Title issue with vehicle due to odometer; your thoughts?

[VitruvianDoc]

Alrighty so my wife and I traded her vehicle for a much newer model vehicle. Dealer will remain anonymous because other than this said issue, everything was great. Now heres the issue.

I got a call last Friday from both the bank we financed through and the dealer saying there was an issue with the odometer statement and that my wife and I needed to sign a new odometer statement. They tried to rush us to sign a new odometer statement and I started smelling fish. After some stern questioning what happened is when the dealer came to possess the vehicle, the odometer was incorrectly recorded at that point so that when they retitled the vehicle in their name, the odometer was recorded 500 miles higher than the vehicle actually had (29,950 vs the correct 29,450). We did the odometer statement when we purchased the vehicle and and it was recorded at 29,490 (40 miles higher than the correct odometer as it should be).

Now my options: the easy way out which is for my wife and I to sign a new odometer statement with the vehicle stating a mileage > 29,950 OR for them to correct their initial mistake on the Title. Obviously the first is easier but the form states to the best of my knowledge I have to answer it under penalty of law and I know for a fact what the car had and we have picture proof of it. Dealer is starting to be stubborn but said they would try to correct the title since it was their mistake. Ultimately I am worried about the car having issues down the road due to a "rolled back odometer" issue.

So... advice?

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Doubt they would roll an odometer for that little of mileage. They may have given themselves a 500 mile window to use the car as a loaner or for a salesman to drive. Some car dealers are pretty unethical.

 

[Hump66]

It's really not that easy to just "roll back" an odometer these days. I would bet on a typographical error.

 

[VitruvianDoc]

I am not worried about it actually being rolled back, but that it might get titled with as a "roll back" and cause issues down the road with a sale, etc.

 

[dx3]

As long as you can document it (because 99% chance it WILL show up on Carfax) then you should be ok. Plus it's a discrepancy of 500 miles which isn't a big deal... had it been 5000 I'd be worried.

 

[HMFIC]

I am not worried about it actually being rolled back, but that it might get titled with as a "roll back" and cause issues down the road with a sale, etc.

I would have the same concern but don't know if it's realistic or not. I'd wonder how carfax and the title would look after either course of action.

 

[Hawgman]

Look, I take integrity to some ridiculous extremes. Just as my very patient and supportive wife. If it were me I'd look at the purpose and intent of the law. And that is to try to stop dealers and individuals from altering odometers by tens of thousands of miles and truly ripping poeple off. It doesn't have anything to do with a simple 500 mile mistake. Another way to look at it....if you bought a car and then found out a 500 mile mistake was made, would you feel ripped off? I wouldn't. 500 miles is nothing. Nor can I imagine the DA waisting time on something like this even if someone down the road didn't like it. I'd sign it and move on.

 

[inactive]

I agree with Hawgman. I work with vehicle titles every day, and keep in contact with the tax commission about such matters. You're better off just taking the path of least resistance here. Not to save the dealer any trouble necessarily, but yourself.

Note: I am also amazed the dealer put the title in their own name, rather than just signing it over as a "pass through" to you.

 

[VitruvianDoc]

I am too, I worked in car sales for a year and seeing as the title was a single owner there should have been plenty of slots left. Oh well, path of least resistance it is.

 

[Electrician Mike]

I would just sign it and go on. And I also feel Carfax is the biggest ripoff ever.