Editing Odometer (section)

== Clocking/busting miles and legality ==
{{Main|Odometer fraud}}
A form of [[fraud]] is to tamper with the reading on an odometer and presenting the incorrect number of miles/kilometres traveled to a prospective buyer; this is often referred to as "'''clocking'''" in the UK and "'''busting miles'''" in the US. This is done to make a car appear to have been driven less than it really has been, and thus increase its apparent market value. Most<ref>{{cite news |access-date=2019-10-10 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/10782517/Car-clocking-on-the-increase.html |title=Car clocking on the increase |date=2014-05-09 |last=Foxall |first=James |newspaper=The Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=2020-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815182213/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/10782517/Car-clocking-on-the-increase.html |url-status=live }}</ref> new cars sold today use [[Digital data|digital]] odometers that store the mileage in the vehicle's [[engine control unit]], making it difficult (but not impossible) to manipulate the mileage electronically. With mechanical odometers, the [[speedometer]] can be removed from the car dashboard and the digits wound back, or the drive cable can be disconnected and connected to another odometer/speedometer pair while on the road. Older vehicles can be driven in reverse to subtract mileage, a concept which provides the premise for a classic scene in the comedy film ''[[Ferris Bueller's Day Off]]'', but modern odometers add mileage driven in reverse to the total as if driven forward, thereby accurately reflecting the true total wear and tear on the vehicle.

The resale value of a vehicle is often strongly influenced by the total distance shown on the odometer, yet odometers are inherently insecure because they are under the control of their owners. Many jurisdictions have chosen to enact laws which penalize people who are found to commit [[odometer fraud]]. In the US (and many other countries), vehicle mechanics are also required to keep records of the odometer any time a vehicle is serviced or [[Vehicle inspection|inspected]]. Companies such as [[Carfax (company)|Carfax]] then use these data to help potential car buyers detect whether odometer rollback has occurred.

=== Prevalence ===
Research by [[Republic of Ireland|Irish]] vehicle check specialist [[Cartell]] found that 20% of vehicles imported to Ireland from [[Great Britain]] and [[Northern Ireland]] had had their mileometers altered to show a lower mileage.<ref>{{cite web | access-date=2019-10-10 | url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/select_committee_on_transport/2010-06-16/2 | title=Road Traffic Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) | date=2010-06-16 | website=Houses of the Oireachtas website | archive-date=2019-10-10 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010085323/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/select_committee_on_transport/2010-06-16/2/ | url-status=live }}</ref>