Rolling Back Odometer – Why Is It Illegal?

Rolling back odometer means changing the numbers showing the miles a car has already covered. In the past, people manually rolled back digits on a mechanical instrument. However, as modern vehicles have digital odometers, new approaches have been introduced to interfere with their normal functioning and display faulty mileage. Odometer rollback can remove hundreds or even thousands of kilometers from a dashboard. This method is becoming common daily, and people with fraudulent purposes frequently use it to measure distance incorrectly.

Any vehicle adjustment or roll back odometer is considered fraudand and illegal. It’s a federal crime in the United States, and a federal statute regulates it. Moreover, many states have specific regulations that outlaw the federal statute. Disconnecting, resetting, altering, or stopping an odometer is against the law. It also forbids any conspiracies regarding this matter. Using or selling a car that shows misleading mileage and purchasing or trading with a device causing odometer malfunction is unlawful. Besides, nobody should accept and trust an incomplete disclosure statement. Of course, forging such documents is also illicit and may result in further complications.

Rolling odometer back is also illegal in 25 European countries as well. Even though it’s forbidden, 15% of the EU population experience clocking. Because there is no regulation for the whole continent, the penalties vary from a fine to imprisonment by state. That gave rise to fraud, and it caused the loss of billions of US dollars to the United States and the European Union.

Hence, artificially changing a vehicle’s mileage is illegal, and the person responsible will face criminal charges. The verdict may be drastically different depending on the country or state you are in. So, knowing why people change the mileage and what to do if you suspect odometer fraud is important.

Is mileage important?

As you have seen, Rolling back odometer in cars is not legal, but people still adjust mileage. This is because we give too much importance to miles and km. Any automobile has a higher resale price when the mileage is lower. Therefore, if someone decides to roll back the distance and sell a car, they can make a big profit. And still, why do vehicles with less mileage have more value?

First, it is because of the misconception that a higher distance on the dashboard necessarily means old and requires a lot of finances for maintenance. Although sometimes this can be correct, the truth is that our world has improved significantly in technology. People roll back odometer with various mileage discrepency tools and often modify miles. Consequently, the distance is not as much of an issue. This does not mean vehicle mileage is unimportant; several factors require more attention.

For instance, one of the most crucial elements is how and for what purpose an owner uses the car. If used to driving on free highways instead of in lousy terrain, an auto will be in better condition. Thus, mileage on the odometer aren’y the only thing you need to look for while buying a used car, rolling odometer back is no less significant.

The second important factor is insurance companies. They calculate the price of their service according to the distance you cover. Consequently, high numbers on the odometer automatically mean more monthly payments.  To avoid additional insurance expenses, car owners might try tampering with the mileage.

Therefore, rolling back odometer is common till today. People use it to reduce the km showing on the odometer and evade further payments for their policies. In addition, it is believed that an auto with high miles is too old, and everyone tries to stay away from such vehicles. All of these may encourage owners to commit illegal acts.

How to check odometer rollback?

Despite the criminal charges, the existing law can’t prevent altering mileage. Ever-growing cases of odometer fraud are a bright example of it. Based on the data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 450 000 cars are sold with roll back odometer and wrong mileage solely in the United States. The fraud costs U.S. customers more than $1 billion every year. Pre-owned cars are also a big challenge for the European Union. The European Parliament report estimates annual damage between the lowest of €1.31 billion to the highest of €8.77 billion.

Thanks to technological development, humanity has created unique devices that make our lives easier and more comfortable. Every tech company competes with each other to invent and offer something new on the market. However, this competition does not always have a positive effect on us. An example in the car industry is rolling odometer back, which causes inconsistent mileage in vehicles. People use different types of illegal electronic devices to reset the mileage. This is why you need to know how to check odometer fraud.

• Check the appearance. If you notice worn-out tires and scratches on the speedometer, but the owner claims that the car is relatively new, someone likely altered the odometer.
• Take a look at the pedals and ensure they correspond to the distance shown on the dashboard.
• Request official documents and carefully compare the information to the ones on the odometer. Such documents can be service invoices, log books, or workshop reports.
• Verify oil changes: they can contain important information. Oil changes should be recorded in a log book. For example, if a manufacturer recommends an oil change every 20,000 kilometers and the owner changes the oil five times, you can conclude that the vehicle covers nearly 100,000 km.

After all, if you still need to figure it out, contact the automobile clubs and professionals to check the vehicle for a rolling back odometer. It will cost you some money, but it is worth it when you are about to invest several thousand U.S. dollars.

As many potential buyers pay attention to the mileage, sellers more frequently start artificially resetting it. To avoid being a scam victim, check as many details as possible.

What to do when you suspect odometer fraud

There is no doubt that mileage has a considerable importance in our lives. People found different solutions to interfere with the normal functioning of the instrument cluster and somehow alter the kilometers. They delete, stop, roll back, and freeze odometers. Even though such actions are illegal, roll back odometer is frequently used in cars annually. Modern vehicles, especially the ones with digital speedometers, are the primary targets. Even using an auto with false mileage is illegal, so it is crucial to know how to react if you suspect odometer tampering.

As soon as you suspect a discrepancy or illegally rolling odometer back, you must report the case first. You can call the police or contact any local law enforcement departments. They will help you solve the problem or tell you exactly what steps to take. Always remember that using false mileage or hiding odometer fraud is against the law. So, please don’t hesitate to contact the right people as soon as possible.

Mileage blocker – a legal solution

A mileage blocker is a high-quality modern device that stops recording mileage while a car is in motion. The team of Super Kilometer Filter from Germany has developed the tool for car testing and tuning purposes and not for rolling back odometer. How does it work? The mileage blocker halts the process, and the system will not add any further miles to the original distance. In addition, the system will not store the information in control units, which makes original data untraceable. The device is unique for its characteristics:

• The mileage blocker has do-it-yourself (DIY) installation guidance. You will install the device by following several steps. Hence, you will save time and money instead of going to a professional mechanic.
• The actual data is untraceable, and nobody (including you) will know what the correct mileage on a car is;
• It includes different modes, and you will be able to choose which one is better suitable for you;
• The mileage blocker only stops vehicle mileage recording and doesn’t roll back odometer;
• Its premium quality components are heat-resistant and work in every condition without an issue;
• You will not see ‘error’ signs on your dashboard;
• Mileage blocker is the only one which has its mobile application.

It is important to remember that the mileage blocker was invented to test automobiles. Car manufacturers have to test them several times, which is helpful for testing and tuning. Mileage blockers do not delete or roll back any distance. It would be best if you remembered that using this device on free highways is unethical, and rolling odometer back is not acceptable.

We have an excellent news for you! You can buy the mileage blockers online. Please review the support page or contact the customer center for further details.

Takeaway

Rolling back odometer is an unethical practice of artificially changing the mileage in a vehicle. Even though countries have developed laws to fight against it, people continue to use them. Unfortunately, there is not an effective solution to this issue. Consequently, European countries and the United States face the damage of billions of U.S. dollars.

The innovative team from Germany, Super Kilometer Filter (SKF), has developed the device for legal use. The mileage blocker alters the mileage recording process so that it does not store data in the control units. Hence, you don’t need to roll back or delete the already existing information. This device has premium-quality components that make it possible to work under any weather conditions. Keep in mind that the goal of this device is to use it for testing or tinning purposes.