Odometer tampering One common problem is that the odometer has been tampered with, and the car's mileage was actually significantly higher when it was purchased. Mileage is the most important thing a used car buyer looks at, next to price. Anti-tampering devices make this practice a little more challenging than it once was, but there are plenty of professionals still in business. Meanwhile, the victim is faced with unexpected repair and maintenance costs on a vehicle that won't last as long as he or she thought. In some cases, the vehicle might be out of warranty based on the true mileage history.
Consumers do have some remedies when they discover an odometer has been turned back.
The best way to detect odometer fraud is to run a title search on the vehicle. Each time a vehicle is sold, the seller must complete an odometer disclosure on the title. The titles are filed with the state's motor vehicle department. A search of a car's title history may uncover discrepancies. A vehicle history that shows a car or truck had higher mileage at an earlier date than the mileage disclosed when it was purchased means the odometer was almost certainly tampered with.