Car Clocking

[dpsubaru]

Does anybody look out for this when they go and buy a car?

This is one thing i look for, even from a showroom. Normally concentrate on the rubber pedals, steering wheel, gearbox gater, gearknob and in worst case the seats (often people are lazier about sorting these parts than sprucing up the engine with a quick wash etc...). Do you think their is anything else that should look for internally ?

 

[indiaman]

When someone asks me to check out a used car for them, apart from the usual checks, I check the condition of the engine oil, check the air filter, and the condition of the radiator fins, also a look under chassis for any obvious accident damage.

 

[obi_waynne]

It is something that worries me too. I like to see old MOT's to back up the mileage. If a car has been clocked then you can usually see that the numbers do not all line up. Steering wheel wear is a good sign, sometimes they change the pedals but rarely bother with the steering wheel.

 

[dpsubaru]

one other point, FSH is a load of nonsense, its easy to get this stamoed by a 'friend' working the garage even if the work/checks were never done.

 

[HDi fun]

Service invoices help a lot. A stamped service history without supporting invoices is next to worthless.

 

[Loz]

Stone chips will show if it's done a few motorway miles, I suppose a car with low mileage that is spattered in stone chips might be worth avoiding.

 

[HDi fun]

It's not that cars with high recorded mileage are a problem. A well maintained car will cover outrageous mileages and still drive very very well indeed.

Where the problem arises is that low mileage used cars attract a very healthy premium.

So, if you're going to pay a premium for a low mileage used car then you want to make absolutely sure that you're getting exactly that.

Many modern cars disguise their mileage very well indeed. There are cars with 250,000+ miles on the clock which, having been well serviced, will drive and feel like new; far nicer than a 30,000 mile one which has been neglected and badly driven for its whole life.

So, buy an honest high mileage and well maintained car at the right price. Don't pay big money for a supposed low miler without evidential quality history.

 

[obi_waynne]

I think it's harder to do this now the mileage is recorded on the MOT certificates and they show the last few years as well.