THE DEPARTMENT of Transport will access details on vehicle mileage through the National Car Test (NCT) from July in an effort to stop what is known in the motor industry as “clocking” – reducing the mileage on a second-hand car to get a better price for the vehicle.
SGS, the company which carries out the NCT at 43 test centres around the Republic, has been noting the mileage on their vehicle inspection reports since it started testing in January 2000.
The company was not obliged to note mileage in the test, but captured the detail for its own records.
Now the department has decided to take details on mileage on all tested vehicles from SGS and add it to the State vehicle register, the National Vehicle Driver File (NVDF).
The department believes it will be able to track mileage on vehicles and examine whether it has been substantially reduced following later tests.
A spokeswoman for the department said it was introducing the change to benefit the consumer to stop the practice of “clocking”.
Alan Nolan, director general of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI), said “clocking” was still a concern in the industry.
He also said that the lack of information on second-hand cars, including mileage, meant that it was difficult to value such vehicles.
He said the SIMI was working with the department to improve the availability of information on second-hand cars.
Motorists will be able to check mileage once the NVDF has been updated through car checking companies such as Cartell.ie or CarHistoryCheck.ie.
Mileage figures could also be checked on SIMI’s website for car dealers.
The National Consumer Agency (NCA) has investigated allegations of car clocking involving car dealers around the State.
A car sales company in Limerick recently gave a formal undertaking not to engage in car clocking or selling clocked cars, following an investigation by the NCA.
The company compensated three customers whose cars were clocked.
Speaking when the undertaking was given by the Limerick company, NCA chief executive Ann Fitzgerald said: “Car clocking or selling clocked cars is very serious.
“Not alone does this practice cost the consumer money but it also puts the safety of road users at risk.”