Resetting, disconnecting or altering a vehicle's odometer to conceal the true mileage is known as odometer tampering.  It is illegal for anyone to engage in odometer tampering or sell a vehicle knowing the odometer has been altered without informing the purchaser.

• An owner resetting the odometer before trading in the vehicle;

• Someone who uses/installs a gadget or reducer preventing the actual mileage from accumulating on an odometer.

Odometer Tampering
No person shall adjust, alter, change, tamper with, advance, setback, disconnect or fail to connect an odometer of a motor vehicle, or cause any of these to occur with the intent to alter the number of miles registered on the odometer.

Fraudulent Devices
No person shall advertise for sale, sell, use or install on any part of a vehicle or an odometer any device which causes the odometer to register any mileage other than the actual mileage driven.

Disconnected Odometer
No person shall, with the intent to defraud, operate a motor vehicle on any public street, road or highway in Ohio, knowing the odometer on the vehicle is disconnected or nonfunctional.

Transfer
No person shall transfer a motor vehicle if they know or disregard facts indicating the odometer of the vehicle has been changed, altered, tampered with or disconnected to reflect a lower mileage, without disclosing those facts to the purchaser in writing.

Failure to Provide Statement
No owner shall fail to provide the true and complete odometer disclosures required by section 4505.06 of the Ohio Revised Code.

State Law
Ohio Revised Code, Motor Vehicle Laws.

Odometer Rollback Disclosure Act
4549.41 to 4549.51

• A first offense is a fourth degree felony, which carries a penalty of 6 to 18 months in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.

• A second offense is a third degree felony, which carries a penalty of one to five years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.

• Examine the vehicle thoroughly before purchase.

• Observe unusual wear on the brake pedal or accelerator.

• Look for wear on ignition and door keys.  Try to contact the previous owner.  Do a title search through the county title department or with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  However, due to privacy laws, the previous owner's name and address will not be revealed.  Information that will be made available include; year, make, model, body code, mileage, lien holders, purchase price and any BRANDS.  There is a $2 fee for this service.

• If the vehicle was previously titled out of state, seriously consider checking further with the issuing state before purchasing the vehicle.

• Simple inexpensive tools can be used to spin or erase odometer figures in a short time.  Odometer "spinners" know how to launder a vehicle's title history by transferring the ownership from state to state, making it difficult for investigators to trace the fraud.

• Ask a lot of questions of the seller and be skeptical if the seller is being evasive.

The primary responsibilities of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles' Investigations Section include:

• Conducting regular inspections of motor vehicle and salvage dealers.

• Investigating all motor vehicle and salvage dealers, auto auctions and salespersons based on complaints from the public, auto industry, law enforcement and government agencies.

• Odometer tampering and rollback violations

• Failure to deliver titles by new and used car dealers

• Sale of motor vehicles without a license

• Title falsification

• Driver license and identification card falsification

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.  The Patrol monitors the hotline number for complaints of possible odometer rollback fraud.

The number is 1-800-686-2587.  Calls will be answered on a 24-hour basis and referred to the BMV Investigations Section for follow-up.  Citizens calling should be prepared to give pertinent information and complete a complaint form for the investigation.