If your digital or mechanical odometer stopped working there are numerous ways to retrieve, verify or approximate a mileage reading for your vehicle.
So, how can you get the mileage off of a vehicle with a broken odometer? There are 8 ways to obtain a vehicle’s mileage reading without an odometer:
- Odometer scan tool
- Online telematics such as OnStar app
- Mileage data from vehicle key memory
- Dealership service department
- State title and odometer report from DMV
- Using a vehicle history report
- Maintenance records
- Advanced technical measures
1. Odometer Scan Tool / Mileage Scanner
An odometer scanner can be used to get the mileage from a broken odometer by connecting into the Onboard Diagnostics Port (OBD) and accessing the vehicle’s odometer memory. The mileage is then displayed on the screen of the scan tool.
The location where the odometer data is stored varies by manufacturer, model and age of the vehicle but can sometimes be accessed by the OBD port under the dashboard. Some older vehicles store the odometer data in the dashboard gauge cluster or the main computer. More modern vehicles can store mileage data in multiple computers and modules within the vehicle. Some new vehicles with cellular connectivity also store mileage remotely on the manufacturers servers.
Consumer grade scan tools range in price from $100 to over $400. Not all years, makes and models are supported by each tool so if you decide on a scan tool make sure it is compatible with your vehicle. Additionally, very few consumer grade scan tools can read odometer memory so make sure the tools features specifically state access to odometer data for your year, make and model.
2. Online Vehicle Telematics (GM OnStar, Toyota Safety Connect, Honda Link, Hyundai Blue Link, BMW Safety Assist, Tesla etc.)
Telematics systems like OnStar will keep mileage records for your vehicle on the manufacturers servers. You can access this information through your manufacturers phone app or website. You might even be able to call customer service and see if they can connect to your vehicle to obtain a reading.
3. Obtain Mileage from the Memory in your Car Key
Late model vehicles such as Volvo and Mercedes store mileage data on a chip inside the vehicle key. You can take your key to the dealership and have the service department scan it and print out a mileage report.
4. Dealership Service Department
A dealership or well equipped independent mechanic will have professional grade computer diagnostic scanners that will be capable of obtaining your odometer information. These scanners cost thousands of dollars to purchase and hundreds of dollars each year just for subscriptions to up to date vehicle data. I personally prefer the service department from a dealer that sells your vehicle as they have direct support from the manufacturer as well as access to factory technical manuals.
You would want to obtain a “screen shot” of the mechanics scan tool displaying the odometer reading and have the service writer certify this mileage in their service record.
5. State Title and Odometer Report from DMV
Most states provide services that will allow you to lookup a vehicles title and odometer history. You can obtain the last known odometer reading and sometimes all of the mileage readings and inspection dates the state has on file. Some of these services can be free where as some states charge to obtain mileage records. A list of contacts for each state is available at the bottom of this page.
6. Obtain Mileage from a Vehicle History Report
A vehicle history report gathers sales, repair and mileage data from repair shops, state inspection centers and motor vehicle department records. The most popular vehicle history report is from CARFAX™.
Most estimating systems insurance companies can generate this report based off the VIN number when the vehicle is inspected. With most popular vehicles, the adjuster will have a last known mileage reading almost instantly.
7. Obtain Mileage from Maintenance Records
Maintenance records are also a helpful way of approximating a vehicles mileage and can be more accurate than a vehicle history report if they are recent.
If you do not have your maintenance records, you can always call your repair shop and have them fax or email them directly to your adjuster. Tire shops also document your vehicle’s mileage so they are a great mileage source as well.
Once the last known mileage reading is obtained, you can approximate the current mileage based on yearly driving habits.
So if you drive 12000 miles a year and the last reported odometer reading of 30000 miles was 6 months ago, then you can make an educated approximation that the car has 36000 miles on it.
Try the mileage approximation calculator below:
8. Advanced Technical Measures
If the odometer will not illuminate, advanced technical measures can be taken to re-energize the electrical system, even if the vehicle was heavily damaged in an accident.
These measures will include the attaching a 12 volt jump box on to the vehicle’s battery to try to energize the vehicle’s electrical system. If the battery cannot be accessed or is heavily damaged, some vehicles can be energized through the cigarette lighter with a dual male ended 12 volt cord.
An odometer can also be energized through the fuse box under the hood or interior compartment. By probing the corresponding electrical terminals on the fuse block for the gauge cluster circuit, you can illuminate it temporarily to obtain a reading and photo. The aforementioned methods should only be attempted by qualified technicians as dealing with electricity in a damaged vehicle can be life-threatening.
If your vehicle is a total loss, the insurance company keeps your totaled vehicle and sells it through an auction house to recoup their claims loss. It is in the interest of the auction center and insurance company to obtain the vehicle’s mileage as this can yield a higher sale price at auction.
Once the vehicle arrives at the auction, the technical staff will take advanced measures to obtain the vehicles mileage as part of the intake process.
Once the technician obtains the mileage, they take a picture of the odometer and upload it to a website with their intake report. The auto damage adjuster can check the auctions website for the odometer picture. You can also ask the adjuster for a copy of the odometer picture since this website is for insurance company access only.
How to dispute and negotiate an improper mileage reading
Adjusters are usually pressed for time and do not always make an effort to go through all of the above steps to approximate an accurate mileage for your total loss valuation.
Place the burden on your adjuster to prove they are not making any errors:
- Confirm your vehicle’s mileage via pictures from the adjuster or aforementioned techniques.
- If your mileage was approximated, ask the adjusters how they obtained the mileage, and ask for their calculations.
- Make sure the driving habits used for the calculation; mileage per day / week / month they are using is accurate. If you recently started driving less, inform them of this so they reduce your assumed driving habits.
List of State DMV Contacts for Odometer and Title Reports:
ALABAMA Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division Title Section 50 N. Ripley St PO Box 327640 Montgomery, AL 36132-7640 (334) 242-9102 $15 | ALASKA Division of Motor Vehicles 1300 W. Benson Blvd Suite200 Anchorage, AK 99503-3600 (907) 269-5551 $5 | ARIZONA Motor Vehicle Division 1801 West Jefferson PO Box 2100 Phoenix, AZ 85001-2100 602) 255-0072 $3 for each titled owner in history. Include reason for request and notarized signature. AZ Vin Odometer Smog Check |
ARKANSAS Office of Motor Vehicles PO Box 1272 Little Rock, AR 72203 (501)682-3333 $1, plus $1 per title copy | CALIFORNIA Department of Motor Vehicles PO Box 942869 Sacramento, CA 94269-0001 (800) 777-0133 $5 for each titled owner in history plus $20 for copies. Include reason for request. | COLORADO Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Business Group Titles & Registration Denver, CO 80261-0016 (303) 205-5608 $6 for each titled owner in history (non-refundable) |
CONNECTICUT Department of Motor Vehicles 60 State St Wethersfield, CT 06161 (860) 263-5700 $11.25 | DELAWARE Division of Motor Vehicles Department of Transportation P.O. Box 698 Dover, DE 19903 (302) 744-2500 $4 for each titled owner in history | DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Dept of Motor Vehicle Services 301 C St, NW Washington, DC 20001 (202) 727-5000 $2 for each titled owner in history |
FLORIDA Division of Motor Vehicles Neil Kirkman Building 2900 Apalachee Parkway Tallahassee, FL 32399-0500 (850) 922-9000 $1 for each page | GEORGIA Dept of Motor Vehicle Safety Motor Vehicle Services PO Box 740381 Atlanta, GA 30374-0381 (404) 362-6500 $1 | HAWAII Dept of Customer Services Division of Motor Vehicles, Licensing & Permits PO Box 30330 Honolulu, HI 96820-0330 (808) 532-7700 No fee |
IDAHO Transportation Department Division of Motor Vehicles PO Box 7129 Boise, ID 83707-1129 (208) 334-8000 $7 | ILLINOIS Secretary of State’s Office Vehicle Services Department 501 S. 2nd St, Room 312 Springfield, IL 62756 (217) 785-3000 $4 | INDIANA Bureau of Motor Vehicles Government Center North 100 N. Senate Ave, Rm N440 Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 233-6000 $4 plus 50 cents for each page |
IOWA Department of Transportation Office of Vehicle Services 100 Euclid Ave PO Box 9278 Des Moines, IA 50306-9278 (515) 237-3049 or 237-3148 $2.70 for every 15 minutes searching plus 10 cents for each copy of a title | KANSAS Department of Revenue Division of Vehicles Docking State Office Building 915 Southwest Harrison Topeka, KS 66626-0001 (785) 296-3621 $9 | KENTUCKY Transportation Cabinet Division of Motor Vehicle Licensing PO Box 2014 Frankfort, KY 40622-2014 (502) 564-5301 $2 |
LOUISIANA Department of Public Safety Motor Vehicle Division 7979 Independence Blvd PO Box 64886 Baton Rouge, LA 70896-4886 (225) 925-6388 or (877) 368-5463 $7.50 | MAINE Secretary of State Bureau of Motor Vehicles 29 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0029 (207) 624-9000 $4 | MARYLAND Motor Vehicle Administration 6601 Ritchie Highway, NE Glen Burnie, MD 21062 (301) 729-4550 $2 for each titled owner in history |
MASSACHUSETTS Registry of Motor Vehicles Title Division PO Box 199136 Boston, MA 02119-9136 (617) 351-9550 $10 | MICHIGAN Department of State 7064 Crowner Drive Lansing, MI 48918 (517) 322-1460 $6.55 for each titled owner in history, telephone requests accepted | MINNESOTA Driver and Vehicles Services Division 445 Minnesota St St. Paul, MN 55105 (651) 296-6911 $4 plus $1 for each titled owner in history |
MISSISSIPPI State Tax Commission Office of Revenue / Title Bureau PO Box 1383 Jackson, MS 39215 (601) 923-7200 $4.50 for each titled owner in history | MISSOURI Department of Revenue Driver & Vehicle Services Bureau 301 W. High P.O. Box 100 Jefferson City, MO 65105-0100 (573) 751-8383 $4 for each titled owner in history | MONTANA Department of Justice Motor Vehicle Division Title & Registration Bureau 1003 Buckskin Dr. Deer Lodge, MT 59722-2371 (406) 486-6000 $6, plus 50 cents for each copy |
NEBRASKA Department of Motor Vehicles 301 Centennial Mall South PO Box 94789 Lincoln, NE 68509-4789 (402) 471-3918 $1 for each titled owner in history | NEVADA Department of Motor Vehicles 555 Wright Way Carson City, NV 89711 (775) 684-4368 $5 | NEW HAMPSHIRE Department of Safety Division of Motor Vehicles James Hayes Safety Building 23 Hazen Dr. Concord, NH 03305 (603) 271-2251 $20 |
NEW JERSEY Motor Vehicle Commission 225 E. State St Trenton, NJ 08666 (609) 292-6500 $5 | NEW MEXICO Motor Vehicle Division Joseph M. Montoya Building P.O. Box 1028 Santa Fe, NM 87504-1028 (505) 827-2257 $10 if only one titled owner, $25 for more than 1 titled owner | NEW YORK Department of Motor Vehicles 6 Empire State Plaza Albany, NY 12228 (518) 486-4714 $5 (Check or money order payable to “The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles” |
NORTH CAROLINA Division of Motor Vehicles Motor Vehicles Building 1100 New Bern Ave Raleigh, NC 27697 (919) 715-7000 $4 | NORTH DAKOTA Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division 608 East Boulevard Ave Bismarck, ND 58505-0780 (701) 328-2725 $1 | OHIO Bureau of Motor Vehicles Title Division 1970 W. Broad St P.O. Box 16520 Columbus, OH 43216-6520 (614) 752-7671 $2 |
OKLAHOMA Tax Commission Motor Vehicle Division 2501 Lincoln Blvd Oklahoma City, OK 73194 (405) 521-3221 $1 for each titled owner in history | OREGON Department of Transportation Driver & Motor Vehicle Services 1905 Lane Ave, NE Salem, OR 97314 (503) 945-5000 $22.50 | PENNSYLVANIA Bureau of Motor Vehicles 1101 S. Front St Harrisburg, PA 17104-2516 (717) 391-6190 $5 for each titled owner |
RHODE ISLAND Division of Motor Vehicles 286 Main St Pawtucket, RI 02860 (401) 588-3020 $10 | SOUTH CAROLINA Department of Motor Vehicles PO Box 1498 Blythewood, SC 29016 (803) 737-4000 $3 | SOUTH DAKOTA Dept of Revenue & Regulation Division of Motor Vehicles 445 E. Capital Ave Pierre, SD 57501-3185 (605) 773-3541 $5 |
TENNESSEE Department of Safety Title & Registration Division 44 Vantage Way, Suite 160 Nashville, TN 37243-8050 (615) 741-3101 $15 | TEXAS Department of Transportation Vehicle Titles & Registration Division Austin, TX 78779-0001 (512) 465-7611 $5 | UTAH State Tax Commission Motor Vehicle Division 210 North1950 West Salt Lake City, UT 84134 (801) 297-7780 $2 for each titled owner |
VERMONT Agency of Transportation Department of Motor Vehicles 120 State St Montpelier, VT 05603-0001 (802) 828-2000 $15 | VIRGINIA Department of Motor Vehicles 2300 W. Broad St PO Box 27412 Richmond, VA 23269 (866) 368-5463 $5 for each titled owner in history | WASHINGTON Department of Licensing Vehicle Licensing PO Box 9909 Olympia, WA 98507 (360) 902-3770 $2 for each titled owner in history |
WEST VIRGINIA Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles 1800 Kanawha Blvd E, Bldg 3 Charleston, WV 25317 (304) 558-3900 $5 | WISCONSIN Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles PO Box 7918 Madison, WI 53707-7998 (608) 266-1466 $2 for each titled owner in history plus 25 cents per page, telephone requests accepted | WYOMING Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Services 5300 Bishop Blvd Cheyenne, WY 82009-3340 (307) 777-4851 $5 |