1 in 7 cars have a hidden history?

[Ari]

Just saw this on an advert selling car check data.

I'd be very interested to know what they class as hidden history. Number plate changes for instance could be classed as hidden history given there's no way or seeing them without a HPI, but they're very common and normally totally legitimate.

Don't get me wrong, a HPI is a very sensible idea when buying used, I just wonder whether the statistics are as bad as they're made out to be by the advert?

[Haytch]

It's 1 in 7 cars that they check. I know of a lot of people who don't bother with a HPI and do there own checks and i suppose 'risk' it. Meaning it could well be 1 in 100 cars have a hidden history but 1 in 7 that they check.


I believe.

[Acheron]

I know that 1 out of my last 7 cars had massive rear end damage that was repaired and not subject to an insurance write off.

[Zwoelf]

That's about the ratio of people who try to trade in their cars who seem to "forget" they have finance outstanding on it.

I suspect a greater proportion of the same number of amnesiac vendors occurs in the private marketplace.

Edited by Zwoelf on Saturday 21st May 16:06

[Zwoelf]

Acheron said:

I know that 1 out of my last 7 cars had massive rear end damage that was repaired and not subject to an insurance write off.

..which wouldn't show up on a HPI report/vehicle data check. Not even if it had a shunt and the repair was paid for by an insurance company.

Only if it was declared beyond economical repair and recorded as a Category C or D car would it show. At which point, the owner can still buy back the vehicle, repair it at their own cost and provided it passes inspection, apply to have the category designation removed.

[Chrisw666]

Zwoelf said:

That's about the ratio of people who try to trade in their cars who seem to "forget" they have finance outstanding on it...

I put a car into auction because I didn't want to buy anything from a dealer so couldn't px it, and didn't want to sell it privately because 60% of it had been replaced and/or repainted.

Car was 100% HPI clear and apart from a slight leak from the main oil seal was mechanically sound. I just knew it would be hell to sell if I declared the work that had been done, and I couldn't be bothered with the kind of person who would come trying to get his money back 3 months later when he worked out I hadn't answered a question that wasn't asked.