(a)  The general assembly finds:

(1)  That purchasers, when buying motor vehicles, rely heavily on the odometer reading as an index of the condition and value of the vehicle;

(2)  That purchasers are entitled to rely on the odometer reading as an accurate reflection of the mileage actually traveled by the vehicle;

(3)  That an accurate indication of the mileage traveled by a motor vehicle, assists the purchaser in determining its safety and reliability; and

(4)  That motor vehicles move in the current of interstate and foreign commerce or affect that commerce.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-23.2-1

  • Motor vehicle: means any vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power for use on the public streets, roads, and highways;

    (2)  "Odometer" means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor vehicle travels while in operation;

    (3)  "Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or business trust including, but not limited to, private individuals and motor vehicle dealers, both wholesale and retail, whether the private individual or dealer is a dealer in the ordinary course of business or not;

    (4)  "Repair and replacement" means to restore to a sound working condition by replacing the instrument or any part thereof or by correcting what is inoperative;

    (5)  "Transfer" means to acquire ownership by purchase, gift, bequest, or any other means. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-23.2-2

(b)  It is therefore the purpose of this chapter to prohibit tampering with odometers on motor vehicles, to establish certain safeguards for the protection of purchasers with respect to the sale of motor vehicles having altered or reset odometers, and to create civil and criminal sanctions for the violation of the provisions of this chapter.

History of Section.
P.L. 1972, ch. 14, § 1; P.L. 1985, ch. 392, § 1.