Does The Odometer Reset With A New Engine?

If you’ve recently gotten a new engine or are considering a new engine for odometer purposes, wait a minute! A new engine in a vehicle does not reset the odometer. In fact, tampering with the odometer is a violation of federal law.

What is odometer fraud?

Odometer fraud is an illegal practice, and future owners of the vehicle have the right to know its accurate vehicle history. While the engine may change or be swapped out, this will not reset your vehicle’s odometer. Odometer fraud is usually committed by people who want to sell their cars for more money than they’re worth. They do this by making it seem like their vehicles have fewer miles on them than they actually do.

The federal government has passed laws making it illegal to tamper with an odometer or perform any other type of repair that alters the odometer reading. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Act (FMVSS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) set rules for how odometers must be installed and used in vehicles. In addition, many states have laws that prohibit tampering with an odometer.

The federal law applies to all vehicles sold within the United States, regardless of where they were manufactured. But many states have stricter regulations than those set by NHTSA, including requirements that only state-licensed mechanics can inspect or repair an odometer. In addition, some states have penalties for tampering with an odometer that includes jail time as well as fines up to $5,000 per offense.

Bottom line: Odometer tampering is illegal

If you’re looking to sell an old vehicle, avoid misrepresenting the vehicle to your buyer. Even if you could get more money by advertising with a lower odometer, the extra cash isn’t worth a federal charge.

Before you buy a used car, it is always suggested that you have the vehicle checked out by a trusted and knowledgeable mechanic to ensure that it has not been previously damaged, in an accident, or otherwise misrepresented. Take the time to do your due diligence before buying any vehicle — it could save you from making a regrettable purchase.

Want a CarTitles.com professional to do it for you?

For as little as $159 for most processes, we will save you the headache and prepare all of the car title paperwork needed to get you a new title. Simply choose the title recovery method you’d like to use and we’ll get started!

Select your title recovery method:

Order Vermont Title LoopholeOrder Deceased Owner Title TransferOrder Bonded Title ProcessOrder Abandoned Vehicle ProcessOrder Prior Owner ContactOrder Lien Release Request Letter