When Dan Adams decided to buy a used car for his 16-year-old son, he thought he was making a smart, responsible choice. Living in Illinois, just south of the Wisconsin border, Adams found an online ad for a 2015 Ford Explorer, listed by a seller about an hour away. The seller claimed to be the original owner and said the car had been driven very little—only 77,000 miles on the odometer. Adams paid $9,000, confident he’d found a reliable vehicle for his son’s first driving experience.
But soon after the purchase, Adams noticed troubling signs. The car’s heater wasn’t working properly, and there was a grinding sound whenever he turned the steering wheel. More alarming was the discovery that the odometer reading was a gross understatement. The actual mileage was over 289,000 miles—more than three times the advertised figure. The seller, it turned out, was a wholesale car dealer licensed in Wisconsin, not just a private owner as initially suggested.
"I felt embarrassed to talk to my son about what happened, and my wife," Adams admitted. "And here I am being the breadwinner of the family that supposedly makes good financial decisions and investments." Now, Adams is trying to get his $9,000 back through a hearing process involving the seller’s insurance company, and he’s willing to give up the Ford Explorer altogether.
Adams’s experience is far from unique. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT), nearly 6,000 vehicles in the state showed signs of odometer rollback in 2024, a staggering increase that’s more than triple the number reported in 2023. This surge in fraudulent odometer tampering is part of a broader national trend.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that approximately 450,000 vehicles are sold annually across the United States with false odometer readings. Data analytics firm Carfax has gone further, suggesting that as many as 2 million cars currently on U.S. roads have rolled-back odometers. That figure represents an 18% increase over the last four years, based on their analysis of car repair records, oil change data, and vehicle title transfers.
One of the key reasons for this rise in odometer fraud is the relative ease with which digital odometers can be manipulated. Modern vehicles use electronic odometers, which can be altered using tools that connect to the vehicle’s onboard diagnostics (OBD) port. This port is typically used by mechanics for legitimate diagnostic purposes, but it can also be exploited by fraudsters.
Maura Schifalacqua, a representative from the Wisconsin DOT, demonstrated how these devices work. Sitting in the driver’s seat, she pointed to the OBD port, explaining, "That’s where I am reaching right now—and found it—of where they would connect to it." These electronic rollback tools are readily available for purchase online or in stores. While many have legal uses, such as resetting service indicators or repairing odometers after legitimate replacements, they can also be misused to falsify mileage.
Detecting odometer tampering isn’t always straightforward. Investigators use specialized products and cross-reference vehicle maintenance records to spot inconsistencies. Sometimes perpetrators make mistakes when altering the mileage on a car’s title, which can tip off authorities. However, Schifalacqua notes that the investigation is complicated in states like Wisconsin, where wholesale car dealer licenses are still relatively easy to obtain.
These wholesale dealers often buy older vehicles at auctions and, in some cases, illegally sell them directly to the public without the same inspections and protections required of a traditional motor vehicle dealer. "A buyer isn’t afforded the same protection as what they would see if they were buying from a motor vehicle dealer who’s required to do their inspections and whatnot before it can be sold," Schifalacqua said.
The increase in odometer rollback fraud highlights a growing risk for used car buyers, especially those unfamiliar with the warning signs. Experts advise prospective buyers to scrutinize the odometer closely and verify the vehicle’s history through trusted sources before making a purchase. Checking service records, comparing wear and tear with mileage claims, and using vehicle history reports can help spot red flags.
For Adams, the ordeal has been a costly and embarrassing lesson. His story serves as a cautionary tale for anyone in the market for a used car. As the problem escalates, states and federal agencies are grappling with how to better protect consumers from odometer fraud, but for now, vigilance remains the best defense.
For NPR News, I’m Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee.
