Indianapolis-based KBB Auto Sales is facing a lawsuit accusing it of systematically rolling back odometers on at least 216 vehicles. The total mileage discrepancy reported exceeds 14 million miles -- an average of 64,815 miles per vehicle.
The lawsuit, filed by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, claims KBB Auto Sales purchased vehicles at auction before significantly reducing their recorded mileage through methods such as replacing the instrument cluster or using an odometer rollback tool, misling consumers about the vehicle's actual wear and tear and inflating the sales price by marketing the cars as lower mileage than they truly were.
"By deceiving consumers about the mileage, KBB Auto Sales could command higher prices for vehicles that were actually much more worn," said Rokita. "Such unethical tactics cheat consumers, leading them to pay more for what they believe are low-mileage vehicles."
The state's complaint claims the dealership's owners and employees violated the Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act, the Indiana Odometer Act, the Federal Odometer Act and the Motor Vehicle Unfair Practices Act. The state seeks injunctive relief, consumer restitution, treble damages, civil penalties and other compensations.
For each affected consumer, the lawsuit demands three times the actual damages or $10,000, whichever is greater. Additionally, the state is seeking a $1,500 civil penalty for each violation of the Indiana Odometer Act and $5,000 for each breach under state code that addresses deceptive consumer sales and unfair practices.
The legal filings include a detailed list of the 216 vehicles sold, specifying the original and altered mileage, along with the sale dates.
