Mileage discrepancies now affect up to 1 in 11 popular second hand cars; and while volume family models pose the greatest risk. These are the conclusions from HPI’s new analysis of its National Mileage Register (NMR).
The National Mileage Register, which draws information from a wide variety of public and industry sources, now holds details of over 1.4 million vehicles with mileage discrepancies recorded against them.
The survey’s findings have highlighted the most ‘risky’ vehicles for buyers on the road today. In terms of absolute numbers, the Ford Escort leads with over 144,000 suspicious examples; but when the number of each vehicle on the road is taken into account, it’s the Vauxhall Calibra that tops the charts, with 1 in 11 showing a discrepancy.
All vehicle sectors have their clocking favourites, as HPI’s analysis by sector illustrates. For example, ex-business fleet vehicles, which can accumulate high mileages in a short period of time whilst remaining in good nick, have long been popular targets for the unscrupulous re-seller.
Here, the worst affected in volume terms is the Ford Mondeo, with nearly 55,000 discrepant vehicles logged on NMR. In the prestigious compact executive sector, the BMW 3-Series is most at risk, with 27,500 discrepant examples recorded; while in the luxury/executive market, ex-fleet Vauxhall Omegas stand out as a high-risk purchase without an NMR check – nearly 6% of all those on file have some explaining to do.
Top 10 by % of all cars in circulation
(excluding classic cars)
1. Vauxhall Calibra
|
9.1%
|
2. Ford Orion
|
8%
|
3. Ford Sierra
|
7.7%
|
4. Suzuki SJ/Samurai
|
7.4%
|
5. Ford Probe
|
7.2%
|
6. Ford Explorer
|
7%
|
7. Peugeot 605
|
6.9%
|
8. Porsche 924/944
|
6.8%
|
9. Vauxhall Nova
|
6.8%
|
10. Ford Escort
|
6.6%
|
HPI’s TOP 10 TIPS ON HOW TO SPOT A CLOCKED CAR
A shiny steering wheel/gear lever
A shiny steering wheel certainly can indicate high mileage. However, a good ‘clocker’ may have replaced it if it is too much of a giveaway. Some steering wheels, particularly those with a harder feel can appear unworn even on extremely high mileage vehicles. Gear knobs, on the other hand, are sometimes overlooked by ‘clockers’ and they definitely can show signs of wear on high mileage vehicles.
Most ‘clockers’ are wise to this one and worn pedal rubbers can be easily and cheaply replaced. Therefore, look out for new pedal rubbers - you wouldn’t normally expect to see new ones on a used vehicle.
Poorly aligned digits on the odometer
This is one of the least accurate things to look out for. Many cars have ‘wonky digits’ as a matter of course and it should not be taken as showing that an odometer has been tampered with. Do, however, be highly suspicious if you see marks on the digits themselves, someone might have slipped with a screwdriver! Rubbed away or faint digits are also a pretty good indication of tampering.
Worn screw heads around the instrument panel
Take little or no notice. Instrument panels may have to be removed for any number of reasons, such as to change a bulb or attend to a rattle. If too much notice is taken of this point, you could conclude that nearly all cars were ‘clocked’.
This is excellent advice. Seats are very expensive to replace and therefore, seldom are. Although some fabrics stand hard use much better than others, most will show signs of wear. A collapsing driver’s seat is a pretty definite indication of high mileage.
Again this is good advice. Worn carpets do indicate a lot of wear, but don’t forget that most cars these days have mats of some kind, which can be easily removed or replaced. If the carpets around the accelerator pedal are worn, it is definitely worth looking closer for some of the other tell-tale signs.
This is really only relevant on relatively new cars. However, if the car is supposed to be very low mileage (perhaps under 10,000 miles) you shouldn’t expect to see a worn out spare and four nearly bald tyres on the car. Be aware though, that many cars can go through tyres at an alarming rate - particularly high performance front wheel drive cars.
Check the front end for excessive stone chips
This is well worth a look. High mileage cars do usually have very ‘chippy’ front ends and may show very little other sign of high mileage. Look carefully, but remember bodywork can easily be re-painted and you certainly shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that every car that has the bonnet painted has something to hide. Badly scratched door-sills can also be an indication of heavy usage.
Check the service history
Odometer changes are often recorded in the service history. Even if no specific record of an odometer change is made, by carefully checking the date and mileage of each service, you may well discover an inconsistency. If you are at all suspicious about the authenticity of a service history, then telephone the garage whose stamp appears in it. Bear in mind that anyone capable of ‘clocking’ a car will also be capable of forging a service history.
The tell-tale signs of a ‘clocked’ car will be evident to varying degrees dependent upon the actual mileage covered. Any one of the signs of high mileage mentioned may be perfectly innocent and explainable and should not cause undue alarm. Look, therefore, for a cluster of several tell-tale signs. Do not take any one in isolation.
Link
: www.hpicheck.com
(a vehicle check costs £37.95)
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