Bought A Car With Rolled Back Odometer – What To Do Next
Bought a car with rolled back odometer? First of all, you need to know that selling or even using a vehicle with an altered odometer is strictly illegal and you have to report it. Different companies, garages and individuals always try to find a reliable mechanism to interfere with the correct functioning of the instrument cluster and artificially change the numbers displayed on a dashboard. To achieve their goal, they use numerous methods such as rolling back, stopping, freezing or deleting the mileage. These measures are getting massively used day by day and that is why you have to what to do in case you face the same issue.
As soon as you understand that the mileage was manipulated you should report it. you have several options to do so. You can call the police and thoroughly explain the situation you are in. They will tell you the exact steps to follow. You may also reach any law enforcement institutions for help. Authorized government institutions will guide you through the process accordingly. If knowing any, try contacting the person who has experience in working on such cases. He/she might have some useful tips for you. Moreover, officials will most probably ask you the details about the car, previous owners and documents. So, try to gather all the information in advance – this can be important and will save time as well.
Hence, altering an odometer is against the law and the person responsible will face serious consequences. Please notice, that even if you had not done anything fraudulent but continued using it (while knowing about the problem), you may face criminal charges. Thus, in order to avoid further disputes and misunderstandings don’t hesitate to report the case right away and contact the appropriate departments.
WHY IS IT ILLEGAL?
If you have Bought a car with rolled back odometer it is crucial to distinguish between legal and illegal practices. Every automobile has a special tool – an odometer that measures the distance. While you are driving the system counts up miles or kilometers and displays the numbers on a dashboard. To falsify the data people usually roll back numbers. In the past, they used to do it mechanically, however using modern technologies, the process is faster and easier on new cars with the digital instrument cluster. It can remove any number of miles in a split of seconds.
Any type of odometer manipulations which affect the normal functioning of the system is forbidden. In the United States, it is a federal felony and the statute controls it. Several states in the U.S. have regulations that stand above the statute in that specific area. According to the law, it is illegal to:
Disconnect, stop or alter an odometer;
Make conspiracies, and scams with other people regarding this topic;
Sell or use a vehicle with incorrect mileage;
Trade with a tool that causes the odometer to break down;
Advertise or sell such devices;
Accept incomplete or misleading official disclosure statements;
Forging official documents about the mileage.
If you break these rules the consequences will be serious. Depending on the country or the state you live in, a person faces a fine of nearly $10 000 or imprisonment for several years.
Furthermore, it is not a challenge that only the United States faces. Odometer Fraud is unlawful in most European countries. According to the European Parliament report, 15% of its population was a victim of such actions. Unfortunately, the EU does not have common regulations to fix it and illegal activities occur mostly in cross-border territories. In addition, tiny devices that are sold for only up to $200-300 can cause huge damage to the buyers who Bought a car with rolled back odometer. The US and the EU alone lose several dozen billion each year because of odometer fraud.
Therefore, it is illegal to wound back the odometer in vehicles. According to the country, state or territory a person is located in, he/she will face different charges. Always follow the law and report the case immediately if you suspect odometer fraud.
HOW TO AVOID ODOMETER FRAUD
Even though adjusting mileage is punishable, people with fraudulent purposes are not afraid of it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the data according to which around half a million purchased cars had misleading mileage in the United States. Due to this US citizens lose more than a billion every year. The same tendency is in Europe. The EU report illustrates that the estimated annual damage varies between €1.3 to €8.77 billion.
Companies all over the world are constantly developing existing technologies and trying to invent new ones. This is why new products appear on the market so often. Unfortunately, not all of these innovations are used in good faith. For instance, companies invented devices that freeze the mileage. People immediately started using it on a free highway which is unethical and unacceptable. Various types of devices are used to reset the mileage and it is essential to know what to look for when buying an old car.
The first step is to check the visual and physical appearance. Look at the tires closely. New cars do NOT have worn-out tires, so you will notice if there is anything suspicious with it. Plus, if the speedometer has scratches on the surfaces it can be the first sign of odometer fraud. Take a look at the pedals as well. Examine thoroughly to make sure that the appearance of a car matches the distance shown on the odometer.
If you want to avoid being cheated, like others who Bought a car with rolled back odometer, you need to make a deeper investigation. A pre-owned car is hard to control and sellers use it to their advantage. Request all official papers (such as service invoices, reports or log books) and compare the information to the odometer. You can check the details by using Carfax. Also double-check the oil change frequency and calculate approximately how long the auto has covered so far. You can find this information in a log book.
If you are still suspicious after a careful examination you can reach out to the professionals. They will check every detail for you and tell you in case there is anything wrong with it. Of course, this will not be for free, however, it is worth especially when you are going to buy something expensive.
WHY CORRECT MILEAGE IS IMPORTANT?
Mileage has become an important aspect of our life. Every time we drive, we may check the distance we have covered. Why it is that important? There are several factors that make mileage important to us.
First of all, it is the common view that lower miles mean better auto. People believe that if there are high numbers on the odometer it is older and needs more maintenance expenses. Simply, that is not true! The technologies have been developed so much lately that there are more important factors than mileage that you need to consider before buying a pre-owned car. For example, where and under what condition the owner used a vehicle. It does not mean that miles are not important at all, but their importance is mostly exaggerated. The main reason is that they considered only the odometer showing and ignored other important details.
Another factor that makes mileage important is private insurance companies. The insurance policies depend on the distance. This means that the lower the mileage is on the odometer, the less owner has to pay. Therefore, miles or km are directly in connection with the payments. To avoid additional expenses, people try altering the mileage.
Rolling back odometers has become widely spread practice nowadays. Cars with lower distances have higher prices, and also need fewer expenses for an insurance policy. That is why more and more people try to somehow restore the data in the system.
MILEAGE BLOCKER – THE LEGAL AND EFFECTIVE DEVICE
A mileage blocker from a Super kilometer filter (SKF) is the device that stops counting up miles while a vehicle is in motion. The team from Germany has developed this mechanism for car testing and tuning purposes. It should be noted, that the mileage blocker does not delete any existing information from the system, that is automatically illegal. It simply stops the recording distance as soon as you plug in this device. More importantly, once you start using it, the system does not store the information in any control unit. Therefore, the data is untraceable and nobody can detect the exact mileage. The mileage blocker has several additional advantages:
It has do-it-yourself (DIY) installation guidance. It will allow you to install everything by yourself. You just need to follow a few steps and everything will work flawlessly;
The real information about the mileage is not stored anywhere and it is untraceable;
Mileage blocker has several modes that control what per cent of mileage should be altered while using it. So, you can choose an option that is better suitable for you;
It has high-quality materials that guarantee that the device works under any condition. The blocker has heat-resistant components that make it workable;
Once people Bought a car with rolled back odometer they always see the ‘error’ signs. Do not worry! While using the device from SKF you will not see such messages on your dashboard;
Mileage blocker has a mobile application. It allows you to control the device remotely and benefit from all of its advantages with a single touch on your phone.
It is crucial to know that the device is not created to cheat others. On the contrary, it has one important ‘mission’ to help people test automobiles. Manufacturers and dealership companies test them multiple times under different conditions before they appear on the market.
Mileage blockers help them not to delete but stop the recording process during testing. Fortunately, you can purchase mileage blocker online. In case of any further questions about the company and its products please check the support page or reach out to the customer center.
TAKEAWAY
As odometer fraud is becoming an important issue, more people Bought a car with rolled back odometer. Moreover, cars with lower mileage have a higher resale price and once they decide to replace them, a seller will make a better profit. As much as it is profitable for owners, buyers and states have huge damage. Countries have developed laws to fight against it, but it has not prevented such unlawful actions.
The German company has created an innovative device to legally change the odometer. Mileage blocker alters the mileage recording process and does not erase any already existing data. In addition, it consists of premium quality components that are heat resistant and work under any weather conditions. You can purchase this product online and install the blocker by yourself. Do not forget that it is for testing purposes and using it on free roads is unethical.
