How to Spot Mileage Clocking Using MOT Records

Build the mileage timeline

Enter the registration on the RegPeek homepage and read the MOT history from the oldest test forward. Note the reading at each test and the gap in months. Average UK car use is often quoted around 7,000 to 8,000 miles a year, so a car doing 3,000 or 20,000 a year is not wrong — just worth asking about.

The four patterns to look for

1. A reading lower than the previous one — the clearest red flag.
2. A near-flat year followed by normal use, suggesting a reset then resumed driving.
3. A digit-count jump, for example 96,000 to 196,000, which is often a typing error but must be confirmed.
4. A reading that contradicts the current dashboard figure when you view the car.

Innocent explanations

• Tester typos: a transposed digit or a missing zero, usually corrected at the following test.
• Kilometres recorded instead of miles on an imported vehicle.
• A genuine, documented instrument cluster replacement — ask for the invoice.
• A period off the road under SORN explaining low use.

One oddity is worth a question. Two or more oddities in the same history is a reason to walk away.

Check the wear against the claim

A car showing 45,000 miles should not have a shiny steering wheel rim, worn pedal rubbers, a sagging driver's seat bolster or a polished gear knob. Look at the condition of the seatbelt webbing and the wear on the driver's door handle too — these are hard to fake convincingly.

If you think a car has been clocked

Do not buy it. Report the seller to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice, particularly if they are a trader. If you have already bought, gather the MOT history, the advert and any correspondence as evidence.

Pair this with reading the full MOT history and a full history check for recorded mileage from other sources.