Martina thought he’d found a great deal on a used Nissan Qashqai. It had under 40,000 miles, looked spotless, and the seller assured him it had “low mileage and one careful owner.” But before transferring the cash, Martina did one smart thing – he ran a mileage check.
The result was alarming.
MOT history showed the car had recorded 74,000 miles two years earlier. Somewhere along the line, the odometer had been wound back. The “one owner” claim was also false – the vehicle had gone through four in five years.
Without that mileage check, Martin would’ve overpaid by at least £3,000 – and been stuck with a worthless car if he ever tried to resell it.
Why mileage matters more than you think
Mileage is one of the key indicators of a car’s wear, reliability, and value. It affects:
- Pricing: Lower mileage means higher resale value
- Insurance: Premiums may depend on estimated annual mileage
- Servicing: Cars require certain work at fixed intervals
- Warranty: Some warranties are void if mileage records don’t match
- Repairs: Higher mileage cars often need more immediate work
But the problem? Mileage fraud is widespread.
It’s estimated that over 1 in 16 used cars on UK roads has a tampered odometer. And digital dashboards have made it even easier for dishonest sellers to roll back mileage without leaving a trace.
What a mileage check reveals
A proper mileage check doesn’t just tell you the number on the dash. It looks at recorded mileage across time, drawing from:
- MOT tests (DVSA official history)
- Service records and garage entries
- Insurance and valuation databases
- Manufacturer reports where available
Rapid Car Check includes this in every full report, alongside:
- Mileage trends to detect drops or resets
- MOT test history and mileage consistency
- VIN check and logbook data
- Write-off category and accident history
- Outstanding finance and log book loans
- Scrapped status, stolen vehicle alerts, and colour/plate changes
- Previous keepers, road tax, and BHP figures
- Over 50+ data points in total – all backed by a £30,000 data guarantee
This gives you complete clarity – not just about the mileage, but the full vehicle story.
Spotting a clocked car
Mileage fraud is rarely obvious. But a proper check helps you look for:
- Drops in mileage between MOTs
- Very low mileage on older cars (e.g. 20k on a 10-year-old model)
- Inconsistent gaps between MOT tests or missing years
- No advisory items or service evidence for a “high mileage” car
- Dash wear and tear that doesn’t match claimed mileage
- Suspiciously fast ownership changes
Even a small rollback – say, from 95,000 to 78,000 miles – can drastically increase a car’s price. And if you later sell it, the fraud becomes your legal problem.
Why free mileage checks aren’t enough
Yes, the DVSA lets you check MOT mileage for free. But that only shows annual snapshots. It doesn’t compare trends, access finance records, or flag other risks.
A full mileage check from Rapid Car Check gives:
- Better visibility
- Smarter alerts
- Legal protection
- And a £30,000 data guarantee if something’s missed
It’s one of the cheapest ways to avoid one of the most expensive problems in the used car market.
Real money saved
Emma, a first-time buyer, almost bought a Ford Fiesta showing 38,000 miles. But her mileage check showed it had 112,000 miles four MOTs ago. The seller had replaced the instrument cluster with one from a scrapped car.
She walked away – and saved herself thousands.
Final thoughts
A mileage check is no longer a luxury. It’s essential.
In minutes, you can confirm whether a car has been honestly used, or whether someone’s hiding years of wear behind a rolled-back dashboard.
Run your check. Save your cash. And drive away confident.
