Lawmakers consider bill aimed at cutting down odometer fraud

SALEM, Ore. – State lawmakers are looking at bill that would make it easier for car buyers to find out if a seller is lying about the mileage.

The move is inspired, in part, by a KATU Problem Solvers investigation into an illegal car dealer. Last summer, the investigation found the dealer, Nicholas Butkovich, was lying to customers about a Delorean at a Clackamas parking lot.

Many car buyers think they can just get the VIN number and check the mileage of the car, but that’s not always the case.

A Carfax report on a car in Oregon is not going to tell buyers everything, because the state does not keep some key information about every car. With Oregon cars that are 10 years old and older, the DMV does not record the mileage data.

Now, the Oregon Vehicle Dealers Association wants to change the law so the DMV will record that data.

The association estimates 5,000 cases of odometer fraud in Oregon every year and says customers overpay an average of $2,300 for each fake mileage car.

“It’s about truth. It’s about knowing what you’re buying,” said state Rep. Patrick Sheehan, R-Clackamas. “The data’s there, let’s use it.”

He said he hasn’t heard from anyone opposed to the bill.

If the House approves the $60,000 the DMV says it might cost, it could become law in Oregon.

Right now, it’s still voluntary for people to write the mileage down on the DMV application for title and registration when they register a 10-year-old or older car in Oregon. It turns out that many people often do. The hope is that if the bill becomes law, and more people write the mileage down, it could help buyers and law enforcement to keep track of odometer fraud.

There is a hearing on House Bill 2042 on Friday.