The law makes no mention of mileage blockers but simply states that selling a vehicle whose mileage has been altered and not disclosing that fact is illegal.
The company that Autocar contacted states that a mileage blocker is a “legitimate tool for research and development purposes“ and warns that driving a car on the road fitted with one is illegal. However, it also explains that mileage blockers are popular because “they have the potential to save drivers from big fines and higher insurance quotes“ and “are becoming increasingly popular in the UK as more people look for ways to save money on their motoring costs”.
Commenting on the availability of mileage blockers for the VW ID 3 and other Volkswagen Group vehicles, a spokesperson for VW said: “Mileage blockers are available to buy online for most vehicle makes but are designed for specific circumstances only. It is illegal to use them on public roads and anyone installing one risks safety and a criminal conviction if they subsequently sell the car without telling the buyer the mileage has been altered. If our technicians discovered a blocker when inspecting a vehicle, they would alert the customer to its presence.”
Autocar shared the results of its investigation with Cap HPI, a vehicle data checking service.
Wendy Swaine, the company’s expert in vehicle provenance, said: “The only reason people tamper with a car’s mileage is for financial gain – for example, to avoid paying the mileage penalty on a PCP or lease contract and, from April 2028, perhaps also to reduce their eVED liability.”
Peter Golding, CEO of FleetCheck, a fleet software management company, said the introduction of eVED will greatly increase the temptation to clock a car. “If you’re covering 20,000 miles a year in an EV, your eVED bill will be £600. For a few people, the ease with which that amount can be reduced will be difficult to resist. This is an issue that has very real potential to increase the number of clocked vehicles on the used market.”
Presented with Autocar’s findings, a spokesperson for the Treasury, which is responsible for the implementation of eVED, said it is “considering further options to mitigate against odometer tampering and intends to engage with manufacturers, the leasing industry and insurers to minimise fraud”. The spokesperson added that “any necessary legislative, regulatory and technical steps will be taken to widen existing law and strengthen enforcement”.
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