Estimates say that between 10% and 15% of all used vehicles offered for sale in Ireland have been clocked – i.e., have had their mileage to date turned back from the true figure.
While it is illegal to knowingly sell a clocked car, that does not provide full protection to the buyer. The seller could argue, for instance, that they did not know the car had been clocked, and that is must have been done by a previous owner. Proving any wrongdoing on their behalf can be a real problem.
Clocked cars can turn out to be dangerous as well as expensive. Parts that you may think have a long lifespan left could instead be on the verge of needing to be replaced, if you don’t know what the true mileage of the car is. For example, you might think the timing belt has 20,000 km left in it, but it could in fact be long overdue a change. Then, when the timing belt breaks, it can damage your engine – often to the point where it’s not worth repairing.
It’s difficult for the ordinary buyer to spot signs of clocking – but the expert engineers with Car Inspections Ireland are masters at it.
They will immediately see the giveaway telltale signs, such as excessive wear and tear on the clutch, upholstery, etc., that may be way out of line with what the odometer says.
It’s important to get an expert view if you suspect that a vehicle may have been clocked, as there is no other third party source that you can turn to. While the NCT service maintains a National Mileage Register based on the readings when cars are brought for test, it does not share that data with other agencies, such as vehicle history checking services.
Only by having an expert eye look at the car can you tell for sure. That’s where Car Inspections Ireland comes in.
Contact us today to benefit from our expertise.
