Odometer rollback check by VIN

What odometer fraud is

NHTSA defines odometer fraud as disconnecting, resetting or altering a vehicle’s odometer to change the number of miles it shows. It estimates that more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings.

Federal law makes it illegal to tamper with an odometer, to sell or install a device that makes it show the wrong mileage, or, with intent to defraud, to drive a car on public roads knowing its odometer is disconnected or not working.

Digital odometers can be changed too

A digital display can look tamper-proof. NHTSA says the opposite: tampered digital odometers are even harder to detect than mechanical ones, because they have no visible moving parts. It points to two clues instead: the car’s condition and a detailed history report.

How a history report tracks mileage

A rollback changes the number on the dash, not the readings already recorded elsewhere. Each title transfer records the odometer reading. Service visits, inspections and auction sales can record it too, when those sources report it. A history report lists the readings in date order, so you can see whether the miles only ever go up.

How to spot inconsistencies

NHTSA suggests these checks:

1. Compare the odometer with the mileage on the title. Look closely if the mileage on the title is hard to read or obscured.
2. Compare it with maintenance and inspection records, and with oil-change stickers on the windows or door frames, in the glove box or under the hood.
3. Look at the tires. A car showing 20,000 miles or less should still have its original tires.
4. Check the wear on the gas, brake and clutch pedals. It should fit the miles shown.
5. Run the VIN for a history report and compare every recorded reading with the dash.

If an odometer is repaired or replaced and can’t show the same mileage, federal law requires it to be set to zero, with a written notice of the earlier mileage and the date attached to the left door frame. A low reading with no notice and no paperwork needs an explanation.

A CARFAX report here costs $14.99, against $44.99 on carfax.com.

Federal odometer disclosure rules

When a vehicle changes owner in the U.S., federal law requires the seller to give the buyer a written odometer disclosure. Under 49 CFR Part 580 it includes the reading, the date of transfer, both parties’ names and addresses and the vehicle’s details. The seller must also state one of three things:

• the reading reflects the actual mileage, as far as the seller knows;
• the mileage exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits; or
• the reading is not the actual mileage and shouldn’t be relied on.

Some vehicles are exempt. Model year 2010 and older vehicles don’t need a federal disclosure. Model year 2011 and newer vehicles are exempt once 20 years have passed, so a 2011 model needs one until 2031. Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 lb are exempt too.

A seller who breaks these rules with intent to defraud can be sued for three times the actual damages or $10,000, whichever is greater. The case must be brought within two years. If you suspect fraud, NHTSA advises contacting your state’s enforcement agency.

Buying a US car abroad

US title records and history reports list odometer readings in miles. If the car you’re buying abroad now shows kilometers, convert before you compare: 100 miles is about 161 km.