Shit! Mileage Disclosure Loopholes allow Cars 10-Years or Older to have their Odometers Rolled Back.

[TheBlackAdder]

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Now, this is not just a video & multimedia post. it's more.

I stumbled across this 2 year old YouTube video, and then went to the NHTSA website. Sure enough, it's there. Now, there was an uproar over news broadcasts like these, so there is a new rule going into effect on January 1, 2021 that changes this from 10 to 20 years, but it only affect 2011 and newer cars.


While it doesn't mention the loophole on the website, the PDF files show it in black and white.

ODOMETER FRAUD LAW Committing odometer fraud is a crime. The federal government passed a law that requires a written disclosure of the mileage registered on an odometer be provided by the seller to the purchaser on the title to the vehicle when the ownership of a vehicle is transferred. If the odometer mileage is incorrect, the law requires a statement to that effect to be furnished on the title to the buyer. However, vehicles ten years and older are exempt from the written disclosure requirements.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/811284.pdf

New rule going into effect on 1/1/2021, that applies to model year 2011 and newer cars ONLY.

This document responds to petitions for reconsideration regarding NHTSA's October 2, 2019, final rule amending NHTSA's odometer disclosure requirements to allow States to adopt electronic odometer disclosure systems and changing the time when vehicles become exempt from federal odometer disclosure requirements from ten years to twenty years. NHTSA received petitions for reconsideration from the America Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) and the State of Delaware Department of Transportation requesting that the agency delay the effective date of the changes to the exemption from odometer disclosure requirements for one year. After consideration of the petitions, NHTSA has decided to grant the petition. The change to the exemption from the odometer disclosure requirements will take effect on January 1, 2021 and will apply to model year 2011 and newer vehicles. The amendments in the October 2, 2019, final rule allowing States to adopt electronic odometer disclosure systems will still take effect as scheduled on December 31, 2019.

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/11/26/2019-25657/odometer-disclosure-requirements

Watch yourselves when buying a car older than 10 years.

And, never buy a car from a "friend" who is most likely a shadow seller for a used car dealership. Ask if the title is in their possession and in their name. If not, it could be someone flipping an unsellable car that was traded in and not sent to auction. Also, remember that CarFax and other reporting sites do not report on damage to fleet, rental and corporate vehicles that are self-insured and repaired in-house. Those vehicles could have been in multiple crashes or even flood damaged. If the background checks do not show private party owners, run, don't walk away from it. Call your auto insurance carrier and furnish them with the VIN, as most will perform a free background check on the car to see what's what.

Update: Also remember, CarFax and other only report on the last known mileages of the vehicle. There could be tens or hundreds of thousands more miles on the vehicle if the owner performs their own repairs.

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[leftieNanner]

1. Dang!

Wish I still had my 1995 Mercedes E320 Wagon. It only had 323,000 miles on it when I donated it to charity.

Best car I ever owned!

[spanone]

3. I had a 94 C320. It was a great car.

Still mostly steel back then

[leftieNanner]

5. The 95 E320 Wagon

Was chosen by Consumer Reports as the best car that year. The wagon specifically. I purchased it used with 130,000 miles on it and drove it until 2014. We did a road trip from the Bay Area in California to Tetons, Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon and back with our kids. We were going to make one more stop and our daughters said they would rather just go home. So we did. From 50 miles east of Boise, Idaho to Walnut Creek in one shot. 13 hours on the road and that car didn't miss a beat. I drove and my husband read the 5th Harry Potter book aloud for nearly the whole trip. Kinda wish I still had it. Replaced it with a POS 2010 MBZ GLK that has not been nearly as reliable. Can't afford to replace it just now, so I'm praying to the car gods that it holds up for a while longer.

[underpants]

2. Damn. Of you can't trust used car salesmen....

Thanks. Little one needs a car in less than two years.

[MichMan]

4. Altering odometers is still illegal regardless of age of the vehicle.

The seller is just not required to certify that the mileage is accurate if over 10 yrs old. That is a lot different than saying rolling them back is OK.

[TheBlackAdder]

6. While a federal crime to do so, they can and do not have to testify against themselves or perjor.

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Especially if they are selling it for someone else or don't get the previous owners to attest to the mileage.

Many of these places will tell sellers to leave the mileage and price blank, and just to sign on the title line.

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[Blue_true]

7. Help anyone that can't get a good sense of how many miles a vehicle has been driven.

Just open and close the freaking doors, and listen.

[keithbvadu2]

8. Can they roll back the digital odometers like the mechanical odometers?

Can they roll back the digital odometers like the mechanical odometers?

[dalton99a]

9. As easily as reading your check engine light

Google "OBDSTAR X300M" - it is a tool used to "correct" mileage on cars older than 10 years

[TheBlackAdder]

10. According to CarGurus & CarFax and Goss' Garage, yes.

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https://blog.cargurus.com/2015/11/13/watch-out-new-devices-roll-back-digital-odometers

Odometer Rollback Fraud

Rolling back an odometer is not just wrong, it is fraud. Furthermore, most states have their own consumer protection laws that give car buyers even greater protection.

Some consumers are under the misconception that odometer fraud disappeared when yesterday’s mechanical odometers were replaced with today’s digital odometers. After all, how do you tamper with your car’s computer?

You might be surprised to learn that the process is fairly easy, especially for anyone with access to certain online tools.

https://www.carfax.com/press/resources/odometer

The CarFax guy, in the Goss' Garage video below, mentions that 10 year old cars are rolled back because they don't have to attest to the mileage. This backs up the original OP topic. Also, lease returns are often rolled-back to eliminate over mileage charges.

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