Can dealers legally "clock" new vans? (1 Viewer)

[BobtheBass]

I was talking to a very highly respected dealer at the show the other day and he told me that it's perfectly legal for them to reduce the mileage shown on the milometer of new vans back to zero when they are sold to remove delivery miles, test run miles and any other minor distances. To be fair he was at pains to stress that it was only a small allowance of miles they could clock, maybe up to a hundred or so but is this correct? It sounds a strange thing to do, selling a van that the customer thinks has rolled straight off a transporter when it may actually have been driven to a couple of shows or several test drives.

 

[Floydster]

I have heard of this, I think as you say it can only be done under a certain amount of miles and possibly only once.

 

[Figaro]

I used to work near the Bentley factory in Crewe and it is still a common site to see the brand new cars being driven around Cheshire on trade plates often with protective over panels. I asked a friend who worked there and he said they often do that. Tyres changed for new and final inspection after and clock zeroed.
I'm not sure about dealers, I doubt most would bother.

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[Basildog]

Yes they can our dealer did it in front of us on a new Fiat , I think he said it only works up to something like 50 miles and it is a once in a lifetime deal
He wiped about 20 miles off ours

 

[Minxy]

Yes they can do it, I think it might be up to 250 miles, but can only be done once I believe.

 

[tonyidle]

When I collected my S/H Hymer it had been clocked by 55K. Instruments changed due to known fault before I collected it .

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[JJ]

The dealer didn't bother to wind the clock back on my 5 cylinder, 1987 Mercedes 660S when he sold it to me.

It had only done 113,000 kms so was hardly worth doing.


JJ

 

[Minxy]

The dealer didn't bother to wind the clock back on my 5 cylinder, 1987 Mercedes 660S when he sold it to me.

It had only done 113,000 kms so was hardly worth doing.


JJ

Probably been round the clock though and you just didn't realise ...

 

[Linda and Steph]

When we collected our new MH there was a small 'H' displayed on the instrument panel, nothing in the handbook so I googled it.

Apparently this indicated that the vehicle had done less than 130 miles and could be reset to zero via the system menu, this action could only be used once. After 130 miles the H disappeared so the mileage can no longer be reset.

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[ctc]

Only done once by honest and upright dealer? You'll be telling me next Boris tells the truth.

 

[Just smiffy]

When I had a mobility car I went to the hand control fitters to discuss controls needed because the car was delivered to them and I noticed it had 56 miles on it and would have had the same going back, but when I picked it up from the dealers a few days later it was zero miles....

 

[buttons]

The system can be interrogated to identify the true mileage no matted what it says on the speedo. Why would anyone go to the trouble of taking 100 miles off of the speedo I wonder.

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[buttons]

The dealer didn't bother to wind the clock back on my 5 cylinder, 1987 Mercedes 660S when he sold it to me.

It had only done 113,000 kms so was hardly worth doing.


JJ

Was that just the delivery millage.....

 

[scotjimland]

When employed at Ford's in Dagenham I watched the Fiesta's that had just rolled off the production line, a guy jumps in, starts it up(non starters get pushed to one side ) then drives it like an idiot to the inspection bay, after that outside into the car park waiting for a transporter.. By the time the customer takes delivery, it will have been driven like this by at least 5 or more drivers who are not interested in warming up or taking it easy.

My sister used to work at a car dealers in our village, she took the train to Glasgow to collect brand new Jaguars.. she loved that job, racing them back to the dealers... so you won't be the first driver of your shiny new toy, but probably the the first 'careful driver' .. but hopefully the first to use the bed and toilet

 

[stewartwebr]

Every new vehicle I have ever collected has had mileage on it, normally around 30 or so miles. That has been the case with both cars and motorhomes.
Only exception was when I collect my N&B Flair from Travelworld. It had the clock reset to 0 miles. I never questioned it, but that is the only vehicle I have ever had with no mileage on the clock at collection.

Even Mercedes had a few miles on it when it was unveiled in the collection gallery window...what a piece of stupidity all that is, but guess it makes some feel special

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[andy63]

I had a mate who used to work on cars.. he was often asked by folk to wind the clock back on cars before they were advertised..
On a saab he was asked to do he found a little note when he opened up the clock... it read... 'NOT AGAIN'... with a little smiley
Andy..

 

[JJ]

Probably been round the clock though and you just didn't realise ...

Really...

JJ

 

[gus-lopez]

Still quite common here on any vehicle.

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[scotjimland]

Probably been round the clock though and you just didn't realise ...

for an engine that cab do a million miles, round the clock is barely run in..

 

[two]

I had a replacement instrument panel installed on my Fiat. They made the mileage match the previous one. If it’s possible, they could change one to any desired reading (legal or not). In my case, they did not bother to set the clock or copy my user settings from the old one, though.

 

[Jim Schush]

It is illegal to tamper with the odometer of any vehicle if your intention is to alter the mileage. Any person or dealer who tells you different is a liar and they are breaking the law. The only circumstance when a vehicles mileage could change if I’d there’s a fault with the odometer which requires replacement. It is then the responsibility of the dealer to clearly state this mileage change on the invoice. The owner of the vehicle must then pass this information on when they sell the vehicle to either a dealer or private seller.
When you trade in your car or MH at any main dealer one of the questions you will be asked is is the stated mileage correct.
I suppose someone will tell me it’s ok to shoplift from a supermarket up to the value of £1. Whether yourshoplifting a tin of peas or something of a higher value you are still breaking the law.

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[Masman]

I went to Peterborough show and watched loads of new vans being driven out of the show.So surely they must be able to change mileage. Plus off topic,The way they were driving them was appaling. I watched three racing through the grounds hitting pot holes at speed,I feel sorry for the person that buys them.

 

[obanvanman]

When I was motorway Police used to stop them delivering new cars regularly in the early hours with the speedo disconnected.

One of my traffic colleagues bought a new Nova for his wife with 7 miles on the clock. Within days it was belching out black smoke and then the big ends went.
Garage said it had been delivered on a transporter from Wales, couple of phone calls later we discovered it had been driven instead.
They refused to do anything about it.
We sat outside said dealers in marked traffic car following anyone going on a test drive, purely as an advisor should any offences occur during said test drive.
They caved in after the first day and fitted a nice new engine.

PS This was 30 years ago so please save the comments.

 

[St Ivian]

We collect our new MH in June and the dealer's advert says "mileage 0". It'll be interesting to see the actual miles on the clock.

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[pappajohn]

It's not illegal to "clock" a car but it is illegal to hide the fact it's been done.
In my mind this applies to EVERY vehicle...new or old.

Many new cars have a "lifetime" mileage logged in the ECU/EMU so with the correct software this can be accessed via the OBD socket and as far as I'm aware cannot be changed but the Speedo readout can.
If you know how you can check on the electronic vehicle information center in the vehicle instruments.
If a dealer states the mileage is true and subsequently proves to be false they will be liable to prosecution.

 

[Diggerdi]

When we picked ours up from Hayes last year, after he had done the handover, he then zeroed the mileage. It had about 45 delivery miles on it. He said it was up to us whether we had it done or not, could only be done once and only up to a certain mileage (100 I think). It was nice to drive off in a vehicle that had 0 miles on the clock.

 

[Deneb]

When I was motorway Police used to stop them delivering new cars regularly in the early hours with the speedo disconnected.

In the 1979 petrol shortage our Unit Beat drivers were restricted to 30 miles a shift. Most of them used to disconnect the speedo when they got near that figure to keep the mileage down in the log book that the driver had to fill in at the end of every shift. We had one guy though who spent most of the second half of his shifts driving around car parks in reverse to bring his mileage back down - the odometer used to go backwards in reverse on Mk1 Escorts HQ must have thought the fuel consumption on those cars was terrible.

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[Paul an Jane MK]

I had a new Renault on contract hire many years ago which developed a faulty speedo, I took it back to garage and they ordered a new speedo. When I took it back many weeks later, mechanic must have forgotten to look at mileage on electronic display as he set mileage to the amount it was on original diagnosis visit nearly 2000 miles lower.

So the Renault technician kindly clocked the car and saved me being slightly over contract miles and end of hire period

 

[Harry Price]

I was talking to a very highly respected dealer at the show the other day and he told me that it's perfectly legal for them to reduce the mileage shown on the milometer of new vans back to zero when they are sold to remove delivery miles, test run miles and any other minor distances. To be fair he was at pains to stress that it was only a small allowance of miles they could clock, maybe up to a hundred or so but is this correct? It sounds a strange thing to do, selling a van that the customer thinks has rolled straight off a transporter when it may actually have been driven to a couple of shows or several test drives.

Yes this is correct, for Fiats I believe the Mileage can be reset up to 250 miles and Mercedes are slightly lower

 

[Cheshirecat57]

I was talking to a very highly respected dealer at the show the other day and he told me that it's perfectly legal for them to reduce the mileage shown on the milometer of new vans back to zero when they are sold to remove delivery miles, test run miles and any other minor distances. To be fair he was at pains to stress that it was only a small allowance of miles they could clock, maybe up to a hundred or so but is this correct? It sounds a strange thing to do, selling a van that the customer thinks has rolled straight off a transporter when it may actually have been driven to a couple of shows or several test drives.

And did he say
1 you have 14 days grace on your road tax
2 you cant get done for speeding if you are “only” 10% over the limit
3 his daughter must have got pregnant off a toilet seat

There are NO circumstances when anybody , dealer or private individual can misrepresent the total mileage of a vehicle
He of course gas told you what he has done, you must do so when you sell it

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