Clocking? My car's odometer and sat-nav show different mileages

Q. My second-hand Mitsubishi’s odometer shows 20,000 fewer miles than does the built-in sat nav. My dealer says the odometer reading fits the service history. Any thoughts?
BC, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

A. We can’t be sure, but it appears that a previous owner may have had the car clocked and the sat nav, which has probably been recording the mileage since new, has given the game away.

As reported here (“It must be a wind-up”, March 6), there has been a sharp increase in clocking. If it occurs each year before the car is serviced, it’s not difficult to build up a convincing mileage based on the service history. We suggest you go back to your dealer and discuss the legal implications.
 

TIM’LL FIX IT
Tim Shallcross used to train AA patrols to fix cars. Now he advises the Institute of Advanced Motoring — read more from Tim here.

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