recent articles

Read All About It

Check Out Our Latest Articles, Help Guides And Videos

scam alert

Warning Bells in the Motor Trade: Surge in Mileage Fraud Highlights Need for Vigilance

September 14, 20232 min read

In the ever-evolving landscape of the UK motor industry, the latest car dealer news brings to the fore a pressing issue that merits the attention of both dealers and buyers alike. According to recent data analysis conducted by the reputable vehicle history checking company, CarVertical, there seems to be a significant surge in cases involving falsified or incorrect mileage records, particularly with used cars under five years old. This emerging challenge in the motor trade news is something that warrants a meticulous approach to prevent a potential fallout in the market.

inbox advert

CarVertical's study revealed a rather alarming statistic - nearly 7 in 100 cars checked over the past year up to September showcased discrepancies between the odometer and recorded mileage, with one in 14 used cars showcasing incorrect details. Nissan leads the pack with a staggering 18.9% of nearly-new vehicles displaying inconsistencies, closely followed by Renault and Peugeot, with discrepancies found in 16.1% and 15.8% of cases, respectively.

At the core of this emerging issue are digital dashboards and prevalent mileage-related motor finance arrangements, including leasing and personal contract purchases. These arrangements, unfortunately, have given rise to a number of unscrupulous businesses manipulating the recorded mileage electronically, exploiting the potential to increase the sale price of a used vehicle by up to 25%. Furthermore, this deception inadvertently leads to heightened maintenance costs for the new owners, given the unaccounted wear and tear on the vehicle.

ben charity

The insights shared by Matas Buzelis, a car expert at CarVertical, further echo the gravity of the situation. According to Buzelis, the manipulation of a car's mileage not only poses mechanical risks but also significantly affects its actual market value, potentially causing financial losses for the new owner in the event of a resale.

The current scenario highlights the pressing need for vigilance in the motor trade industry, with around 690,000 drivers potentially at risk of falling prey to mileage fraud this year alone, amidst the sale of approximately 1.8 million used cars each quarter in 2023. It stands as a clarion call to dealers and prospective buyers to exercise utmost caution and due diligence to safeguard against potential mileage fraud, thereby ensuring a fair and secure trading environment.

In conclusion, this recent development in car dealer news underscores a critical time in the UK motor trade sector. It beckons for an industry-wide effort to stem the rise of mileage fraud and maintain the integrity of the motor trade market. Now, more than ever, a meticulous approach towards vehicle history verification seems not just prudent but necessary to foster transparency and trust within the community.

You can read the original article at AM ONLINE.

motor trade newscar dealer news
Back to Blog

Our Guarantee

We’re 100% confident MotorTrade Ai delivers real results for UK dealers — so confident, we’ll prove it upfront before you spend a penny.

Everything we offer is built to drive a near-instant return on investment. In fact, most of our dealer partners start

earning before they’ve even paid us.

No fluff. No risk. Just results.

Heard it all before?!

How do you know it will be different this time?


Built by the trade, for the trade.


We know exactly what it’s like to run a dealership—because we’ve done it ourselves. Between us, we’ve owned and operated car dealerships for years, spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on marketing and advertising to try and move more metal.


Some of it worked. A lot of it didn’t. We bought into shiny promises that looked great on paper but delivered nothing but a lighter bank balance.


That’s why we built

MotorTrade Ai

—an AI-driven solution designed specifically for the UK motor trade, by people who’ve actually been in it.


We’ve used our combined 50+ years of experience to create tools that help you:


- Book sales appointments with previous customers

- Generate 5⭐️ Google reviews

- Manage inbound leads and turn them into buyers

- Drive real, measurable ROI—even in slow months like December


And we do all of this cost-effectively, with speed and simplicity.


We’re proud to say that our customers see a near-instant return on investment—and we’re always happy to

prove it upfront.


The motor trade is a small world, and unless you’ve lived it, you don’t truly get it. That’s what makes MotorTrade Ai different. We’re not a tech startup trying to break into the industry—we’re the industry, using AI to solve real problems that real dealers face every day.


Got questions?


Not sure if we can help your dealership?


Drop us a message via the web chat below, and we’ll arrange a time to talk.

Ready to transform your dealership ?

Smarter lead gen, generate more 5⭐️ reviews and sell more cars with MotorTrade Ai!