Spot a clocked car before it's too late

What is car clocking?

Clocking is the practice of altering a car's odometer to display fewer miles than it has actually covered. A lower reading makes the car appear worth more and less worn than it is.

It was once done with mechanical odometers, but modern digital dashboards are if anything easier to alter with a cheap plug-in tool. A clocked car can hide heavy wear, overdue maintenance and a much lower true value.

How common is car clocking?

Around 1 in 7 used cars are estimated to be clocked or have a hidden history, and up to 2.5 million UK vehicles may have altered mileage. Clocking is thought to cost consumers as much as £580m a year.

Far from a fading problem, clocking has grown with the rise of cheap mileage-adjustment tools and finance deals that penalise high mileage. It is common enough to check on any used purchase.

Is car clocking illegal?

Adjusting an odometer is not, by itself, a criminal act. But selling a car without disclosing that the mileage has been altered is illegal under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, and can be prosecuted as fraud.

This is why "mileage correction" services can operate legally, while clockers who sell cars on a false reading get prosecuted. Traders have been jailed for it. For a buyer, the practical point is simple: an undisclosed discrepancy is a serious red flag and a legal problem for the seller, not you.

Why is clocking on the rise?

Two things drive it. First, digital odometers can be rewound in minutes with tools sold openly online. Second, the growth of PCP and lease finance, which charge penalties for exceeding an agreed mileage, gives some people a financial incentive to wind the reading back before handing the car over.

How do you check a car for clocking?

You check for clocking by comparing every recorded mileage reading over the car's life and looking for any that decrease or rise implausibly. The more independent sources you compare, the harder clocking is to hide.

CarVerify cross-references readings from the DVSA MOT history, the National Mileage Register and trade sources such as the BVRLA and RMI, then flags any anomaly and where in the timeline it appears.

1. Enter the registration and run a mileage history check.
2. Review the timeline of readings for any that go backwards or jump unrealistically.
3. Cross-check the displayed odometer against the latest recorded reading before you buy.

Why isn't a free MOT check enough?

A free MOT lookup only shows the mileage recorded at each annual test. Clocking done between tests, or after the most recent MOT, will not show up unless you cross-reference other sources.

MOT readings are a strong start, but they leave gaps a clocker can exploit, especially on a newer car with few tests behind it. Pulling in service, dealer and leasing records closes those gaps.

What are the signs of a clocked car?

Beyond the data, look for physical clues that the mileage does not match the wear:

• A reading that decreases between records, or an unrealistic jump.
• Worn pedals, steering wheel or driver's seat on a supposedly low-mileage car.
• Gaps in the service history around the time the mileage looks wrong.
• A replacement instrument cluster, or a dashboard warning that has been reset.

What should you do if there's a mileage discrepancy?

Treat any discrepancy as a serious warning. A clocked car is worth less, may be hiding heavy wear, and the sale may be unlawful.

1. Ask the seller to explain the discrepancy with documentation such as service invoices.
2. Cross-check the explanation against the recorded timeline.
3. Be prepared to walk away if the story does not add up.
4. If a trader sold it knowingly, report it to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice.

Can a mileage check miss clocking?

Yes. A check is only as complete as the readings on record. A car clocked very recently, after its last logged reading, may not show a discrepancy yet.

This is why it helps to compare the recorded history against the odometer in front of you, and to run the check close to purchase. A clean result means no discrepancy is recorded in the data searched, not a guarantee the mileage was never touched.