Ways to spot “odometer rollback”

MADISON, Wis (WRCO / WRCE) – Today, National Odometer Day, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reminds car buyers to verify vehicle mileage before they buy.

Fraud through “odometer rollback,” changing the mileage shown on the vehicle’s odometer, is becoming more common.

Last year, investigations by Wisconsin DMV’s Dealer and Agent Section identified nearly 6,000 vehicles which showed signs of having odometer rollbacks. This marked a sharp increase from 2023 when the DMV investigators identified 1,736 vehicles.

Odometer rollback involves disconnecting, resetting or altering a vehicle’s odometer with the intent to change the number of miles indicated. Of the nearly 6,000 vehicles discovered with altered mileage last year, an estimated 613,910,784 miles were rolled off the odometers.

The estimated fraud loss based on a six cent per mile damage calculation is $36,834,647. This marked an increase from calendar year 2023, in which the identified vehicles had an estimated 181,706,452 miles rolled off the odometers. The estimated fraud loss in 2023 was $10,902,387.

Instances of odometer rollbacks are often caught when a vehicle is sold. Wisconsin DMV Dealer and Agent Section investigators revoked 20 wholesale dealer licenses in 2024 due to odometer and title fraud. Last year’s total equaled the combined number of revocations from 2022 and 2023.

Consumers can protect themselves before they take ownership of the vehicle.

When purchasing a used vehicle, check these key areas to uncover possible odometer tampering:

• Check for the vehicle history report, and look for odometer discrepancies in the vehicle’s history.
• Look closely to ensure the mileage notation has not been obscured or altered.
• Check the title and compare the mileage listed to the vehicle’s odometer
• Check the maintenance or inspection records and compare to the odometer mileage.
• The numbers on the odometer gauge should align correctly on mechanical odometers.
• Check the tires and overall condition of the vehicle. If the odometer on the car shows 20,000 or less, it should have original tires.

The general wear and tear of the vehicle should be consistent with the number of miles displayed on the odometer.

Vehicle titles typically have an odometer reading printed on the front of the title. Sometimes this reading has also been altered to reflect lower mileage. However, sometimes a fraudster will forget to alter this and it will still indicate a higher mileage reading. If the title has multiple title reassignment sections completed, the seller might be an unlicensed retail dealer.

Unlicensed retail dealers, which includes wholesalers selling retail and non-Wisconsin dealers selling retail within Wisconsin, are a common source of odometer fraud.

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