Kick the tyres and check car has not been ‘clocked’ as mileage scams increase

CAR mileage scams have risen to unprecedented levels, councils have warned after an increase in private traders turning to underhand tactics to secure sales.

More than two million cars on Britain’s roads are believed to have adulterated miles on the clock, fraudulently adding thousands to their value, according to the Local Government Association (LGA) which represents councils.

With used car prices close to an alltime low, the LGA said online sellers are resorting to underhand tactics to increase the value of vehicles.

Mileage correction services and devices have become more widely available on websites such as Amazon, where they can be bought for as little as £100.

At present these devices are 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, but this did not happen.

A legal loophole means that while selling a car that you know has been clocked without disclosing it is fraud, it is not illegal to alter the odometer’s mileage.

The Department for Transport is 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 found to have travelled more than 243,000 miles.

The most recent industry figures show that 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 £800million per year.

One in 16 vehicles has a mileage discrepancy, which means there could be 2.3million clocked and potentially dangerous cars on UK roads, the LGA said. This is up from around 1.7 million in 2014.

The mileage correction devices 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 secondhand 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 is not due a service when it actually is.

Simon Blackburn, chairman of the LGA’S safer and stronger communities board, said: “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.

“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.”