How to check if a car has been clocked using its MOT history
What to look for
- A drop. Any test showing fewer miles than the one before it. Occasionally a tester mistypes a digit, so a single odd reading between two consistent ones can be an error, but a drop that the later readings follow is clocking.
- A stall. A car that did 12,000 a year for five years and then 1,500 a year. Either it was parked up, or the mileage was reset and the car is being driven lightly to keep the story straight.
- Wear that does not match. A shiny steering wheel, worn pedal rubbers and a sagging driver's seat on a car showing 40,000 miles.
- Service history gaps. Dealer invoices carry the mileage. If the last stamp says 98,000 and the dash says 60,000, you have your answer.
Why digital dashboards did not stop it
Mileage correction tools that plug into the OBD port are sold openly for legitimate repairs, such as replacing a damaged instrument cluster. The same tool rewrites the figure in a few minutes. Many cars also store the mileage in other modules, which a workshop can read, but a buyer on a forecourt cannot.
What the free MOT check shows
Every test since 2005 with the recorded mileage, the result and the advisories. BeakCheck plots the mileage across the tests and flags a decrease. The MOT record is the one source a seller cannot edit.
If you find one
Walk away, or price it as a high-mileage car with an unknown history. If you have already bought it from a trader, report it to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice; a clocked car sold as low mileage is a misdescription and you are entitled to reject it.
Questions people ask
Is clocking a car illegal in the UK?
Altering the odometer is not itself an offence, but selling a car without disclosing that the mileage is wrong is fraud and a breach of consumer protection law, whether the seller clocked it or not.
Can the MOT history be wrong?
Yes, testers make typing errors. A single reading that is out of line with the ones either side of it is usually a mistake. A trend is not.
Does a paid mileage check add anything to the MOT history?
It adds readings from other sources, such as dealer services, finance inspections and auctions, which fill in the years between tests and catch a car that was clocked before its first MOT.
Check a car now
Free DVLA and MOT check, plus the remap verdict for the engine actually fitted to your car.