How common is car clocking in Ireland?

W123-80's · 25-02-2019 11:31AM

Seems to be a fairly common issue so, but with the usual due diligence it should be relatively easy avoid, no?
Especially on newer, more expensive cars. If there is no verifiable history with the car walk away?
Mid priced cars with high miles would seem to be the easiest to get away with. Something priced at around 7k with genuine mileage of say 200k miles. Shave 50/60k miles off it and it doesn't look to suspicious.
I haven's a clue to be honest!
Having read through all the responses I'm half convinced everything I have ever driven is clocked..!! My bubble is burst. Lol!

Seth Brundle · 25-02-2019 11:37AM

W123-80's wrote: »

Seems to be a fairly common issue so, but with the usual due diligence it should be relatively easy avoid, no?

Usual due diligence? Ha!
The vast majority of car buyers are happy parting with a large wad of cash and not adequately question the quality of what they're purchasing but are blinded by the cheap tax and running costs.

Squidgy Black · 25-02-2019 01:02PM

90% of Irish buyers don't know what a history check is, or the general things to look out for when buying a second hand car.

A family member of mine spent 8k recently on a used car, didn't bother to run a history check on it, car had been crashed and repaired, the spare wheel well was poorly paint matched and the mileage from when it was imported from the UK was significantly higher than it said now.

tossy · 25-02-2019 01:08PM

Auguste Comte wrote: »

Do most modern cars not record the milage on the ECU, can this be changed easily by some cowboy with a laptop and obd cable?

I don't know about other makes but anything VAG stores the mileage on the ECU and this can't be changed by Larry laptop - it can howver be checked by anyone with VCDS to verify if it matches the mileage on the ECU.

Large bottle small glass · 25-02-2019 01:16PM

I bought an Octavia in 2012 from a dealer in Waterford for 12000 or so. Car looked and drove perfectly, but dealer just looked like a cnut.

I did history check using an Irish site and it came up clean with 69k miles at 3 years old. It was a UK car still on UK plates. I needed a car in a hurry and bought it looking like car was sitting idle for 6 months; it had fsh history and it just seemed to be sitting ide for 6 months before purchase.

I paid VRT the following Monday. The 6 month thing, and seller being a prick lead me to do a UK check and the 15,000 mileage discrepancy showed up.

Long story short, he paid the VRT back to me in cash (about 2k ish) in order to stop me suing him.

Still have car, or my wife does. The only BXE engine in the world with 230k miles on it and its still perfect!

millington · 01-03-2019 01:37PM

It's difficult now on UK cars with free access to the MOT history, although some people still do it and I have caught a lot out myself by doing a 30 second check. Irish cars however, are constantly getting done. I see multiple a week for sale from the same few people, cars that I have seen with double the mileage and they are selling like hotcakes. Fake service histories included a lot of the time.

rex-x · 01-03-2019 02:19PM

tossy wrote: »

I don't know about other makes but anything VAG stores the mileage on the ECU and this can't be changed by Larry laptop - it can howver be checked by anyone with VCDS to verify if it matches the mileage on the ECU.

Its not that hard to change the value stored in the ECU for Larry Laptop on vag group cars, certainly not as hard as it should be

I actually have the tools to do it but they serve other purposes too

fryup · 01-03-2019 11:26PM

millington wrote: »

It's difficult now on UK cars with free access to the MOT history, although some people still do it and I have caught a lot out myself by doing a 30 second check. Irish cars however, are constantly getting done. I see multiple a week for sale from the same few people, cars that I have seen with double the mileage and they are selling like hotcakes. Fake service histories included a lot of the time.

but i thought the NCT stamps this out...or is it being done on cars not yet nct'd?? (under 4 years old)

mickdw · 02-03-2019 01:25AM

The shiny new car blinds a lot of people.
I've seen many many sensible people, even those who have often spoken of history checks, clocking etc suddenly see a car at the local used car dealer and when they find out he is offering a good price on their trade in and that he is pricing the new car quite keenly, all sense goes out the window. Suddenly they can get into this new car with minimum hassle, no dealing with private sales on donedeal etc and they don't really want to know anything of the cars past. It's there in front of of them, it looks the part, it guaranteed for 6 months so they are buying it and no checks will be done as if they are honest they don't want to find out the truth as that would make the dream car go away.

wassie · 02-03-2019 03:37PM

This is a really eye-opening thread for me. Makes me think its going to be tough enough when I go to sell each of my 2 imports when its time to upgrade. Peace of mind thatI did all the checks before buying and retained as much original documentation as I could so that should help when I do advertise.

at9qu5vp0wcix7 · 02-03-2019 08:05PM

On UK imports could you not just run the English reg on the MOT website and find out what mileage it had at the various intervals??

Henry Ford III · 02-03-2019 09:40PM

Aubree Stocky Trend wrote: »

On UK imports could you not just run the English reg on the MOT website and find out what mileage it had at the various intervals??

Hpi check it

Jamemid · 02-03-2019 09:56PM

I sold a car not too long ago. Up on done deal now with a lot less mileage on it.

Philb76 · 02-03-2019 11:15PM

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Aubree Stocky Trend wrote: »

On UK imports could you not just run the English reg on the MOT website and find out what mileage it had at the various intervals??

Hpi check it

Hpi doesn't always give mileage happened to a car for the missus we bought in the North rang the mot centre it was tested at

at9qu5vp0wcix7 · 03-03-2019 04:33PM

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Hpi check it

Did a HPI check on a NI car today and no mileage info.

The odd thing is that while it says it has an MOT, MOT history cannot be located even though its a 2013. Is this a common thing for NI cars? Never encountered this on mainland UK cars which always have access to past MOT's.

bazz26 · 03-03-2019 04:43PM

NI MOT system is different to the rest of the UK and that data is not available to most of the history check websites afaik.

Did you ring the garages who stamped the service history?

newmember2 · 03-03-2019 05:05PM

MOT history isn't really an indicator either unless there's an obvious mileage discrepancy. There's nothing stopping someone driving a car 15k miles a year in the UK and rewinding the clock by 12k miles before MOT each year - you then have a car showing a mileage history of 9k miles over 3 years where in reality the car has done 45k.

fryup · 04-03-2019 02:10PM

^^^^^^^^^^

i presume the same carry on over here with the nct?

Peter T · 04-03-2019 03:38PM

I heard of 1 car recently sold with 270k on the clock and it turned up online a few weeks later with 40 or 50k less. Fresh nct too so will never be caught unless the mileage is less or suspiciously close to what was on it for the previous test. So clocking is still a thing

Zak Flaps · 12-03-2019 03:47AM

I need to buy a car soon. Reading this thread makes it sound like nobody can be trusted!!

Peter T · 12-03-2019 09:14AM

I was the same (Although id purchased my car a year ago). My next car will be dealer approved or comprehensive history check

Seth Brundle · 12-03-2019 09:50AM

Zak Flaps wrote: »

I need to buy a car soon. Reading this thread makes it sound like nobody can be trusted!!

If you are going to spend thousands on something surely you would make sure that it is wiorth the money being spent.
When buying a second hand car, you *must* get a history check e.g. cartell and also get it inspected by a competent person (i.e. a mechanic not your brother in law who once changed a flat tyre). It may a small sum but that is a lot less than buying a heap of crap.

If the garage object to the car being inspected then that will tell you a lot.
Also get the warranty in writing.
If you're buying from in or around the Naas Rd in Dublin then expect something dodgy IMO!

janfebmar · 12-03-2019 10:00PM

bazz26 wrote: »

NI MOT system is different to the rest of the UK and that data is not available to most of the history check websites afaik.

Did you ring the garages who stamped the service history?

I was looking at an imported car from the North a dealer was trying to sell here (in the Republic). I rung the garage in the North trying to verify the history etc but they were very cagey and would not tell me much, then told me it was because of gdpr etc. The whole thing stank. I'm nearly sure the car was clocked after it was imported, judging but a few other thinks too ( condition / wear on interior etc for the mileage etc ).

Atlantic Dawn · 13-03-2019 12:54AM

Peter T wrote: »

I heard of 1 car recently sold with 270k on the clock and it turned up online a few weeks later with 40 or 50k less. Fresh nct too so will never be caught unless the mileage is less or suspiciously close to what was on it for the previous test. So clocking is still a thing

How old was the car? At NCT they record the last 3 tests mileage on the disc and certificate.

Peter T · 13-03-2019 09:19AM

10 years at the time of sale, had 2 years test when first purchased. Easy to knock off that kind of millage before it begins to be tested annually

janfebmar · 13-03-2019 10:03AM

Zak Flaps wrote: »

I need to buy a car soon. Reading this thread makes it sound like nobody can be trusted!!

This country is a haven for unscrupulous people when it comes to selling dodgy cars. There is no central register either of cars that have been written off etc, unlike in the UK, where they have the common sense to have the "category" system.

Rdwrer · 13-03-2019 10:25AM

How do they even clock cars now? Is it done via a computer?

Surely it's in the manufacturers interest to install systems that can't be tampered with. If people were put off buying cars that had huge mileage, there would probably be more newer cars sold.

janfebmar · 14-03-2019 12:14AM

Rdwrer wrote: »

How do they even clock cars now? Is it done via a computer?

Why not ask some of the businesses that may have the ability to do so?

On probably the biggest adds website in the country ( d******l)
"Digital dash fixer speedometer"
"Digital dash solutions covers all areas of dash speedo problems on all models up to 2018 coding calibration and repair
Kia Nissan Landcruiser Subaru ford Opel Renault Mercedes Skoda Octavia
Blurred mileage display crack lens faulty needles lack of illuminatin
This is a mobile service that covers all munster Connacht and Leinster
Miles to km conversion
Km to miles conversion
For imported and exported vehicles camper
Bikes cars vans jeeps and more all covered ring for our very keen prices"

Another add on d******l:
"Mileage correction. Dash clocks on all bikes cars,van ,jcb and tracks machines mileage an hour repair and correction. We can correct your dash to the required figure on all models up to 2015 ,whether it's a new or old speedo that's fitted to the bike or car , we offer a 7day 24 hour mobile service covering 32 counties"

Atlantic Dawn · 14-03-2019 12:24AM

janfebmar wrote: »

Why not ask some of the businesses that may have the ability to do so?

On probably the biggest adds website in the country ( d******l)
"Digital dash fixer speedometer"
"Digital dash solutions covers all areas of dash speedo problems on all models up to 2018 coding calibration and repair
Kia Nissan Landcruiser Subaru ford Opel Renault Mercedes Skoda Octavia
Blurred mileage display crack lens faulty needles lack of illuminatin
This is a mobile service that covers all munster Connacht and Leinster
Miles to km conversion
Km to miles conversion
For imported and exported vehicles camper
Bikes cars vans jeeps and more all covered ring for our very keen prices"

Another add on d******l:
"Mileage correction. Dash clocks on all bikes cars,van ,jcb and tracks machines mileage an hour repair and correction. We can correct your dash to the required figure on all models up to 2015 ,whether it's a new or old speedo that's fitted to the bike or car , we offer a 7day 24 hour mobile service covering 32 counties"

Similar to DPF removal services and no check for it at NCT and the seeing stats of huge deaths from air pollution per year in this country and you see there's zero measurement of pollution from vehicles in any of our cities, it's a case of head in the sand be grand. Meanwhile they are investing millions in HPV vacinations which kills 90 people a year.

Ireland has one of the highest cervical-cancer rates in western Europe, with 90 deaths a year

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/almost-650-girls-needed-medical-intervention-after-hpv-vaccine-1.3217346

Esel · 14-03-2019 12:50AM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

. Meanwhile they are investing millions in HPV vacinations which kills 90 people a year.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/almost-650-girls-needed-medical-intervention-after-hpv-vaccine-1.3217346

Dafuq? Article says 90 deaths from cervical cancer a year.

Way off-thread anyway....

How common is car clocking in Ireland?

Comments