Title 49 — TransportationRelease 119-73not60
§32701 Findings and Purposes
Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VI— MOTOR VEHICLE AND DRIVER PROGRAMS › Part C— INFORMATION, STANDARDS, AND REQUIREMENTS › Chapter 327— ODOMETERS › § 32701
Summary
It bans tampering with car odometers and creates protections for people who buy vehicles with altered or reset odometers. Congress found that buyers rely on odometer numbers to judge a car’s value and condition, that accurate mileage helps decide safety and reliability, and that motor vehicles move across state and national borders.
Full Legal Text
Title 49, §32701
Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)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)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
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60