CONSUMERS are being warned about odometer tampering after a four-fold increase in the number of fines issued for the offence in NSW, with hundreds of thousands of kilometres being knocked off vehicle odometers and sold to unsuspecting buyers.
Minister for Fair Trading Eleni Petinos said as used motor vehicle sales have risen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so too have incidents of odometer fraud where perpetrators wind back the mileage or replace the odometer with one showing fewer kilometres.
“NSW Fair Trading Investigators dished out $112,200 in fines and 76 penalty notices in 2021 and 2022 – a huge jump from 22 total penalties in 2020,” Ms Petinos said.
In one case a seller shaved off more than 400,000km off a 2012 Subaru XV, reducing the odometer from 470,000km down to 52,709km. The vehicle was then sold for $32,000, an $11,000 increase on the original sale price.
To report suspected odometer tampering, visit: www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/report-suspected-odometer-tampering
