Posted on 12/16/2025 3:43:07 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
In California, it’s almost expected for people to appear younger than they are. But what about your car?
According to Carfax, the number of vehicles on the road with rolled-back odometers is rising, up 14% from last year.
“It’s especially concerning because, if we compare the year-over-year rate, it’s dramatically higher than years prior,” Em Nguyen of Carfax told KTLA’s Chip Yost.
And of the about 2.45 million cars with rolled-back odometers on the road, the largest percentage of them — nearly 22% — are in California, with the Golden State’s 532,200 cars far outpacing second-place Texas and third-place Florida with 333,900 and 109,000 vehicles, respectively.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “estimates that more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings,” and if you buy one of those tampered-with vehicles, it could cost you.
“Consumers lose an average of $3,300 in value from unknowingly buying a car with a rolled-back odometer, and that doesn’t include unexpected maintenance costs,” Carfax explained.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
I belive this can be done thru the OBD port, so that a new instrument cluster can be set (legitimately) the correct odometer reading.
It would seem that the computer that controls the odometer could have a history of resets, easily readable.
But maybe not...
I’ve got 18,000 miles to hit 250,000 miles.
I am NOT going to roll back a quarter million mile odometer!!!
We all know “bad guys” follow rules!
My mother was a cheapskate in everything (including taking me to Mexico to go to the dentist).
She had the wetbacks on her boyfriend’s ranch install a separate speedometer next to the center console.
I had to replace the instrument cluster on my F-350, and the remanufacturing shop asked for photos of the engine hours and mileage before they would send the replacement unit. They programmed the unit and it bolted in and nobody could tell the new from the old. Well, except that the new one worked properly...
So yes, it’s just a matter of changing the RAM/ROM information.
Ask Ferris
Just drive it to 1000,000 miles then it will reset itself to 0000. 😅😂🤣
you can change brake pedal rubber
In general I don’t let other people work on my cars and yes I do all my own maintenance. I am about to do a clutch, guibo and csb in my e46 just trying to decide if I want to rent a lift or not.
I am lucky that I have a place near me that bays with lifts and tools if I want it.
She had the wetbacks on her boyfriend’s ranch install a separate speedometer next to the center console.
Genius, I would have never thought about doing that.
I can’t offhand remember the last car I had with an actual speedo cable, well actually I can but it has been a long time
I am NOT going to roll back a quarter million mile odometer!!!
= = =
Just move the decimal one digit.
We repair cars. Carfax use to pay us for repair info. Now they want us to pay them to take it.
Needless to say my answer was no
The local Hyundai Kia dealer was given the same great deal. They gave the same reply
I have a 94 ford that has been to 399,999.9 9 times
There is no way for it to show 400,000 so it just goes back to 300,000
It’s getting ready to do it again
I’ll do the math for you it’ll have 1.3 million on it when it flips
Good old 7.3
Buy a cluster with lower mileage.
I ended up with a car that the odo said had 100k, but was around 250k as The local Creep Honda dealer bought it with the odo saying 50k and sold it as such. The smog done about 3 months prior to them selling it said 178k on the odo. I know they pulled all the records they could and they saw this.
Odometer readings are taken during servicing and during inspections. So if those records were able to be checked when buy a car then it would be pretty hard to not get caught.
Anyone smart can tear an old mechanical one down and edit the mileage. I’ve done it plenty of times to match a replacement odo to the current mileage, which is the only exception to the law regarding tampering with it. The mechanical tamper proof ones just take a little more finesse.
Carfax tracks emissions testings, service records, and dmv transfers. It’s a very accurate tracker of mileage as long as the car gets serviced at an actual shop, not just dealers, and gets emission tested.
Wow!now that is a well designed car.
You should inform authorities.
Fooling with odometer is a crime.
There was a dealer near the town where I grew up.
Suddenly, he was arrested, tried, convicted, sentenced to some jail time, and his dealership was confiscated from him by the government.
All because he was “fixing” odometers!
Mexicans... that is all.
Wow! Why on earth would people pay carfax to take details that just help carfax?
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