AUTONEWS

Mileage Fraud in Spain: Cars That Can Get Rid of the Price

Imagine paying a fortune for a car thinking it was a great deal, only to discover its mileage has been rigged. Or, almost worse: not even discovering it, skipping maintenance because you think it's not time yet, thus leading to costly breakdowns.

Odometer tampering is a very old and, unfortunately, all-too-common scam. In cars with analog gauges, criminals simply had to disassemble the instrument panel and apply an electrical instrument to the counter, which would quickly begin to roll back. That was if they didn't replace the counter with one with lower mileage purchased from a junkyard. The move to digital counters seemed like it could reduce this problem at the time, but criminals adapted to new technologies and quickly found ways to alter the mileage. And so, not even modern cars, with their sophisticated operating systems and huge screens, are immune to this danger.

One of the misconceptions buyers have is that only high-end cars have their mileage altered, since they are the ones where fraud leaves the greatest profit margin. Indeed, cars priced between €40,000 and €50,000 are the most at risk of fraud in Spain, as demonstrated by a study conducted by carVertical on cars purchased between March 1, 2024, and March 1, 2025. In fact, if we move within this budget range, we have a 5.8% chance of finding a rigged odometer, according to data from the aforementioned company.

But this risk is also prevalent in cheap cars for a very simple reason: buyers on a tight budget focus on getting the lowest price and prioritize that over everything else, overlooking the prudence that would lead them to check the car's history or have it inspected by a mechanic. Thus, carVertical has found that 5% of cars priced between €5,000 and €10,000 (of those listed in its databases) had their odometers tampered with. And this percentage drops, albeit slightly (to 4.4%), in those purchased for between €10,000 and €15,000.

To avoid this risk, we should investigate the car's history, checking that there is a logical traceability between servicing, maintenance, and mileage, or by consulting companies that compile reports on the car's history. We should also be suspicious of sellers who try to pressure us by claiming to have other potential buyers. And finally, it's highly recommended that we have a mechanic check the interior (steering wheel, knob, pedals, upholstery, etc.) and ensure that the wear and tear is up to what is expected of a car with the indicated mileage.

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