What Car? Q&A - How can I check mileage is true?

Q: What is the best way of checking how many miles a car has really done? I’ve seen a Rover 75 2.0 CDT advertised for sale with only 4800 miles on it. It is a 2002 model and is up for only £7495 – this seems too good to be true. Other than worn seats, is there any other way of checking the mileage on a car?
Helen Donald

A: When inspecting a car you’re considering buying, see whether the mileage on the odometer matches the general condition of the car. The state of the seats, pedals, gearlever, steering wheel and bodywork can provide clues to how old a car is and how many miles it might have done.

You can also check the car’ paperwork including service records, MoT certificates and sales invoices for details of mileages.

The National Mileage Register may holds detail on the car you’re interested in. This data can be accessed via an HPI vehicle history check, although not all cars have been registered. A vehicle history check is a vital part of buying any used car. Click here to use the What Car? HPI Service.

Without knowing the exact specification of the car, the figure you’ve quoted doesn’t seem that much less than the What Car? Price Guide value for that model, however. You can check the value of your car for free online at whatcar.com here.

Remember too, that the car you’re looking at is no longer covered by any warranty. There’s going to be plenty of spare parts for Rovers for many years to come, and plenty of workshops willing to use them, but if you don’t want to be stung by sudden costs you might want to consider buying a third-party warranty for the car from a provider such as Warranty Direct at www.warrantydirect.co.uk.