Clocking means winding back a car's odometer so it shows fewer miles than the car has really done. Lower mileage makes a car look more valuable, so a clocked car costs you money on the day and more later, when parts wear out sooner than you expected. Selling a clocked car without declaring it is illegal, but it still happens.
On a modern car with a digital display, changing the mileage can take minutes. That makes the number on the dashboard the least reliable figure you will see. The good news is that the paper trail is much harder to fake.
Why clocking still happens
Clocking is tempting for a dishonest seller because mileage has such a big effect on price. Knocking tens of thousands of miles off a car can add a lot to what a buyer will pay, and the work leaves little trace on the car itself. That is why you should never rely on the dashboard alone.
Step one: check the MOT mileage history
Every MOT since 2005 records the mileage, and those readings should rise at every test. Our free mileage check puts them in date order and flags any reading that is more than 100 miles lower than the one before.
| What you see | What it might mean |
|---|---|
| Readings rise steadily | A normal history. Check the latest reading against the dashboard. |
| A reading falls by more than 100 miles | The classic sign of clocking, or a typing mistake at the test centre. Ask for proof either way. |
| A big drop, then readings rise from the lower figure | A strong sign the odometer was wound back between tests. |
| The dashboard shows less than the last MOT | The mileage has gone down since the last test. Do not buy without a documented explanation. |
| Almost no miles between two tests | The car may have been off the road, or readings may have been changed. Ask why. |
Always compare the latest MOT reading with the dashboard. If the car shows 62,000 miles today but the MOT recorded 71,000 last year, that is a problem whatever the earlier history looks like.
Not enough MOT readings?
Cars under four years old have one MOT reading or none. The full history check adds mileage from every recorded source, not just MOTs.
Step two: match the service history
Service stamps and invoices usually record the mileage. Lay them out in date order and check they fit with the MOT readings. Watch for:
- Invoices showing a higher mileage than the car shows now.
- A service book where every stamp looks the same, in the same pen, or comes from garages you cannot find.
- Missing pages, or a brand new service book in an older car.
- Long gaps with no service and no MOT.
If in doubt, call one of the garages in the service book and ask them to confirm the mileage they recorded.
Step three: read the wear
A car shows roughly how much use it has had. Compare the wear with the claimed mileage.
- Steering wheel: shiny, smooth or worn leather suggests heavy use.
- Pedals: worn rubber on the brake and clutch pedals, or a brand new set on an older car.
- Driver's seat: a sagging or worn side bolster by the door.
- Gear knob and switches: worn lettering on the buttons you use every day.
- Key: a worn key or fob on a car claiming low mileage.
- Stone chips: heavy chipping on the bonnet and front bumper suggests lots of motorway miles.
- Seat belts: a fraying driver's belt on a car that claims to have done few miles.
One worn item is not proof. Several, on a car claiming very low mileage, make a pattern.
Fill the gaps with the full history check
MOT readings are usually a year apart, which leaves room for a reading to be changed between tests. The full history check adds mileage from every recorded source, not just MOTs, so there are more points to compare and fewer gaps for a change to hide in. It costs £4.49, or £3.00 a check in a pack of 10.
Innocent explanations
Not every falling reading means a car has been clocked.
- A typing mistake at the test centre. A tester might type 46,000 instead of 64,000. If the readings before and after make sense, that is the likely explanation.
- A replaced instrument cluster. If the dashboard was replaced, the new one may show a different figure. This should be documented with a garage invoice.
- Kilometres and miles. Some imported cars were tested with readings in kilometres. Our report converts kilometres to miles, but check which unit the dashboard uses.
In every case, the seller should be able to show you proof. A seller who cannot explain a drop, or gets defensive when you ask, has given you your answer.
What to do if the mileage does not add up
- 1Ask the seller to explainShow them the readings and ask for the paperwork behind their explanation.
- 2Check the evidenceCall the garage that replaced the instrument cluster, or the garages that carried out the services.
- 3Get an inspectionIf you still want the car, pay for an independent inspection before you commit.
- 4Walk away if you are not sureThere are plenty of other cars, and a doubtful mileage will also hurt the value when you sell.
If you have already bought a clocked car
Keep all the evidence, including the advert and the MOT history. A car sold with a false mileage was not as described, and from a dealer you also have rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Citizens Advice can tell you what to do next and can pass the case to Trading Standards.
The mileage check is part of every free report, along with the full MOT history and a Vettly Score that takes off 25 points when a reading goes down.