Cazoo, backed by the Vehicle Safe Trading Advisory Group (VSTAG), has called for the Government to make deliberate vehicle mileage alteration, ‘clocking’, a specific criminal offence.
A study of 310 UK used car dealers found 81% consider clocking a serious issue. Dealers estimate that, on average, 14% of second-hand cars may have had their mileage deliberately altered.
Lucy Tugby, chief marketing officer at Cazoo, said: “The law as it stands simply doesn’t go far enough.
“Selling a clocked car can already be prosecuted under fraud and consumer protection laws, but there is no specific offence of altering a vehicle’s mileage.
“We believe a dedicated offence would send a much clearer message and act as a stronger deterrent.”
According to Cazoo, 90% of dealers also support the introduction of such an offence.
The Government has confirmed measures to tackle the clocking of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles ahead of the introduction of pay-per-mile taxation from April 2028.
While clocking can already be prosecuted under fraud and consumer protection laws, there is no specific offence of altering a vehicle’s mileage.
Cazoo believes closing this gap would help protect buyers from mileage fraud and support dealers working to prevent clocked vehicles entering their stock.
However, Cazoo believes additional measures are needed to protect the wider used-car market, including petrol and diesel vehicles.
More than two thirds of dealers (68%) believe changing the mileage of a modern car is easy with the right equipment, technology or software.
Almost half (47%) point to the relatively low cost and ready availability of equipment online, while 45% identify the potential financial gain from selling a clocked car.
Older vehicles are considered particularly vulnerable by 53% of dealers.
More than a quarter also identify commercial vehicles and vans (28%) and electric vehicles (27%) as particularly susceptible.
More than three quarters (77%) say they check MOT history while 63% say they check service history.
Other checks reported by dealers include comparing mileage with the vehicle’s condition (45%), inspecting for signs of mileage tampering (43%), checking digital manufacturer records (39%) and using third-party vehicle history checks (37%).
