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What is a Mileage Check?

A mileage check assesses the history of a vehicle’s odometer to see if there is any evidence of its mileage reading being reduced. There are various sources of this data including the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association), NAMA (National Association of Motor Auctions), RMI ( Retail Motor Industry Federation) as well as the DVLA and MOT mileages recorded by the DVSA.
Our free check includes an MOT mileage check and our Silver and Gold checks include a more comprehensive full mileage history check from all sources.

Why is mileage adjusted?

• To illegitimately increase a vehicle’s value.
• To avoid charges payable to finance providers if mileage allowances are exceeded.

The practice, also known as ‘clocking’, is common in the UK because it is easy to obtain mileage adjustment equipment online and at garages. There are few legitimate reasons for adjusting mileage.

Is mileage adjustment legal?

Surprisingly, mileage adjustment remains legal in the UK. But it is illegal to sell a vehicle that has had its mileage adjusted without disclosing the change in mileage.

What happens if I buy a clocked vehicle?

It will be worth less than the sum you paid for it and could be unsafe to drive, because the vehicle’s parts are older than the current odometer reading suggests.

How common is mileage adjustment?

Analysis undertaken by Total Car Check shows that more than 1 in 18 vehicles are clocked, based on MOT mileage data alone. See our blog post on mileage data.

What is included in our mileage checks?

All of our vehicle check reports provide the following:
1) The vehicle’s mileage history
2) Warnings where there are discrepancies in mileage readings.
3) If odometer readings have reduced we highlight how much by and over what period.

Our free mileage check

Our free mileage check uses odometer readings recorded at MOT test stations. Mileage at the point of MOT is required to be collected and reported on an MOT certificate. MOT data is recorded by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in Great Britain.

Upgrade to Silver or Gold for full coverage

If you upgrade to our Silver or Gold Check we provide a more comprehensive mileage check. This uses MOT mileage data as well as sourcing data from over 180 million mileage readings recorded by garages, motor retailers and leasing companies that have had contact with the vehicle.
Our upgraded mileage check can therefore identify clocking undertaken prior to a vehicle’s first MOT – the first 3 years of its life.

Why is pre-MOT coverage important?

Usually new vehicles devalue considerably over the first three years of their life. Clocking is therefore prevalent over this period as a way of propping up or raising a vehicle’s value. The fact vehicles are not subject to MOTs also provides an incentive to criminals who think they can sell a clocked vehicle and evade detection.