Used electric vehicles are increasingly subject to odometer fraud, surpassing traditional combustion engines in tampering rates. Experts warn that buyers seeking to save on fuel costs may instead face unexpected maintenance bills for "clocked" cars.

CarVertical's 3 per cent tampering rate for EVs

Recent data from the vehicle history platform CarVertical indicates a troubling trend in the second-hand market. between January 2024 and March 2026, CarVertical found that 3 per cent of the electric vehicles (EVs) it analyzed showed clear evidence of mileage tampering, a practice commonly known as "clocking."

This figure is particularly striking when compared to traditional powertrains. According to the report, the tampering rate for EVs exceeds that of diesel vehicles (2.8 per cent), petrol models (2.5 per cent), and hybrids (2 per cent). This suggests that the transition to electric mobility is not insulating the market from old-school fraud; if anything, it is accelerating it.

The 50p-per-mile penalty driving odometer fraud

The resurgence of clocking is not a random occurrence but a calculated response to the current structure of vehicle financing. As the source reports, four out of five new car buyers now utilize Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) deals or lease agreements. These contracts often come with strict mileage caps that, if exceeded, trigger significant financial penalties.

Motorists facing charges ranging from 3p to 50p per mile for overages have a strong financial incentive to manipulate their odometers before returning the vehicle. This trend mirrors the fraud patterns seen in the 1980s and 1990s, but it is now powered by modern digital tools. The shift toward lease-heavy ownership models has essentially created a marketplace where the cost of honesty is too high for some consumers.

Hidden maintenance costs for the second-hand EV buyer

For the consumer, the danger of a "clocked" EV is more than just a financial overpayment. While a petrol engine's wear is often audible or visible, an electric vehicle's primary asset—the battery—degrades based on usage and cycles. A buyer who believes they are purchasing a low-mileage vehicle may be unaware that the battery has undergone significantly more stress than the odometer suggests.

This discrepancy leads to a "costly hidden danger" where the buyer pays a premium for a vehicle that may require expensive battery replacements or suspension work much sooner than expected . In an effort to escape surging fuel prices, these buyers may inadvertently trade one financial burden for another.

Which online tools are enabling these odometer manipulations?

While the report highlights that motorists are "turning online to source technology" to manipulate odometers,it leaves several critical questions unanswered. Specifically,the source does not name the platforms or the specific types of software being used to bypass modern digital dashboards. It remains unclear whether these tools are being sold as "diagnostic software" or explicitly as fraud kits.

Furthermore, the report does not specify if certain EV brands are more susceptible to this tampering than others. Because electric vehicles rely on centralized computer systems, it is unknown if the mileage is being altered only on the dashboard or if the deeper vehicle ECU (Engine Control Unit) is also being compromised. Without this information, buyes cannot know which brands to trust or which specific checks to perform beyond a basic history report.