Record 2 million cars have had their mileage clocked

Car mileage scams have risen to record levels, local councils have warned, as private buyers are turning to underhand tactics to secure online sales.

More than two million cars on Britain's roads now have adulterated miles on the clock, fraudulently adding thousands to their value, according to the Local Government Association which represents councils.   

It comes as an abundance of mileage correction services and devices are readily available on websites like Amazon, where they can be bought for as little as £100. 

At present these devices is legal, but the LGA is calling for them to be banned to stop the surge in "clocking". which it says is putting motorists at a greater risk of buying dangerous used cars with false mileage.

A proposed EU ban on companies providing mileage correction services was due to be in place by May 2018, however this never took place.  An existing legal loophole means that while knowingly selling a clocked car without disclosing it is fraud, it is not illegal to alter the odometer’s mileage. 

The Department for Transport is currently consulting on how to stop the clocking of cars.  

In one recent council prosecution a van sold with 89,000 miles on the clock was actually found to have travelled more than 243,000 miles, while in another council prosecution, the mileage differences on 10 clocked vehicles added together were the equivalent of travelling to the moon.

Latest industry figures show clocking – where the mileage is reduced to increase a vehicle’s resale value – increased by 25 per cent between 2014 and 2016 and costs motorists an estimated £800 million per year in the UK.

One in 16 vehicles checked now has a mileage discrepancy, which means there could be 2.3 million clocked and potentially dangerous cars on UK roads, the LGA said.

This is up from around 1.7 million in 2014. Rogue car dealers and private sellers can use mileage correction devices to knock off tens of thousands of miles on vehicles to make them look less well used and more desirable. This can increase the value of an average second-hand family car by up to £4,000.

As well as defrauding people through higher prices, the crime could hide serious mechanical problems on vehicles and lead to expensive repair bills, especially if a vehicle appears as if it isn’t due a service when it actually is.

Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board, said: “Car clocking is a rising major fraud which not only rips off motorists but can have dangerous implications.

Unscrupulous dealers are tricking unsuspecting buyers into paying thousands of pounds more for a vehicle with false mileage, which could put their safety at risk and lead to expensive repair bills if it is in a poorer condition than has been suggested.

“Anyone buying a second-hand car should make thorough checks to ensure that the vehicle is showing its true mileage and that its service history and MOT certificate are accurate.

“Clocking is tarnishing the reputation of honest used car dealers and sellers, and councils won’t hesitate to bring any car dealer or private seller to justice who shows a blatant disregard for safety and consumer rights.