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8 Facts You Wish You Knew Sooner About the Odometer Car Mileage

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Published on: July 3, 2025

Odometer car mileage is one of the significant components of every automobile. However, only a few people know all the facts that make this component at least equally important as other integral parts of the vehicle. The general idea of the odometer has remained the same: to count the miles the vehicle has covered since its invention. Only technology has changed from mechanical to digital.
Mileage information is decisive in all aspects, including scheduled maintenance, insurance rates, resale value, and the general lifespan of the auto. Tracking and managing mileage is crucial if you want to use that data to your advantage.
In the blog below, we introduce the most important facts about car mileage odometers you may not have known or thought about before. Let’s start!

What is odometer car mileage?

Odometer car mileage is the number of miles a vehicle has driven throughout its lifespan. It is located on the vehicle dashboard. The measurement is displayed in miles or in kilometers, depending on the country. The instrument is located below the speedometer. A lot of people confuse it with a speedometer or trip meter, which serves various functions and is still associated with mileage.
Different types of odometers exist; they weren’t always digital, as they are today for modern cars. There are also many misconceptions regarding high mileage and the correct way to verify genuine data. In the paragraphs below, we will list all the important aspects and explain them in detail.

What is odometer car mileage

8 Facts You Should Know

1. Not all odometers are the same

There are two types of odometers: mechanical and digital. They serve the same purpose, counting mileage, but their mechanisms are different.

  1. A mechanical odometer, also known as an analog odometer, has a train of gears and rotating dials. When the vehicle’s wheel rotates, it turns the cable connected to the transmission. The number of gear rotations determines how many miles your vehicle has covered.
  2. Digital odometer—this is an electronic car mileage odometer that serves the same function as a mile tracker, but its working principle is different. It has sensors that can measure how fast the wheels are spinning. The car’s computer multiplies the data by the time the vehicle has traveled. For example, if you are going 40 km/h for 1 hour, it means you’ve covered 40 km (24.85 miles ) . The data is displayed digitally on the instrument.

Brief history

The history of the odometer invention goes back to the 19th century, when William Clayton, with help from Orson Pratt, invented a mechanical device attached to a wagon wheel that counted the revolutions to calculate the distance traveled. The device was called Roadometer. However, the concept of odometers dates back to older centuries. Archimedes was the one who described a distance-measuring device in ancient Greece, around 15 BCE. Later, Leonardo da Vinci sketched a design for a mechanical odometer in the 15th century.

2. You can always check the odometer history

Odometer car mileage is one of the most questionable aspects for second-hand car buyers. It’s hard for potential buyers to trust the seller despite the provided documentation. You may have been in the same situation at least once in your lifetime, and you can relate. The good news is that you can request unbiased research through the authoritative vehicle history report. All you need to know is the VIN of the automobile. It is enough to ask for the report online. Carfax is one of the authoritative companies; through the VIN, you can learn the history of the vehicle: number of previous owners, damage, accidents, title status, and potential odometer tampering.

3. Car resale value is mostly determined based on the odometer data

It is a matter of argument sometimes, but many sellers and buyers agree that mileage information is a decisive factor in evaluating the vehicle and putting a price on the vehicle. Hence, most buyers are eager to pay more for automobiles with lower mileage. On the other hand, car owners do their best to manage smartly and avoid recording a lot of miles. At some level, avoiding adding up unnecessary miles is possible if you are mindful of your driving habits. Surely, it’s not possible if you use your automobile for business purposes, such as delivery. Regarding this, smart mileage management always pays off.
The reason why car mileage odometer is an advantageous factor is the belief that high-mileage cars are worn out, their resources are very limited, in short, they are unreliable. Many of us are among the people who think like that, and it’s not irrational. However, the idea is very stereotypical. In the paragraph below, we will give arguments why higher mileage is not as bad as you may think.

4. High mileage doesn’t always indicate a vehicle’s bad condition

Believe it or not, under certain circumstances, a car with high mileage can be more reliable than another car with a lower odometer reading. Surely, certain cases confirm the truthfulness of this statement. Here they come:

  • The automobile is well-maintained – the owner follows a scheduled maintenance plan and always changes, replaces, and repairs or changes faulty components.
  • The more miles the car goes, the better it is tested in every situation, which means it becomes reliable.
  • Depreciates more slowly, which means that you lose the minimum percentage of the value you paid and keep the profitable resale value for a longer period.

According to authoritative statistical data, certain automobile makers and models can perform their best even after recording so many miles. A non-profit organization, Consumer Report, surveyed to find high-mileage cars that can last over 200,000 miles. The leaders were revealed and we can they that they are most reliable high-mileage cars worth money,. Here they are: Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Subaru, and Volvo. The story of such makers goes beyond the odometer car mileage, that is the reason why they perform perfectly and have a long lifespan. Here it is – the confirmation that high mileage data is only numbers, even though those cars can be very reliable regarding what figures are displayed on the odometer.

5. You can get mileage reimbursement

Yes, that’s true. If you use your automobile for business, charity, medical or moving purposes and add up additional mileage, you will be reimbursed. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sets a standard mileage rate annually; the deduction is based on those numbers. For example, for 2025, the rate for self-employed and businesses is 70 cents/mile. To calculate , you multiply the number of miles you covered by the rate. Let’s say , the distance you traveled is 200 miles, in this case calculation will be like: 200 * 0.70 = 140$
Reimbursing, related to car mileage odometer, is very important and beneficial, there are a lot of things to consider if you want to get a deserved deduction. For more insight about reimbursement, read our previous blog.

6. Mileage reading affects your insurance policy

Odometer car mileage is a crucial factor for calculating insurance premiums. Insurance companies pay a lot of attention to your annual mileage, as it reflects your driving habits. Higher mileage indicates that you drive a lot; when you drive a lot, the chance of accidents is higher than usual, so the insurance is more expensive. Surely, it’s not the only factor the companies consider, but it’s one of the most important.

7. Odometer readings are not always correct

Unfortunately, mileage reading isn’t always genuine. Incorrect data can be a result of different things. However, we can divide the causes of discrepancy into two major groups:
Unintentional odometer faults include odometer replacement without calibration, faulty speed sensors ( digital odometers rely on them to measure distance), tire changes with bigger or smaller alternatives, or general electrical problems.
An Intentional Odometer rollback is resetting, altering, or modifying the odometer with the intent to change existing data. The purpose of this act varies. It depends on the individual and his/her intention while doing it.
Let’s see what the legal limitations are when performing the modification of car mileage odometer.

8. Replacement/correction of odometers is legal until you decide to hide it

Odometer correction/replacement isn’t a law-breaking act if you don’t skip documenting it accordingly and telling the potential buyer of your automobile in the future. Fraud is obvious when individuals hide information and don’t make notes in the car documents. That isn’t very pleasant for buyers who purchase a second-hand vehicle. They lose a lot of money. Firstly, when they pay more for the sake of low mileage; secondly, they continue to spend more money on issues they don’t expect; and thirdly and most importantly, they follow scheduled maintenance mindlessly because if you don’t know the genuine mileage, it’ very hard to plan upcoming maintenance tasks on time. Hence, hiding odometer data can harm the victim morally and financially.

If you decide to alter odometer car mileage or do other manipulations for testing purposes, keep in mind that you should use only ethical devices and do it in a controlled environment if you want to stay within legal limits. On the other hand, if you are a car buyer, knowing about the danger of being a victim of such fraud in advance will help you avoid it.

One of the most advanced devices you can use ethically is a Mileage blocker from Super Kilometer Filter. It is a modern, innovative device with the ability to halt the mileage recording process in all control Units.

Mileage blocker

Mileage blocker is a sophisticated device for testing the automobile
A mileage blocker is an advanced tool that can halt the mileage recording process unconditionally in all controlled units. The fascinating fact about the device is that the altered car mileage odometer remains untraceable and OBD scanners and diagnostic testers cannot retrieve altered data. You can purchase the device exclusively for your maker and model now from Super Kilometer Filter official shop and start enjoying a bunch of benefits:

  • Undetectability;
  • Mobile app for better device management;
  • User-friendly Installation;
  • Switching between several modes;
  • Ethical usage in a controlled environment;

Using the tool without worrying about the flaws in a CAN bus system.
For additional information, feel free to contact the support team and customer center; they are always ready to answer all your questions regarding the device.

Takeaway

Odometer car mileage is one of the automobile’s crucial aspects. Hence, the correctness of the data is decisive for the decisions we need to make throughout its lifespan. Whether you are a current owner, a potential seller, or a buyer of the car, it’s equally important to make sure that the data you get from the odometer is genuine. Staying informed is the only way to keep your automobile safe and healthy!

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