What Car? Q&A - Is the mileage genuine?

Q: I went to my first car auction recently and saw some vehicles with ‘non-warranted mileage’ stickers on them. Does this mean they have been clocked?
Richard Bannister

A: It is an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 to apply a false trade description to goods sold. If a business sells a car that has an incorrect mileage reading, even unwittingly, that will count as applying a false trade description, unless they use a disclaimer. The disclaimer, which draws the buyer’s attention to the fact that the mileage cannot be guaranteed, can be in the form of a sticker.

Most second-hand-car dealers will use such a disclaimer on all of their vehicles. It doesn’t mean the mileage is inaccurate, it just means the dealer doesn’t know either way and they are covering themselves. It’s quite standard. However, if the seller has actually clocked the vehicle, this would be an entirely different matter and the disclaimer would not prevent a prosecution under the act.