Clocking involves tampering with the vehicle’s odometer to make it look as though it has covered fewer miles than it actually has.

Clocking is estimated to cost motorists around £100 million per year, so it is essential that you take steps to avoid becoming a victim.

 

Check that: 

• The vehicle's general appearance is in keeping with the amount of miles it has supposed to have covered
• Wear of the interior corresponds with the mileage covered - particularly the pedal rubbers, steering wheel and drivers seat. Be cautious with these, as they can easily be replaced.
• The instrument cluster hasn't been tampered with. Look for badly aligned odometer numbers and fingerprints inside the binnacle.
• The mileages on previous MOT certificates and service records match up
• More essential car checks can be found on our how to check a car before buying page

Be aware that although digital odometers were originally introduced to try and combat clocking, they can be easily altered – often with no evidence of this happening.

A full service history is the best way of checking a mileage is genuine. Look for a book full of car dealer stamps. Ideally these will be accompanied with a folder full of invoices – fake dealer stamps are available for fraudulent use. It can also be useful to contact the previous owner to find out how many miles the vehicle covered before they sold it on.

There have been cases recently of sellers clocking vehicles back when the buyer first looks at the vehicle and when they come to pick it up, they revert the odometer back to its true reading. In the light of this, check that the mileage is the same between viewing the vehicle and collecting it.

The best way to check that a vehicle hasn’t been clocked is to invest in an Auto Trader Vehicle Check for only £19.99.

If you have viewed a vehicle which you believe has been clocked, contact Trading Standards immediately.

Important links

• Trading Standards - http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/
• Metropolitan Police Fraud Alert - www.met.police.uk/fraudalert
• Report an unscrupulous dealer - enquiries@autotrader.co.uk
• Report a scammer - fraud.alert@met.police.uk

Please do not email the Metropolitan Police unless you have details of the fraudsters bank details, address or telephone numbers. Also bear in mind that the Metropolitan Police covers the Greater London area. For help across the rest of the UK, please contact your local force.