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Drivers have been warned about falling victim to mileage fraud when buying a car, and how they can take action to spot it.
Vehicle clocking—deliberately reducing a vehicle’s recorded mileage to make it appear less used—is on the rise, according to car marketplace Cazoo.
A survey conducted on behalf of Cazoo, speaking to 310 independent used-car dealers, found eight in ten (81%) describing clocking as a "serious issue" for the industry.
Dealers in the study estimate that, on average, 14% of second-hand cars they come across may have had their mileage deliberately altered.
While knowingly selling a clocked car can be prosecuted under fraud and consumer protection laws, there is currently no specific offence for altering a vehicle's mileage, making such cases more difficult to pursue.
Cazoo has called on the Government to close this loophole and make the deliberate alteration of a vehicle’s mileage a criminal offence in its own right.
Although the Government is considering measures to prevent clocking of electric vehicles ahead of pay-per-mile taxation in 2028, Cazoo argues that action is needed sooner.
How motorists can spot a clocked car
Cazoo is helping buyers better understand the history of the cars they are considering purchasing.
A new feature on its website shows MOT history using official DVSA and DVLA records.
Where available, this includes the date, result, and recorded mileage of each MOT test and, in most cases, a mileage chart.
Where readings do not follow the expected pattern, buyers are prompted to ask the dealer and check the official record on GOV.UK.
It should be noted that the feature does not confirm whether a vehicle has been clocked, as inconsistent readings can also result from, for example, recording errors or a replaced mileage display, but it could help flag potential cases.
Debbie Parkinson, senior operations and trust manager at Cazoo and member of the Vehicle Safe Trading Advisory Group (VSTAG), said: "Clocking remains a very real concern and VSTAG fully supports proposals to make deliberate mileage alteration a specific criminal offence to better protect motorists and legitimate dealers.
"As vehicle technology has evolved, so too have the methods used to alter mileage, which makes having robust checks in place more important than ever."
Those who want to back the official UK Parliament petition calling for the loophole to be closed can visit the Petitions website here.
Lucy Tugby, chief marketing officer at Cazoo, also supports a change in the law.
She said: "The law as it stands simply doesn’t go far enough.
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"Knowingly selling a clocked vehicle can already be prosecuted under fraud and consumer protection laws, but there is no specific offence of altering a vehicle's mileage, which makes cases harder to bring.
"That loophole leaves honest dealers having to guard against clocked cars entering their stock and puts buyers at risk.
"We shouldn’t wait until 2028 or limit protections to one type of vehicle—closing the loophole now would help create a fairer, safer used-car market."
Have you ever spotted a clocked car before when looking to buy one? Let us know in the comments.