Driving law changes to ban common practice impacting thousands of cars across the UK

The process is often referred to as “clocking” and will now result in dealers facing “tougher action” for misleading motorists.

Selling a clocked car is already illegal, but the Government will go one step further and will add winding an odometer to the list of banned practices.

It said that this would make it easier for enforcers to crack down on unscrupulous sellers, protect buyers and support honest businesses.

Data from carVertical suggests that 2.7 per cent of checked UK cars had signs of clocked mileage between September 2024 and August 2025.

The average odometer rollback on affected UK cars was roughly 35,000 miles, making the UK one of Europe’s hotspots for clocking.

Research found that electric cars were now the most clocked fuel type in Britain at three per cent, compared to diesel (2.8 per cent), petrol (2.5 per cent), and hybrids (two per cent).

The Government said it was banning the practice of car clocking as part of the Prime Minister’s “series of everyday fixes”.

It comes alongside similar measures to stop unfair airline charges, tackle subscription traps and rip-off school uniform costs.

Minister for Consumer Action, Kate Dearden, said: “Nobody works hard for their money just to be deceived by a dodgy trader, and this is exactly the kind of everyday rip-off this government is going after.

“By making it easier to take action against car clocking, we are protecting consumers’ hard-earned money and supporting businesses that play by the rules.”

Car clocking will now be added to the banned practices list (Schedule 20) under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.

It will be placed alongside claiming to be a signatory to a code of conduct when the trader is not, falsely stating that a product will only be available for a limited time to elicit an immediate decision, and establishing, operating or promoting a pyramid promotional scheme.

The Government states that the clocking change will apply to businesses selling cars to consumers.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy at The AA, said: “Buying a car is a major purchase, so making it easier to crack down on those trying to deceive consumers is welcome.”

Alongside the new rules regarding car clocking, the Government confirmed that it would be introducing new parking rules to protect motorists from “rip-off” operators.

Through the new Private Parking Code of Practice, drivers will be given five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave once their session ends.

Operators risk being blocked from accessing the DVLA’s vehicle records if they fail to adhere to the rules, which would make it much harder for them to issue fines.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “We are introducing clearer rules, longer grace periods and lower charges for genuine mistakes, while going after the deliberate scams that rip drivers off.”