Do you still have to work about Odometer rollbacks on used cars? I just say an old 60 minutes piece on one where they claimed that 40 percent of the cars in Houston didn't have the actual miles.
With digital computer odometers now, are they getting hacked?
Bryan
One easy way that people do, it to change the gauge cluster.
Yes, which is why it’s extremely important to get any used car thoroughly checked by a reputed mechanic, before you buy it.
Anyone can buy an Odometer Correction tool online. They cost between $250 and $500 depending on quality. Takes less than 30 seconds to change the digital odometer reading.
Do a youtube search on "odometer correction". If you're presently in the market for, or recently purchased a used car you'll find it disturbing.
The vehicles "total distance" is also kept in other modules. For example, the PCM , and sometimes in the transmission module or power steering control module among other places.
The problem is that most times you need a very expensive (professional Bi-Directional) scanner to retrieve that data so most people can't.
This reason alone is enough for anyone who is spending their hard-earned money for a used car to spend a little more and pay for a professional mechanic to come out with his scan tool and check the ECU and other modules to make sure that the "total distance" recorded in those modules is extremely close to the odometer reading.
Also, the state governments make it easy for used car dealers to get away with this,
Many people don't notice that there's a check box on the title, for where the mileage is supposed to be entered, for "exempt".
If that box is checked then the seller (many times unknowingly) agrees that the mileage on the odometer is not accurate.
That removes any criminal/civil liability from the seller for the odometer's accuracy.
Many people don't like Carfax. They (rightly) complain that not every "event" gets reported.
However, if you're in the market for a used car, it's best to select one that has at least some Carfax history reports because the vehicle mileage is reported at the time of the event whether it's for scheduled maintenance, a mechanical repair, or a crash repair.
If the vehicle had a recorded repair done 5 years ago, and now, 5 years later, it only has an additional 20 thousand miles on the odometer, that should be a "red flag".
Also the NHTSA's free site allows you to enter a vehicle's VIN and you can see the odometer readings each time the vehicle changed ownership. But even that isn't a national legal requirement until Jan 2021.
You're right to be concerned. Odometer tampering is a huge problem all over the country and the State and Federal elected officials don't seem to give a damn about it.
Just look at this recent NHTSA bulletin:
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reminding consumers that, starting January 1, 2021, odometer disclosures will be required for every transfer of ownership for the first 20 years, beginning with Model Year 2011 vehicles. Model Year 2010 and older vehicles will continue to be subject to the previous 10-year disclosure requirements and thus are exempt from extended Federal odometer disclosure requirements.
Pretty lame response to a massive national fraud (in my opinion)
It is a shame about these rollbacks - one hint on checking for TRUE mileage. In many states, vehicles have to be emission checked, and the mileage is on that paperwork. I caught somebody with a recent rollback by asking for and checking that.
