It is unlawful for any person to advertise for sale, to sell, to use, or to install on any part of a motor vehicle or on an odometer in a motor vehicle any device which causes the odometer to register any mileage other than the true mileage driven. For the purposes of this section the true mileage driven is that mileage driven by the car as registered by the odometer within the manufacturer’s designed tolerance.
Other EquipmentOdometers
Section § 28050
This law makes it illegal for anyone to advertise, sell, use, or install any gadget on a car that tricks the odometer into showing incorrect mileage. The true mileage should be what the car has actually driven, recorded accurately by the odometer as per the manufacturer's standards.
odometer tampering false odometer readings vehicle mileage accuracy
Section § 28050.5
This law makes it illegal for anyone to drive a car on streets or highways if they know the car's odometer isn't working or is disconnected, and they are doing this to cheat someone.
It is unlawful for any person with the intent to defraud to operate a motor vehicle on any street or highway knowing that the odometer of such vehicle is disconnected or nonfunctional.
odometer fraud intent to defraud disconnected odometer
Section § 28051
This law makes it illegal for anyone to mess with a car's odometer to change the mileage reading. The focus is on preventing any intentional tampering to alter how many miles a vehicle has actually traveled.
It is unlawful for any person to disconnect, turn back, advance, or reset the odometer of any motor vehicle with the intent to alter the number of miles indicated on the odometer gauge.
odometer tampering altering mileage odometer fraud
Section § 28051.5
This law makes it illegal to advertise, sell, or use any device that is meant to roll back or reset a car's odometer to show fewer miles than it has actually been driven.
It is unlawful for any person to advertise for sale, to sell, or to use, any device designed primarily for the purpose of turning back or resetting the odometer of any motor vehicle to reduce the number of miles indicated on the odometer gauge.
odometer tampering odometer rollback odometer fraud
Section § 28052
This law states that if a new car comes with a warranty based on how many miles it has been driven, only the miles driven after the car was first sold as new count for the warranty. The mileage on the car's odometer when it's first sold is where the warranty terms start counting. The law doesn't change any criminal consequences for tampering with mileage records. Additionally, this rule only applies to cars sold after the law took effect.
If a manufacturer, distributor, or dealer of a new motor vehicle makes any warranty to the purchaser of, and with respect to, a new motor vehicle which is based on the amount of miles that the motor vehicle is driven, only those miles which the motor vehicle has been driven on and after the date that the motor vehicle has first been sold as new to the purchaser shall be considered for purposes of the warranty.
The mileage indicated upon the odometer of the motor vehicle on the date that the motor vehicle is first sold as new to the purchaser shall, for purposes of the warranty, be the mileage upon which the warranty shall
commence.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to relieve any person of any criminal punishment to which he would otherwise be subject under Section 28051.
The provisions of this section shall apply only to motor vehicles which are sold on or after the effective date of this section.
new motor vehicle warranty vehicle odometer mileage warranty commencement mileage
Section § 28053
This law allows for the service, repair, or replacement of a car's odometer as long as it shows the same mileage afterward. If it can't show the same mileage, the odometer must be reset to zero, and a written notice with the original mileage and service date must be put on the car's left doorframe. You're not allowed to skip these steps or mess with the notice, especially if you're trying to trick someone.
(a)CA Vehicle Code § 28053(a) Nothing in this article prevents the service, repair, or replacement of an odometer, if the mileage indicated thereon remains the same as before the service, repair, or replacement. If the odometer is incapable of registering the same mileage as before the service, repair, or replacement, the odometer shall be adjusted to read zero and a notice in writing shall be attached to the left doorframe of the vehicle by the person performing the service, repair, or replacement specifying the mileage prior to the service, repair or replacement of the odometer and the date on which it was serviced, repaired, or replaced.
(b)CA Vehicle Code § 28053(b) No person shall fail to adjust an odometer or affix a notice regarding the adjustment as required by subdivision (a).
(c)CA Vehicle Code § 28053(c) No person shall, with intent to defraud, remove or alter any notice affixed to a vehicle pursuant to subdivision (a).
odometer service odometer repair odometer replacement
