there are multiple ways to try and detect the same. CarDr.com's quest to bring out the truth about the automobile continues. Please Order our used car inspection based on science and good professional quality now.
Odometer rollback may have occurred when the mileage for a given vehicle on a later date is less than the mileage recorded on an earlier date. Other events that could result in a lower odometer reading at a later date include: (1) passing 100,000, when the odometer only goes up to 100,000;
(2) a malfunctioning odometer. One way to identify rollback is to compare the odometer reading at different points in time. Federal regulations require the odometer reading or mileage be recorded when vehicle=s ownership is transferred. These regulations apply when a vehicle is
sold or leased to auto auctions, car dealerships, and individuals.
The odometer reading is most commonly documented on the Vehicle Title itself. The Separate Disclosure Form, Power of Attorney Form, or Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicles are also used to document the odometer reading. The Separate Disclosure Form is used when there is no
title or the title has no space to record this information. The Power of Attorney Form is used when the transfer title is held by a lien holder. The Disclosure Form for Leased Vehicles is what its name implies.
There are two other possible sources of odometer reading data, although not required by federal regulations. State vehicle inspection stations may record the odometer reading when a vehicle is inspected. Dealerships and automobile manufacturers may record the odometer reading when
the vehicle is serviced under warranty. The purpose of this analysis is to obtain a best estimate of the incidence rate of odometer fraud in
the United States to the extent it can be detected in title transfer and other odometer reading data. This analysis uses a nationally representative sample of 10,000 passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV's) and a national vehicle history data base to identify
vehicles with rolled back odometers. These data are used only for statistical purposes to estimate rollback rates for the overall vehicle population. No claim is made that these data alone, without a follow-up investigation, are sufficient to prove or disprove fraud in individual vehicle cases.
This analysis determines the probability that a passenger vehicle would have its odometer rolled back at any point during the first 11 years of its life. The rate of odometer fraud in this analysis 3.47 percent (confidence bounds from 2.68 to 4.26 percent).