Falsified mileage rife in used cars

New research has found that one in 14 nearly-new used cars offered for sale are found to have a falsified mileage.

According to data released by the vehicle history checking service carVertical, 7.1% of nearly-new used cars for sale have had their odometer tampered with. This can inflate the sale price by as much as 25%.

One to five-year-old Nissans are the most commonly clocked nearly-new vehicle, with nearly a fifth of them checked by carVertical showing a discrepancy between their odometer and recorded mileage.

Overall, 9.6% of cars checked on carVertical over the last 12 months to September were found to be clocked, which equates to around 690,000 cars.

Matas Buzelis, car expert at carVertical, said: “A lot of drivers might think buying a newer used car which has had fewer owners and miles on the road is a safer bet. But buying a newer vehicle doesn’t eliminate the risks of getting a car with clocked mileage or hidden defects.

“Some new car buyers purchase vehicles and agree not to exceed a certain mileage so they can get better financing or lower their monthly rates. However, fraudulent drivers ignore these agreements and roll the odometer readings back so it appears they complied with the contract they signed.”