Purchasing a main dealer car (small mileage discrepancy)

[$chuey]

As title. I am interested in purchasing a main dealer car. It's an ex-display car, 10-years-old and covered less than 1,000 miles. The issue is, the MOT history shows a mileage discrepancy of 40 miles. I know it's not much but it will always show up on an HPI check. The dealer assured me it was human error where an MOT tester has guessed the mileage (all MOTs were done in-house). If I were to purchase, the main dealer has offered to put it in writing that it was human error. Can I get the dealer to offer a discount?

Question is: would you buy a car with a mileage discrepancy?

Thanks

[TarquinMX5]

40 miles? I'd be more concerned about making sure that it's recommissioned properly. What is it?

[Dr Interceptor]

I really don't think 40 miles will ever cause an issue.

[thatdude]

What car is it, and are there other examples that you could go buy without this sort of thing?

My issue here is that if someone cant be bothered to actually press a button and read the displayed mileage, instead they just guessed it - what else havnt they bothered to do?

It is only 40 miles and with mileage that low on a car a decade old I'd be personally more concerned about other things (dry seals weeping oil etc etc etc etc). You could ask for a letter, on headed paper reflecting the dealers details, stating that it was a human error.

Is the correct mileage higher or lower than that stated?

[Truckosaurus]

Schuey said:

.... 10-years-old and covered less than 1,000 miles....

Unless the OP can type as well as the MoT man in question, and it really is an ultra low mileage vehicle, then you'd need impeccable evidence for it to be worth a premium, so if the most basic check shows a seemingly dodgy mileage history then that defeats the purposes.

[Captain_Morgan]

[quote=$chuey]As title. I am interested in purchasing a main dealer car. It's an ex-display car, 10-years-old and covered less than 1,000 miles. The issue is, the MOT history shows a mileage discrepancy of 40 miles. I know it's not much but it will always show up on an HPI check. The dealer assured me it was human error where an MOT tester has guessed the mileage (all MOTs were done in-house). If I were to purchase, the main dealer has offered to put it in writing that it was human error. Can I get the dealer to offer a discount?

Question is: would you buy a car with a mileage discrepancy?

Thanks
[/quote]

Not sure.

[$chuey]

TarquinMX5 said:

40 miles? I'd be more concerned about making sure that it's recommissioned properly. What is it?

It's a 2013 BMW M6.

thatdude said:

What car is it, and are there other examples that you could go buy without this sort of thing?

My issue here is that if someone cant be bothered to actually press a button and read the displayed mileage, instead they just guessed it - what else havnt they bothered to do?

It is only 40 miles and with mileage that low on a car a decade old I'd be personally more concerned about other things (dry seals weeping oil etc etc etc etc). You could ask for a letter, on headed paper reflecting the dealers details, stating that it was a human error.

Is the correct mileage higher or lower than that stated?

2013 BMW M6. I haven't managed to find any other examples with extremely low mileage.

Another thing I questioned was the service history. I asked the sales rep regarding the running-in service and he stated it's already been completed and that the car has been serviced yearly. It doesn't add up because the running-in service is due at the 1200 mile mark (the car has only covered 430-odd).

MOT history

Sep 2022: 425
Sep 2021: 465
Oct 2020: 391
Feb 2019: 286

Truckosaurus said:

Unless the OP can type as well as the MoT man in question, and it really is an ultra low mileage vehicle, then you'd need impeccable evidence for it to be worth a premium, so if the most basic check shows a seemingly dodgy mileage history then that defeats the purposes.

It was an ex-display car. The sales rep has said the mileage is definitely genuine.

Edited by $chuey on Friday 27th January 20:36

[Earthdweller]

It’s clearly a time warp car

[TarquinMX5]

The mileage discrepancy wouldn't worry me and it wouldn't be the first car with an error on the Mot records, however, a properly signed letter on headed notepaper from a reputable dealer should offer a degree of reassurance.

Are they saying it's had oil/filter changes every year, brake fluid changes etc. etc.? At that mileage/age I'd be looking at it needing all fluids changed, new tyres, new battery, new filters and wouldn't be too fussed about the mileage recorded on the mot. At the end of the day, you're buying the car not the computer record.

I'm aware of a main dealer supplying a similar-age very low mileage Mercedes and they agreed to fully service (ie all fluids etc, incl gearbox) and replace tyres etc on sale, simply due to age not mileage. As with all used cars, much depends on the condition and price.

[cayman-black]

Wow, a nearly new M6, nice.

[$chuey]

TarquinMX5 said:

The mileage discrepancy wouldn't worry me and it wouldn't be the first car with an error on the Mot records, however, a properly signed letter on headed notepaper from a reputable dealer should offer a degree of reassurance.

Are they saying it's had oil/filter changes every year, brake fluid changes etc. etc.? At that mileage/age I'd be looking at it needing all fluids changed, new tyres, new battery, new filters and wouldn't be too fussed about the mileage recorded on the mot. At the end of the day, you're buying the car not the computer record.

I'm aware of a main dealer supplying a similar-age very low mileage Mercedes and they agreed to fully service (ie all fluids etc, incl gearbox) and replace tyres etc on sale, simply due to age not mileage. As with all used cars, much depends on the condition and price.

Short-term, the mileage discrepancy isn't much of a concern, I am more worried about the long-term: resale value and potential buyers being put off.

Yes, the sales rep has stated it's had engine oil changes every year. I don't understand how it can have its running-in service completed when clearly the engine has not been run-in? If I were to close on the car, I would definitely ask them to change the above items.

Thanks

cayman-black said:

Wow, a nearly new M6, nice.

[Dingu]

Autotrader shows it as having an Export marker which I would have thought would be of as much interest in the future as a 40 mile discrepancy.

I can’t see that mileage issue raising many eyebrows in the future given sometimes you see discrepancies of thousands.

[$chuey]

Is Autotrader reliable? I checked the government website before calling the dealer. Export marker - no.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

I really can't see them servicing a car that goes basically nowhere each year. I'd also guess that if it truly is an ex-display car that barely left the showroom, then it won't have seen the MOT ramp much either, despite what paperwork it comes with.