Does a car have to have a Odometer?

[Ray Singh]

So much emphasis is placed on a cars mileage these days. It is well known that this is an indicator of use, but the way in which the car was driven during this mileage is just as important as how many miles it has done.

On the annual MOT, the mileage is written or printed onto the certificate.

Is it actually legal to have a car without an odometer?

Perhaps some road legal race cars or kits cars dont have one?

[Chris71]

Odometers tend to come built into the speedo (which I'm pretty sure you do need to use a car on the road, although some very old cars didn't have them) so there's no real reason you wouldn't have one.

[Dog Star]

I don't think you do - assuming regulations for motorbikes are the same.
My (2007) supermoto has neither speedo nor odo. Still passes MOTs.

[tog]

My brother ran a Volvo 480 for several years with no working speedo, and the mileage on the MoT certificates was the same each year.

[Swarley]

Some of mine don't even have a speedo, hell most don't even have doors.
Never had a problem, it normally says NA on the certificate.

[Ozzie Osmond]

For many engine applications it's more usual to count "engine hours" than distance travelled. e.g. Boats, aircraft and generators.

An "engine hours" meter rarely counts actual engine hours. They usually assume a normal running speed, count rpm and convert the result into the hours figure. You could show actual engine revolutions on a meter - but you'd end up with a big figure which was less understandable.

[the_lone_wolf]

Dog Star said:

My (2007) supermoto has neither speedo nor odo. Still passes MOTs.

MOT test doesn't require a speedometer

Construction and Use Regs do though

Not road legal without a speedo, can't comment on the odometer

[cheadle hulme]

Odo on my Felicia doesn't work either. The trip meter works though, so I keep an approximate record of mileage for oil changes etc. Passed the last MOT no prblems.