Another great milestone reached at Motorcheck HQ today.

We’ve just finished linking over 65,000 vehicle data types with 25 million individual records to our automotive database.

This newly linked data service is the product of over 15 years of intensive research by our good friends at Jato Dynamics and marks another first for Motorcheck.ie.

Another First For Motorcheck

Founded in 1984, Jato provides the world’s most timely, accurate and up-to-date information on vehicle specifications and pricing, sales and registrations, news and incentives.

Motorcheck.ie is the first and only car history company to obtain a licence for Jato’s current and historic data and we’re very excited about the delivery of their data alongside our VRM (vehicle registration mark) lookup.

What does this mean for our customers?

Customers of Benchmark Automotive, the company behind Motorcheck.ie can now access the Jato specification and pricing information that relates to any vehicle registered new in Ireland since 1994.

This means that we are able to provide our customers with data that includes original information from the manufacturers brochure such as

• The vehicle’s original list price
• Actual pictures of the model
• Up to 350 items that came as Standard Equipment
• A complete list of the Optional Extras and their prices that would have been available on the car

Case Study – Autodirect.ie

The first company to utilize this data in Ireland will be the online car supermarket Autodirect.ie. Each advertisement on Autodirect.ie is compiled by the vehicle registration number to deliver a feature list unlike anything seen on any other website.

Autodirect.ie

Commenting on the impact this has made to their business Anthony Gaffney at Autodirect said “Customers choose AutoDirect.ie because of our low prices, excellent customer service and crucially, the remarkably high level of vehicle information available to them on our award-winning website.

The days of walking around a car with a clipboard, taking down the specifications and extras are gone – through Benchmark Automotive we can be sure we are giving our customers accurate and specific data for every one of our cars, helping them to make a fully informed decision about their next car purchase“.

Innovating with data

Visitors to Motorcheck.ie will soon be able to experience Ireland’s first new car search engine that allows the user to find a new car under a plethora of new search options.

The service will deliver all kinds of interesting ways to navigate the new car market and promises to be another market leading innovation in automotive data. It’s in beta testing at the moment with an expectation of going live this month.

Sample Advertisement

The following information was taken from an advertisement on Autodirect and shows just how rich our data can be for a used car listing. If you’re interested in finding our more about this data or would like to learn more about the suite of services available from Benchmark Automotive you can visit us online at www.benchmark.ie or call us directly at 01-8839230.

Specifications

Below is a list of the key specifications.
MAKE Opel
MODEL Astra
VARIANT Exclusiv 1.4I 16V 5DR
BODY TYPE Hatchback
TRANSMISSION Manual
FUEL TYPE Petrol
COLOUR Grey
YEAR 2008
MILEAGE 53,785 miles / 86,559 kms
ENGINE SIZE 1.4
NO. OF DOORS 5
NO. OF OWNERS 1
REGISTRATION NUMBER 08D#####
NCT DUE DATE 13 March 2012
TAX EXPIRY 31 January 2011
CO2 RATING (G/KM) 146 g/km
CO2 TAX BAND C
CAR TAX PER YEAR €302

Top Features

Alloys
Antitheft System
CD player
Central Locking (Central locking – remote)
Cruise Control
Front Fog Lights
Heated Seat
Immobiliser
Isofix
Metallic Paint
Multiple Airbags
Power Steering

Equipment

Driver and passenger power heated body color door mirrors
12v power outlet: front with 1 outlet(s)
Leather covered multi-function steering wheel with tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment
Front power windows with two one-touch
Power steering electro-hydraulic
Front / rear power windows: Front power windows with two one-touch @Available
Electrically adjustable / heated door mirrors: Driver and passenger power heated body color door mirrors @Available
Power steering (vehicle speed proportional): Power steering electro-hydraulic @Available
Tilting adjustment / telescopic adjustment Steering wheel: Leather covered multi-function steering wheel with tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment @Available
Central door lock operated by: remote
No of speed: 5

Comfort

Bucket driver seat with height adjustment , bucket passenger seat
Seating: five seats
Manufacturer’s own RDS audio system with AM/FM and CD player CD player reads MP3
Luxury trim alloy look on center floor console and alloy look on dashboard
Facia trim: alloy look
Central console trim: alloy look
Height adjustable driver / front passenger seat: Bucket driver seat with height adjustment , bucket passenger seat @Available
Rear seats type: bench
Rear seats folding: asymmetrical

Exterior

Center high mount stop light
Gloss paint
Rear view mirror
Part galvanized non-corrosive body
Body side molding
Body color front and rear bumpers
Windshield wipers
Front fog lights
Fixed rear window with intermittent
Tinted glass on cabin
Coefficient of drag: 0.32
Front and rear conventional tires with 205 mm tire width, 55% tire profile and H tire rating official brochure tyre size
Front and rear steel wheels with 16 inch rim diam, 6.5 inch rim width and structure wheel wheel covers
Front tyres: 205/55 HR 6.5×16”
Rear tyres: 205/55 HR 6.5×16”
Bumpers: painted
Door mirrors: painted

Safety

Four disc brakes including two ventilated discs
Driver and passenger front airbag
Four-wheel ABS
Electronic brake distribution
Isofix preparation
Brake assist system
Front side airbag
Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners
Twin projector beam lens halogen bulb headlights
Headlight control with internal height adjustment and time delay switch-off
Cornering brake control
Height adjustable 3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side with pre-tensioners , height adjustable 3-point reel rear seat belts on passenger side with pre-tensioners , 3-point reel rear seat belts on center side
Two height adjustable active head restraints on front seats , two height adjustable head restraints on rear seats
4-wheel ABS : Four-wheel ABS @Available
Brake assist system: Brake assist system @Available
Electronic brake distribution: Electronic brake distribution @Available
Cornering brake control: Cornering brake control @Available
Disc brakes (ventilated): 4 ( 2 )
Halogen Headlights: Twin projector beam lens halogen bulb headlights @Available
Front fog lights: Front fog lights @Available
Front fog lights: Front fog lights @Available
Driver Front Airbag / Intelligent: Driver and passenger front airbag @Available
Passenger Front Airbag / Intelligent: Driver and passenger front airbag @Available
Front side airbags: Front side airbag @Available
Roof Airbags: Front and rear roof airbag
Front seat belt pre-tensioners: Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners @Available
Active Front head restraints: Two height adjustable active head restraints on front seats , two height adjustable head restraints on rear seats @Available
No of Rear seats head restraints: 2
3-point center rear seat belt: Height adjustable 3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side with pre-tensioners , height adjustable 3-point reel rear seat belts on passenger side with pre-tensioners , 3-point reel rear seat belts on center side @Available
Isofix preparation: Isofix preparation @Available

Performance

3-way catalytic converter
Multi-point injection fuel system
Front-wheel drive
Strut front suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs , torsion beam rear suspension semi-independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs
Emission control level EU4 – carbon dioxide level (g/km): 146
Performance: maximum speed (mph): 111, maximum speed (km/h): 178 and acceleration 0-100 km/h (secs): 13.7
1,364 cc 1.4 liters in-line 4 engine with 73.4 mm bore, 80.6 mm stroke, 10.5 compression ratio, double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder Z14XEP
Power: 66 kW , 90 HP EEC @ 5,600 rpm; , 125 Nm @ 4,000 rpm
Fuel consumption: ECE 99/100 urban (l/100km): 8, country/highway (l/100km): 5, combined (l/100km): 6.1, urban (mpg): 29, country/highway (mpg): 47 and combined (mpg): 39
Engine liters / cc: 1.4 / 1,364
Engine configuration: in-line 4
Number of valves per cylinder: 4
Gearbox: manual
Number of speeds: Manual five-speed transmission with shift lever on floor, 3.73:1 first gear ratio, 2.14:1 second gear ratio, 1.41:1 third gear ratio, 1.12:1 fourth gear ratio, 0.89:1 fifth gear ratio and 3.31:1 reverse gear ratio manual @Available
Transmission type: manual
Driven wheels: front
Fuel: unleaded
Maximum speed (km/h): 178
Maximum speed (mph): 111
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s): 13.7
Fiscal HP: 0
Maximum power hp/PS: 90 @ 5,600
Maximum power kW: 66 @ 5,600
Maximum torque ft lb: @ 4,000
Maximum torque Nm: 125 @ 4,000
Carbon dioxide level CO2 (g/km): 146
Emission control level: EU4
ECE 99/100 urban fuel economy (l/100km): 8.0
ECE 99/100 country fuel economy (l/100km): 5.0
ECE 99/100 combined fuel economy (l/100km): 6.1

Dimensions

Load restraint hooks
Rigid cargo area cover/rear parcel shelf
52 liter, 13.7 gallon main fuel tank for unleaded
External dimensions: overall length (mm): 4,249, overall length (inches): 167.3, overall width (mm): 1,753, overall width (inches): 69, overall height (mm): 1,467, overall height (inches): 57.8, wheelbase (mm): 2,614, wheelbase (inches): 102.9, front track (mm): 1,488, front track (inches): 58.6, rear track (mm): 1,488, rear track (inches): 58.6, curb to curb turning circle (mm): 10,850 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 35.6
Fuel tank capacity (l): 52
Fuel tank capacity (US gal): 14
Overall length (mm): 4,249
Overall length (in): 167.3
Overall width (mm): 1,753
Overall width (in): 69.0

General

Anticorrosion warranty: duration (months): 144 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Road-side assistance warranty: duration (months): 24 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Full car warranty: duration (months): 24 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Powertrain warranty: duration (months): 24 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Paint warranty: duration (months): 24 or distance (miles): unlimited, distance (km): unlimited
Standard delivery charges: 0
Main service: distance: 30,000 and period (mths): 12
Five-door hatchback body style; RHD GM 3300
Trim level: EXCLUSIV
RetailPrice: €21,495.00

Related posts:

1. Are the Upcoming Changes to the NCT Really Necessary?
2. Winter Driving
3. Motorcheck.ie Introduces New VRT Calculator

One of 18 participants confirmed at this point, Gary joined the KCMG squad  as the youngest entrant on the grid and the first Irish person to take part in the series.

April 17th marks the season opener at Suzuka and Gary’s already showing impressive form in extended tests at the Motegi and Fuji international tracks. The 16-race series concludes at Autopolis on October 17^th.

Gary wins the Rookie Cup in the Formula BMW Pacific series

Speaking after a practice lap Gary said “The weather was a bit more unpredictable in Fuji so it was tough to get representative lap times but I’ll have to get used to that because wet weather racing is far from unusual in Japan. Overall I’m satisfied with how the programme is going so far and I’m confident we can be competitive with the leading runners when the racing gets under way.”

For those of you interested in becoming the next Michael Schumacher, Gary’s career highlights show just how competitive the sport is and what it takes to make it to the top. You can follow Gary’s progress throughout the series at Garythompsonracing.com or keep an eye on the comments below where we’ll be keeping an eye on his success.

If you’d like to lend Gary your support feel free to leave a comment below. We’ll be passing all your best wishes to Dad Noel who’s doing a great job of keeping Motorcheck informed.

Related posts:

1. Clocking costs UK car buyers more than £500m a year
2. My Two Year Old has a Bone to Pick with Renault.
3. Irish Rebels Triumph over Europe’s Finest.

The study was launched in May 2009 following a record number of consumer complaints regarding the second hand car market. Covering the whole of the UK the study focussed on sales by registered dealers rather than private sales, but the OFT hopes that its findings will provide clarity across the wider second-hand car market.

The OFT estimate the potential loss to UK consumers from the purchase of vehicles with false mileage to be up to £580 million a year. That’s against a national fleet of 32million cars. Applying the same  ratio to the Irish fleet means the cost here could be up to €40 million.

Outlaw ‘Mileage Correction’ Services

One significant area the report focussed on was ‘Car Clocking’. Describing the practice as a “persistent and damaging consumer crime” the OFT identified over 50 businesesses in the UK openly offering “mileage correction services” despite the very small number of occasions where there may be a legitimate reason to correct a car’s odometer reading.

Office of Fair Trading

The report states “We have a strong suspicion that many of these companies adjust mileages for illegitimate reasons” and goes on to call for the introduction of legislation to outlaw mileage correction/alteration services and their advertising.

The Importance Of Data Sharing

The OFT strongly recommends that mileage readings be shared with vehicle check companies. It calls for the sharing of mileage data recorded at the point of an MOT Test and recommends mandatory mileage readings be supplied by vehicle owners to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) each time a vehicle’s particulars are amended.

Serious Irish Problem

Car Clocking continues to be a serious problem in Ireland and it appears that UK vehicles are responsible for more than their fair share. A quick look at our March statistics shows that 39% of cars where a mileage discrepancy exists are currently, or have previously, been registered in the UK.

Motorcheck’s national mileage register has in excess of 1.4 million odometer readings we believe there are a number of ways the detection rate could be substantially increased.

1. NCT Readings – The Department of Transport could share the 8million+ mileage readings recorded on the NCT database.
2. Change of Ownership Readings – Most dealers use the Revenue’s Online Service (ROS) to transfer ownership of a car. This form allows for an odometer reading to be entered along with the new owner’s details. Hundreds of thousands of used cars pass through Irish dealers forecourts every year and these mileage readings would assist in combatting clocking.
3. MotorTax Online – The current system as operated by the Department of Transport at Motortax.ie asks users to input their insurance certificate number when renewing road tax. A similar input for the cars odometer reading could be introduced and provide another valuable record for the cars odometer history.
4. VRT Readings – Revenue also record the odometer reading every time an imported second-hand vehicle is registered for the first time in Ireland. If these readings were available our mileage register could compare the records against the 100+ million readings available in our UK database and identify potentially clocked cars before they’re sold on to an unsuspecting buyer.

Help Motorcheck combat clocking

If you’d like to assist Motorcheck with our battle against the car clockers, you can do so by entering the odometer reading for your car by clicking on this link or the button below. It’s free and could help prevent someone from clocking your car in future.

For further advice on how to avoid buying a clocked car you can visit a previous post here.

Related posts:

1. Clocking costs UK car buyers more than £500m a year
2. FAQ – Is this car clocked?
3. Car Clocking Grips Northern Ireland

The ECC has said that the threat of cloned cars being sold in Ireland was significantly increased following the theft in 2006 of blank registration documents from the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in Swansea. A recent investigation by the BBC showed that vehicles worth £13m have been stolen as a result of the loss of thousands of blank DVLA log books.

Just how many cloned cars have made it onto Irish roads is unclear but possession of blank registration documents has allowed fraudsters to copy the genuine vehicles log book which makes the cloning much more difficult to detect.

Buyer Beware!

A recent TV programme looks at the problem of cloned vehicles on Irish roads.

ECC Ireland

According to Caroline Curneen, PR and Marketing Manager of ECC Ireland,

“This is a scam which may affect Irish consumers as they increasingly are choosing to shop cross border for larger items such as cars with many consumers discovering that it is often cheaper to buy a car in the UK and register it in Ireland.

A consumer may only discover that they have purchased a cloned car when they are issued a parking fine or speeding ticket. If you buy a stolen car, you risk losing the vehicle and your money even though you bought the car in good faith so it is imperative that consumers carry out comprehensive checks on any vehicle before purchase”.

You can perform an instant check on any vehicle registered on Irish, Northern Irish or UK roads by entering its registration number in the box now:

Motorcheck automatically includes the UK history with every imported vehicle so you don’t have to be concerned with finding its previous registration numbers.

Top Tips for Identifying a Cloned Car

The following tips have been complied by the ECC and will assist you in determining whether or not the car you’re looking at could be a clone.

• There are three main ways to spot a clone – check the log book, inspect the car and identify the VIN (vehicle identity number).

• Check the vehicle registration document (V5C). Buyers should not proceed with the sale until this document has been produced and they have examined it carefully. Look out for any obvious spelling mistakes. The registration document should have a watermark, the number plate should be clearly listed, the VIN and engine numbers matching those of the car should be listed as should the name and address of the seller. There should be no spelling mistakes or alterations. You can check the validity of the logbook by calling the DVLA.

• Check the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) plates for signs of tampering. A VIN is a car’s unique identity number. They are usually located in several places, under the bonnet, under the driver’s seat and on the chassis.
  

  Car Thief

  Some cars have the VIN etched into the glass on a window or sunroof so check to see if there are signs that the VIN number has been scratched off or that stickers are not concealing a VIN number. Make sure that all plates have the same number and look for signs that it may have been removed. When you decide what make and model you are interested in, find out where the vehicle identification number (VIN) is on that vehicle. You will then know where to look and check it’s correct.

• Check that numbers listed on the registration document match the car’s number plate, engine number and VIN. Be certain that the V5 certificate is genuine and hasn’t been changed in any way.

• Be on the lookout for stolen registration certificates. The DVLA has provided a range of serial numbers of known stolen registration certificates on their website. If you find one that is in the range of BG8229501 to BG9999030 or BI2305501 to BI2800000 do not proceed with the sale and contact the police.

• Carry out a vehicle check with a vehicle data-check company. This won’t be able to identify a cloned car, but it will tell you if a vehicle has been recorded stolen, written off, scrapped or has outstanding finance.

Related posts:

1. Stolen Irish Cars disguised as UK Cars
2. Stolen Cars Seized in Balbriggan as part of Garda Operation
3. Stronger Regulation for Written Off Vehicles in Ireland

Toyota has recalled over 18,000 models in Ireland with estimates of over 7 million cars to be recalled globally. Honda has recalled 3,000 cars in Ireland (646,000 globally) and Peugeot recently announced a recall of 100,000 models over safety concerns similar to that of Toyota.

European legislation requires that manufacturer recalls are dealt with by the most competent authority in the relevant jurisdiction. In Ireland this duty falls to the Department of Transport who manage the National Vehicle and Driver File. When a ‘Recall Campaign’ is deemed necessary, the Department sends the manufacturer the relevant names and addresses for the current owner who are duly contacted (usually by written letter) and informed of the remedial action required.

Just How Common Are Vehicle ‘Recalls’?

High Number of Vehicles Recalled in 2009

The number of recalls processed by the Department of Transport in 2009 where the manufacturer deemed it necessary to write directly to the registered owner to advise a particular course of action is as yet unconfirmed but it’s expected to be a significant amount (greater than 100k).

The number of cases where repairs to your car are required but are not serious enough to require a ‘Recall Campaign’ is significantly greater. Normally these repairs are identified when your car is being serviced and completed as a matter of routine but what happens if you don’t get your car serviced at a main dealer?

It’s important to realise that the technician working on the car will rely on the manufacturer approved diagnostic equipment or an internal communication to alert the presence of a manufacturer recommended repair. If your technician doesn’t have the correct diagnostic equipment or access to the communication, the repair could go undetected and cause greater trouble further down the line.

This is why it’s always a good idea to make sure that your chosen garage has the correct equipment to perform the necessary work on your car.

Are Details Of Recall Campaigns Available To The Public?

Motorcheck calls for Recall Database

Unfortunately details of individual vehicles affected by recall campaigns are not currently publicly available in Ireland. This can present a problem for individuals who fear that their vehicle may have been involved in a recall but for one reason or another weren’t informed.

Moving home, having recently purchased your car or importing a car from another country can all be reasons for a recall notice not reaching 100% of the affected vehicles.

At Motorcheck we presently rely on information collated by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the UK. This executive agency for the UK Department of Transport government provides details for every recall free of charge in the UK directly from its website.

We are in the process of contacting after-sales managers at each Irish distributor in an effort to establish a similarly dedicated database for Irish drivers. To stay informed on our progress you can follow us on twitter or visit the blog where we’ll be recording developments.

Related posts:

1. Motorcheck.ie Calls For National Recall Database
2. Are the Upcoming Changes to the NCT Really Necessary?
3. New Car Registrations Rise 90%

Buy A Stolen Car And Risk Prosecution

What’s not commonly known is that if you as a buyer knowingly purchase a stolen car you are in effect breaking the law and liable for prosecution under the Criminal Justice Act.

The question is just how could you ‘know’ if a car is stolen? A professional car thief can make identifying a stolen car a very difficult thing to do.

Even main dealers get caught out from time to time, so how is a private buyer supposed to know a genuine car from a ‘ringer’?

Can The Gardai Tell You?

Unfortunately the answer is ‘No’. If you, as a private citizen, contact a member of the force with a registration number asking whether or not the identified vehicle was stolen the Gardai are not permitted to tell you.

Stolen Car Register

Surely The Garda Has a Duty Of Care to Inform The Enquirer?

While the force does maintain a Stolen Car Register on the ‘Pulse’ computer system, the information recorded in the database is not currently available to members of the public.

There are two reasons why the Gardai will not divulge the information to the public:

1. Firstly, cars that are stolen are often ‘cloned’ and disguised using the identity and documentation of a similar car. The current registration number may not be the real registration number of the car involved. Therefore it’s impossible for the Garda to give you a definitive answer without properly identifying the vehicle identification number (“VIN”). It may take an expert inspection to identify the correct VIN.
2. Secondly, the fact that a specific vehicle has been recorded as stolen is currently treated as confidential information provided to the force by the owner for its detection efforts only. Permission to share the information with public databases, Interpol or any interested third parties is not currently sought, nor consequently given.

Buyer Must Show Due Care

How Can It Be Said That You Knew A Car Was Stolen?

The responsibility lies squarely on the buyer to determine that the vehicle they’re buying is not stolen. So it’s up to you the buyer to protect yourself.

If you purchase a car at a knock-down price without the relevant paperwork, or fail to conduct the necessary background checks and don’t demonstrate ‘due care’ in the transaction, you could be prosecuted for handling stolen goods. Yes that’s right – you could be committing a criminal offence if you cannot show your actions were in good faith.

Top Tips To Avoid Buying A Stolen Car

There are some great bargains to be had in second hand cars but if buying a car privately there are a number of things you should always bear in mind. The following tips have been put together by Motorcheck and an Garda Siochana’s Stolen Car Unit to assist you when buying privately.

Remember – the better the deal you’re getting the more suspicious you should be about the vehicle offered. Buyer Beware!

• Do an online check – has the vehicle had a significant number of enquiries in a short period of time?
• Research the specific model you are going to see. Familiarise yourself with the location of the VIN Number and ensure that they all match the Vehicle License Certificate as well as the Motorcheck Report. If the VIN plate has been removed or replaced be very careful.
• Check that the VLC appears genuine. Are all the watermarks in place?
• Check the engine number. Does it match the VLC and the Motorcheck report? If not, why not? Ask!
• Make sure you can verify the seller’s identification. Beware of any advert that invites you to call between 5 and 6pm. Try calling outside these hours and see if you can still make contact.
• Always ask for a landline. If not the home number, get a work number. Mobile phones can be difficult to trace later if anything goes wrong.
• Always view the vehicle in good daylight and at the sellers home. Never meet in a ‘neutral’ venue like a supermarket car park.
• Ask the seller to take you through the history and mechanics of the car. Does the seller have a good knowledge of the service history? Is there documentary evidence to support it? Is he / she familiar with all the controls of the car?
• Check if the vehicle has a valid tax and insurance disc. If not, why not? Be sure to also check the registration number on the discs with that of the car. Do they match?
• Does the registration plate look like it has been recently printed? Are there more holes in it than necessary? Could it have been changed recently? Why?
• Car dealers love to advertise on vehicle windows. If stickers have been removed from the car ask why? Can you find a dealer in the service history that will support the cars history?

The Current Status Quo – “Caveat-Emptor”

If you are unlucky enough to find yourself in possession of a stolen car, the most likely thing that will happen is the car will be recovered by the Gardai and you will lose both it and any money paid for it.

We’ve long felt that the lack of information flow from the authorities does not protect buyers, and Motorcheck has spent years lobbying an Garda Siochana for access to the Irish Stolen Car Register. In a positive step, the force deployed a resource from their ICT department to explore the technical requirements of making this information available and subsequently made a positive recommendation to the Commissioner and the Stolen Vehicle Unit.

Another Motorcheck First!

A Safer Future – Motorcheck First To Accept Terms Of Integration

I’m delighted to announce that Motorcheck.ie has accepted a proposal from the Stolen Vehicle Unit that will allow us to integrate stolen car register data into our vehicle history database.

We hope to begin implementing the necessary technical connectors shortly, meaning that each Motorcheck report will automatically check the stolen car register on the pulse system in real-time.

This is great news for consumers, and will mark another significant step in protecting buyers from purchasing a car with a hidden history. We’ll post again once this great new addition is added to our system, and as always you can subscribe to our RSS feed or twitter stream to be the first to know.

Related posts:

1. Stolen Irish Cars disguised as UK Cars
2. Stolen Cars Seized in Balbriggan as part of Garda Operation
3. Stolen Car Alert

Jeremy Clarkson back in 1990 (with a bit more hair)

Can you believe it’s been 19 years since this clip first aired on Top Gear, and despite all the advances that have been made in modern motor cars ‘clocking’ is as big a problem as ever?

Forward to 2009

At Motorcheck we’ve been helping buyers avoid clocked vehicles for over three years, and were thrilled when the production team behind ‘Buyer Beware’ (RTE1’s consumer watchdog) approached us to appear on a forthcoming show. The show exposes the rising trend of ‘car clocking’, and Motorcheck was asked to take part in the programme.

When we started analysing the data even we were amazed at the increase in clocking over the past 6 months, and the lengths some sellers will go to in an effort to squeeze a few more euros out of a potential buyer. Take a look at the graph below. It shows the increase in incidents of clocking that Motorcheck has identified since March of this year.

The only sure fire way to combat clocking is to build a reliable database that takes regular odometer readings from independent sources. We started this three years ago with the Irish National Mileage Register (INMR) and have over 1.2 million audited records now on file, but there’s plenty more to be done. We’re in the process of lobbying the Department of Transport for access to the NCT mileage database. This would add another 6 – 8 million readings, but cars under four years would still be at risk. Our fleet partners continue to lend their support, and we’re in discussions with a number of private sources that can also help. But there are many steps you can take to protect yourself against clocking.

What exactly is ‘clocking’?

Motorcheck's Shane Teskey

‘Clocking’ is the term used to describe the action of manipulating the odometer reading on a second hand car in an effort to misrepresent it’s past history. The odometer is the instrument that records a vehicles mileage, and clocking involves the intentional understatement of a vehicle’s mileage.

Is it illegal?

The physical action of clocking a car is not in itself illegal. However under the Consumer Protection Act 2007 misleading commercial practices are considered to be an offence. This means that any business knowingly selling or offering for sale a used motor vehicles with altered or reduced odometer readings is breaking the law. Unfortunately the Consumer Protection Act does not apply to transactions between private individuals which leaves you unprotected if you buy a clocked car from a private seller.

How can clocking be prevented?

The best way to stamp out clocking is to maintain an accurate database of odometer readings for all motor vehicles. Motorcheck introduced the Irish National Mileage Register (INMR), and continues to add mileage readings to it from reliable sources on a daily basis.

How can I avoid buying a clocked car?

1. Ensure that the vehicle has a fully documented service history. Phone the garage/s that stamped the book and verify the odometer recorded at the time the work was carried out.
2. Ask for previous NCT records if available from the owner. The mileage reading taken at the test should be evident on the results.
3. If the vehicle doesn’t have a service history look around the interior. You’d be surprised at what you might find. Some service garages put stickers on the inside top right of the windscreen to indicate – “next service due at” – look for these stickers and call the garage detailed. If you find evidence that a sticker was previously there and has since been removed – be cautious!
4. Check the badge in the rear windscreen for a dealer logo or sometimes you’ll find out who has worked on the car by looking a the rear number plate. A lot of garages put ‘Number plate surrounds’ on the actual number plate to advertise their business. Any clues as to who’s been maintaining the car are invaluable and need to be confirmed.
5. High mileage generally leaves a number of physical indicators. Look for wear on the gear stick and steering wheel. Lower mileage cars (>50k) should have very little wear. On higher mileage vehicles you would expect to see a smoothing/shining effect on the plastic or leather due to usage.  If the clock is the old style cylindrical shaped dials (Non-digital), make sure all of the numbers line up in a straight horizontal line. With clocked vehicles sometimes these dials go slightly off centre. For digital clocks a diagnostic check of the vehicle engine control unit (ECU) could indicate if the mileage has been reprogrammed (this is part of the Motorcheck pre-purchase inspection).
6. Look for excessive wear on the carpets, mats and pedals. If there are new carpet mats look under the mats for wear on the original carpet. Under the bonnet – look for a “greasy” or “creamy like” substance under the water cap (this is the cover on the radiator / expansion bottle) could indicate that the head gasket is failing. This would be common on cars with high mileage.

Remember it’s up to the car to prove that the mileage is correct. Don’t just accept it at face value.

What should I do if I’ve bought a clocked car?

It really depends on what you want to achieve. Do you simply want your money back or would you prefer to see a legal prosecution made – maybe both?? If you purchased the car from a dealer (and it’s still in business) there are a number of options open to you. The first step would be to gather all your evidence and write to the dealer in question outlining your complaint with copies of the proof enclosed. Ask for a full refund of the purchase price. If you don’t get a favourable response make contact with the National Consumer Agency. They have an experienced department that will investigate all complaints and take action where warranted.

If you’ve purchased the car privately you could go down the expensive route of civil litigation, but you’ll probably find that in the long run this will cost more than the car is worth. Prevention is always better than cure, and all Motorcheck.ie reports notify users known odometer discrepancies. Order your Motorcheck.ie report today, including previous odometer readings – simply enter your reg below and hit enter:

You can also find out more on our car clocking page.

RTE’s Buyer Beware programme airs on Wednesday the 18th November at 8:30pm on RTE1.. Images taken from the show are copyright © RTE.

Related posts:

1. Car Clocking Costs Irish Consumers Up To €40 Million
2. Car Clocking Grips Northern Ireland
3. FAQ – Is this car clocked?