Title 49, TransportationRelease 119-110
§32701 Findings and Purposes
Title 49 › SUBTITLE VI — MOTOR VEHICLE AND DRIVER PROGRAMS › PART C — INFORMATION, STANDARDS, AND REQUIREMENTS › CHAPTER 327 — ODOMETERS › § 32701
Summary
Makes it illegal to change or reset a car’s odometer and sets up protections for people who buy cars with altered odometers. Congress found that buyers depend on odometer readings to judge a vehicle’s value, safety, and reliability, and that motor vehicles move across state lines and affect foreign trade.
Full Legal Text
Title 49, §32701
Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Findings.—
Congress finds that—
(1)buyers of motor vehicles rely heavily on the odometer reading as an index of the condition and value of a vehicle;
(2)buyers are entitled to rely on the odometer reading as an accurate indication of the mileage of the vehicle;
(3)an accurate indication of the mileage assists a buyer in deciding on the safety and reliability of the vehicle; and
(4)motor vehicles move in, or affect, interstate and foreign commerce.
(b)Purposes.—
The purposes of this chapter are—
(1)to prohibit tampering with motor vehicle odometers; and
(2)to provide safeguards to protect purchasers in the sale of motor vehicles with altered or reset odometers.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 32701(a)15:1981 (1st sentence).Oct. 20, 1972, Pub. L. 92–513, § 401, 86 Stat. 961. 32701(b)15:1981 (last sentence).
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
49 U.S.C. § 32701
Title 49, Transportation
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110