HPI issues warning on clocked cars

HPI has warned dealers that one in 17 cars have been clocked in the UK.

The figure is much higher than official data from the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) which calculated that 1 in 39 cars that undergo an MOT are clocked.

HPI said the figures differ because the VOSA data does not include information on MOTs completed on vehicles prior to 2005, or on vehicles less than 3 years old. 

Clocking was recently the subject of a report on the BBC.

Daniel Burgess, automotive director for HPI said: “Unwittingly part exchanging a clocked car is a very real risk for retailers. 

“With the tools to adjust mileages so easily available on the web, consumers are just as likely to be the clocking cars as unscrupulous traders, doubling the danger to dealers. 

“Not surprisingly, the Office of Fair Trading has clearly stated that mileage disclaimers are not enough and to meet due diligence you must prove you have done everything in your power to validate a car’s mileage.”

HPI said:

• Older cars that have been around the block are most likely to have their mileage reading altered
• Approximately half of all cars it checks are revealed as having a mileage discrepancy within the first 3 years of their life
• Signing up to a mileage register can help