SORRY, WRONG NUMBER

Car clocking is as big a problem as ever, though this time it's not only dodgy dealers trying to pull a fast one but immoral motorists, too. John Evans investigates

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Аs if buying a used car weren't already a stressful process, what with the need to check its service history, examine it for damage and haggle over the price, we're about to make it worse with the news that, according to a major vehicle information company, one in 11 used cars has been clocked - a 45% increase on five years ago. That's right: despite the proliferation of sophisticated electronics in modern cars, it's still possible to wind back an odometer to display a lower mileage and boost the car's value, and more people are doing so.

“Clocking is a greater problem now than it has ever been,” an HPI spokesperson told Autocar. “What was once the preserve of unscrupulous dealers is now also carried out by unscrupulous motorists looking, for example, to avoid paying a mileage penalty when returning their car at the end of a finance deal. Mileage adjusters can be bought by anyone online and odometers are relatively easy to rewind.”