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What is clocking, and how do you spot it?

"Clocking" means winding back a car's odometer to make it look like it's done fewer miles than it really has. It's illegal to sell a clocked car without disclosing it, but it still happens — a lower mileage figure means a higher resale price, so the incentive is real.

Why it's harder to spot on modern cars

Older cars had mechanical odometers that were physically easier to identify tampering on. Modern digital odometers are stored electronically, and specialist tools exist to alter the recorded figure without obvious physical signs — meaning clocking today is often invisible just by looking at the dashboard.

How to actually check

• Check the MOT history — every MOT test records the mileage at the time. If the numbers ever go down between tests, or jump unnaturally, that's a clear red flag. This is free to check and the single most reliable method.
• Check pedal rubber and steering wheel wear against the claimed mileage — heavy wear on a car claimed to have low mileage doesn't add up.
• Check the service book — mileage recorded at each service should climb steadily. Missing pages, or numbers that don't match the MOT history, are worth asking about directly.
• Check seat and pedal wear pattern — general wear that looks far more advanced than the claimed mileage suggests is worth questioning.

What to do if you suspect clocking

Walk away, or at minimum, get an independent inspection before proceeding. If you've already bought a car and later discover it was clocked, this is treated as fraud under UK law — report it to Trading Standards, and to the police if the seller was a dealer misrepresenting the car.