Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked

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Mon 10 Mar 2014 21:50
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - S40 Man

I used to own an S40 2.0D SE (new shape 2004 reg). I bought it in 2008 when I it had 134,000 miles on it. I took it up to 176000. I sold in this time last year to Car Giant as a trade in. I spotted it on Ebay this evening at a dealers in Shropshire. The mileage is now recorded as 108,000 ???? So has obbviously been clocked. I wont name and shame the Shropshire Dealer as they may have bought it unkowingly. I don't know where the car has been for the last year.

Has this happened to anyone else, seen an old car thats obviously been clocked.

I reported it to general Email at Shropshire trading standards.

Can you do the same at DVLA anyone know?

It's also now got a full 12 dealer stamp service history now but I did all the oil change/servicing myself between 2007 and 2013????

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Mon 10 Mar 2014 22:08
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - daveyjp
Just out of curiosity it Could be worth doing an MOT check. The new certificates have the mileage history on them.

My brother in law once traded a car. A week or so later he saw it on a forecourt so went to have a look. It was in the days before digital mileometers and in the time between trading and the forecourt it had lost tens of thousands of miles. In a round about way we knew the garage owner and he had a reputation for clocking, but no evidence that he actually did it.

Edited by daveyjp on 10/03/2014 at 22:08

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Mon 10 Mar 2014 22:19
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - S40 Man

I just tried that on DVLA website but you in addition to reg number you need test center or V5 ref number, which I don't know right now.

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 07:42
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - oldroverboy.

I once advised trading standards that my old car had been incorrectly described when i saw it on a website, though I also had the courtesy to call the new dealer (it had been traded out)and tell him the description was incorrect.

Trading standards reply was that they were keeping an "eye" on that particular trader and "thanks"

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 09:01
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - Collos25

You can email or write to the dvla without any reference numbers without a problem you could also inform the dealer and the police as it is a criminal offence to alter car mileage recorders.

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 09:21
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - andyfr

I once bought a Datsun Bluebird from an auction. I thought there was someting wrong with the rear suspension so took it to a garage for them to have a look. They couldn't find anything wrong but it just didn't feel right when driving so I advertised it for sale.

Someone came to view it and I was totally honest and explained that I thought there was something wrong with the suspension but they still bought it. Shortly after I saw it at a different auction with considerably less mileage on the clock.

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 09:22
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - corax

S40 man

Did your car give you any problems?

How did you find the engine? Have you driven the 2.0 petrol version?

Were the seats comfortable for long distances?

Just asking as a V50 is on my list as a future buy.

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 13:54
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - 72 dudes

I have the S40.

The 2.0D engine is great, bags of torque, not the most refined by today's standards, but the S40/V50 are great motorway cruisers, ride well and handle well. In 6th gear the engine is turning over at 1950 RPM, and I have achieved average fuel consumption of around 47 (brim to brim) since I bought it almost 4 years ago.

If you go for one, try and get one without the DPF (particle filter) as these can give problems in later life. Before mid 2007 some had them, some didn't, but after that date, all did.

I have driven the 2.0 petrol and I honestly didn't like it, to me it felt flat as a f*rt and slower than my wife's 207 1.6 VTi auto.

The seats are about the best in the business, get heated leather ones if you can. Only Saab seats come close for long distance comfort.

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 16:26
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - corax

Thanks 72 dudes.

I think the 2.0 petrol is the Mondeo engine. The 5 cylinder turbo would obviously be fun but rare and thirsty.

People say that they are a Focus in drag but I think that there is more to it than that.

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 16:49
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - Collos25

Well they look different and have a different interior but mechanically identical I would have thought that was a good thing.

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 18:47
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - injection doc

clocking is more common than you think and a fair numer of people that make good money going round clocking cars !

My old Opel senator CD I sold at 180 k and 5 years later that was on autotrader with 87k on it.

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 21:43
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - mss1tw

I can never understand why people clock so obviously.

just knock a few thou off every year before the MOT, easy these days with 'digital correction'

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Tue 11 Mar 2014 22:04
Volvo S40 - My old car has been clocked - S40 Man

i agree with a lot of your comments. engine is tourquey but not great on economy i too nearly always around 48mpg mixed driving. i now get 52-55mpg in 2.0 tdci mondeo. style wise volvo was looks good outside and nice inside, especially seats.

mine was unreliable. mainly niggly ekectricals. key ignition broke, dpf sensor and i had to pull fuse on glow plugs to cure a limp home mode.

not too bad overall but i prefer my mondeo now

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