Confirming its place as the most comprehensive mileage database available in the UK, HPI's National Mileage Register (NMR) now contains over 125 million mileage readings - giving car buyers extra assurance when conducting an HPI Check.
- HPI's National Mileage Register exceeds 125 million records
Confirming its place as the most comprehensive mileage database available in the UK, HPI's National Mileage Register (NMR) now contains over 125 million mileage readings - giving car buyers extra assurance when conducting an HPI Check.
It can be difficult to tell how many miles a vehicle has done simply by looking at it and some unscrupulous sellers make it even harder by "clocking" the odometer. Reducing the mileage on a vehicle can add hundreds, possibly even thousands, to the price of a vehicle. A "clocked" vehicle could also have additional wear and tear, which could lead to potential faults a lot sooner down the line than a buyer would expect.
When buyers purchase their HPI Check, the mileage of the vehicle is automatically cross-referenced against HPI's extensive National Mileage register, which has grown by a staggering 25 million records since this time last year. One in every 12 vehicles checked with HPI shows a discrepancy or inconsistency in a vehicle's mileage. Whilst upon investigation many inconsistencies are proven innocent, in other cases there is a very clear intention of someone trying to increase the value of the car and deceiving subsequent purchasers.
Nick Lindsay, director of HPI, comments: "By reaching 125 million records, the National Mileage Register takes us a huge step further towards tackling the problem of clocking. With these additional records buyers who conduct HPI checks are given true peace of mind that they are paying the right price for the vehicle and that they won't be lumbered with expensive repairs long before they expected them."
HPI Checks are available at http://www.hpicheck.com/ from just £19.99. With more vehicle information than anybody else, HPI can give you an instant answer on whether the car you want to buy has been stolen, written-off, clocked, or has outstanding finance.
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. - Worn pedal rubbers
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
Are not necessarily a cause for concern, and certainly not an area to focus on 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". - Worn driver's seat
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. - Worn carpets
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. - Check tyre wear
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. - And finally...
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.
-ends-
For press enquiries please contact:
Margot Tomkinson, Dominic Dennis or Justine Hoadley at HSL 0208 977 9132 or dominic@harrisonsadler.com
Notes to editors:
About HPI
Originally established in 1938, HPI Limited is a primary source of vehicle information for the UK motor industry and motoring consumer, which since August 2004 has been owned by Norwich Union. HPI encompasses both the HPI database of all UK road registered vehicle descriptions and histories, and the National Mileage Register which holds in excess of 125 million mileage readings.
Together, HPI and NMR represent the UK's largest vehicle information source, combining and interpreting data from government agencies, industry bodies, private organisations, the police and the general public. Registering with HPI helps companies to protect their financial interests in motor vehicles and a wide range of other mobile assets. HPI Checks give purchasers instant confirmation of whether vehicles are correctly described, known to be subject to outstanding finance or serious accident damage, or recorded as stolen or "clocked".
'HPI' and the HPI logo are registered trademarks of HPI Limited.
(1) All prices include VAT and are correct as of 1 January 2006
(2) Mileage Data is not covered by The HPI Guarantee
(3) The HPI Guarantee is subject to terms and conditions