What is "Clocking"?
Car clocking is the illegal practice of winding back the odometer to make a vehicle appear to have lower mileage than it actually does. This increases the car's value but leaves the buyer with a worn-out vehicle that is worth far less than they paid.
According to recent data, 1 in 16 cars checked in the UK has a mileage discrepancy.
3 Ways to Spot a Clocked Car
1. Check the MOT History
The most reliable way to spot a discrepancy is to look at the MOT history. Every time a car passes (or fails) an MOT, the mileage is recorded. If the mileage goes down between years, the car has likely been clocked.
- Year 1: 45,000 miles
- Year 2: 32,000 miles (Warning Flag )
2. Inspect the Interior Wear
Does the car claim to have only 20,000 miles, but the steering wheel is shiny and worn? Check the brake pedal rubber, the gear stick, and the driver's seat bolster. Heavy wear on these contact points usually indicates high mileage, regardless of what the dashboard says.
3. Check the Service Book
fraudsters often replace the service book with a fake one. Check if the stamps look genuine. Are they all written in the exact same ink and handwriting? A genuine book usually has different pens and signatures over the years.
The Danger of Clocked Cars
It’s not just about money. A car that has done 100,000 miles but shows 40,000 will miss crucial maintenance milestones, such as timing belt changes. If a timing belt snaps because you thought it wasn't due yet, it can destroy the engine instantly.
Don't take the risk. Run a full vehicle history check to verify the mileage against the National Mileage Register (NMR).