A news station in California recently reported on its undercover investigation of a Los Angeles man who was recently arrested for resetting the odometer on hundreds of late model cars. Within minutes, using an electronic device, the odometers on these cars were rolled back 10s of thousands of miles. All for couple hundred dollars. Several of the cars in the undercover investigation were quickly traded in a large car dealership in the LA area. Its assumed that many were leased vehicles where the owner had gone over the mileage limits on their lease, and did not want to pay the thousands of dollars in charges.
Is the Same Happening in Arizona?
It would seem obvious if an individual in California was doing this out of his home, that the same situation is present here in Arizona. Arizona has always been a hotbed for rolled back vehicles. As shown by the California investigation, many of these vehicles with their odometers rolled back are being sold at large, manufacturer branded dealerships, not just the buy-here pay-here shops.
What can you do?
First, run a CarFax report on the vehicle before you purchase it. Make sure that obvious signs of odometer tampering are not present.
Watch for returned leased vehicles. If the mileage is low, that may be a sign that the odometer was tampered with to avoid the mileage overage charges.
Look for signs of wear on the vehicle which might indicate more mileage than the odometer is showing.
Remedies.
Federal law provides remedies those that have been defrauded with an odometer roll back. You have a right to recover $10,000 or three times your actual damages, whichever is greater, plus your court costs and attorney’s fees.
If you are an Arizona resident and think that you might be a victim of odometer fraud, please feel free to contact for a consultation either by phone or through my Contact Page. I will review the facts of your situation, and will help you develop a plan to investigate the fraud and resolve it.
Floyd W. Bybee, Attorney
BYBEE LAW CENTER, PLC
90 S. Kyrene Road, Ste. 5
Chandler, AZ 85226
(480) 756-8822
[email protected]