Odometer Fraud

Odometer Complaint Form

How many times have you thought to yourself that something sounded too good to be true? The last time you bought a used vehicle at a “great deal”, did you think this might be the case? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted research that discovered more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings costing American car buyers more than 1 billion dollars annually. Additional research conducted by Carfax indicates that in Tennessee alone, there are roughly 10,000 vehicles on Tennessee roadways with altered odometers costing Tennessee consumers over 38 million dollars. The Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Criminal Investigation Division is dedicated to helping Tennesseans if they discover they have been a victim of odometer fraud. For more information, go to our website at Criminal Investigation Division. There you will find contact numbers linking you with investigators throughout the state who can help. You can also find our online complaint form for your convenience. Don’t be a victim! Think before you buy!

Odometer - Before

Odometer - After

This message is brought to you by the Tennessee Highway Patrol Auto Theft Unit.

39-14-132. Misrepresentation of Mileage on Used Motor Vehicle Odometer

No person or agent of any person shall misrepresent the mileage on a used motor vehicle which is offered for sale, trade-in or exchange by changing the mileage registering instrument of a used motor vehicle so as to show a lesser mileage reading than that recorded by the instrument; provided, that this shall not be construed to prevent the service, repair or replacement of the mileage registering instrument, which, by reason of normal use, wear or through damage, requires service, repair or replacement.
1. A person may service, repair, or replace an odometer of a motor vehicle if the mileage registered by the odometer remains the same as before the service, repair or replacement. If the mileage cannot remain the same after every reasonable attempt to set the odometer to the mileage registered prior to the service, repair or replacement:
  1. The person shall adjust the odometer to read zero (0); and
  2. The owner of the vehicle or agent of the owner shall affix to the left door frame of the vehicle a secure, permanent plate or sticker conforming with federal standards which contains the mileage before the service, repair or replacement and the date of the service, repair or replacement.
2. A person may not, with intent to defraud, remove or alter a notice attached to a motor vehicle as required by this section.
A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor.