Odometer tampering increasing

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Many people think that in a modern world, odometer fraud no longer exists, but that is not the case.

If you are shopping for a used car, you may want to look a little closer at the mileage.

Research shows odometer fraud is increasing.

A recent study by CarFax says that more than 1.5 million cars on the road have had the mileage tampered with. That’s a 19 percent increase over the past year.

Car buyers should be cautious when buying a used car otherwise it could end up costing them thousands.

Buyers lose an average of $4,000 in value and unexpected repair costs from unknowingly buying a car that the odometer has been tampered with.

The owner of Shelley Auto Sales in Bowling Green, Brian Shelley, said he is always careful when he buys cars from auctions because he wants his customers to purchase a reliable vehicle.

“Every time I go to the auction, there is cars that are not actual miles, every week. The cars that have higher mileage are going to give the customers problems because if a car is showing 50,000 miles and it has 300,000 miles they are going to have engine failure, transmission failure, problems with brakes, suspension, and its not fair to my customers or me to have to work on the car, for them to have to go through all that trouble,” said Shelley.

Criminals can change the odometer numbers in just seconds.