Car clocking

Your car displays the total mileage it has driven on a meter called the odometer on the dashboard – this is essentially a “clock” which tells you how many miles or kilometres your car has driven. "Clocking" means changing the genuine odometer reading of the car in order to make the car seem like it has driven far less miles than it actually has.

The average annual mileage of a privately owned petrol cars in Ireland is about 16,000 kilometres (10,000 miles). Diesel cars average about 24,000 kilometres (15,000 miles) each year. So if you are thinking about buying a car that has substantially lower mileage than this, but also shows signs of heavy wear and tear, for instance on the seat covers, pedal rubbers or gear knob, always be wary.

There can be tell-tale signs that a car has been clocked, for example, if there are fingerprints on the inside of the dashboard screen, or if the screen has been broken or visibly forced.

It is dangerous to buy a clocked car. If you don’t know what the real mileage is, then you can’t judge what other work might need to be done. For example, you might think that the timing belt does not need to be changed for another 20,000 kilometres, but it might actually be long overdue to be changed. If the timing belt breaks it can damage the engine, often to a point where it is not worth repairing.

Report car clocking

If you have evidence that a car has been clocked, report this as soon as possible to the Gardaí. You can also contact us. You should act quickly - any delay in reporting it may affect our ability to take action. We cannot investigate a suspected clocked car if you have had it for more than two years, or if the garage which sold it to you has closed.

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