A broad coalition of international and national actors have joined together to submit a joint petition the European Parliament on the prevention of mileage fraud. In addition to FIA Region I, representing motorists, the primary victims of this crime, the signatories include CARPOL, representing the EU police network, EReg, representing vehicle registration bodies, CITA, representing vehicle inspection bodies, CECRA, representing motor trades and repairs. Additionally, national mileage registration bodies in Belgium, Car-Pass, and The Netherlands, RDW, have joined the campaign.

Specifically the petition demands action on mileage fraud by MEPs to:

• Draft an own initiative report on the impact of odometer tampering on European consumers and for the functioning of the Single Market
• Commission or support research assessing the overall costs of mileage fraud for European society at large and analysing the most efficient ways to solve the problem
• Call upon the European Commission to prevent odometer manipulation through its policy tools

“Addressing mileage fraud on a national level, although a good start, does not tackle the heart of the issue as the biggest problems are occurring on cross border sales of used vehicles. The EU has worked hard to create a Single Market where consumers can feel safe to purchase items from other Member States, but the lack of proper consequences for mileage fraud threaten confidence in cross-border transactions and is costing consumers millions of Euros,” said Thierry Willemarck, President of FIA Region I. He continued, “This is why we have brought together a broad coalition of similarly concerned organisations to put this on the European Agenda with the aim of finding a solution to this common scam.”

Further actions by the FIA to combat mileage fraud include a demonstration to the UNECE (http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2014/wp29grsg/GRSG-106-37e.pdf), urging global action on this issue. To better understand the difficulty in detecting mileage fraud, FIA Region I asked roadside assistance teams to estimate the mileage of a used vehicle (https://www.fiaregion1.com/en/fia_region_1/news/road-patrol-contest-2014.htm). Despite expert training and vast knowledge about motor vehicles, estimates varied widely. Since even car technicians have trouble identifying the correct mileage values, it would be nearly impossible for consumers without this training to correctly assess if mileage fraud has occurred on a used vehicle.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Joint appeal against odometer manipulation (268.3 KB)

About mileage fraud

Mileage fraud takes place when a vehicle’s odometer has been tampered with to lower the number of kilometres a car has been driven. The crime of mileage fraud affects the public at large, by artificially elevating the cost of used vehicles, sometimes by thousands of Euros. It is a crime that is also estimated to affect up to 40% of used cars in Europe. As fighting mileage fraud in one country often ends up shifting the problem to neighbouring countries, an international solution must be found.

Read more about the activities of the FIA and its member Clubs to raise awareness about mileage fraud among policymakers and consumers throughout Europe.

About FIA Region I

The FIA Region I office, based in Brussels, is a consumer body representing 111 Motoring and Touring Clubs and their 38 million members from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The FIA represents the interest of these members as motorists, public transport users, pedestrians and tourists. The FIA’s primary goal is to secure a mobility that is safe, affordable, sustainable and efficient. With these aims in mind, the FIA Region I work focuses on Road Safety, Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection, and the promotion of Sustainable Motoring. www.fiaregion1.com