Sarah lives in Leeds and works as a community nurse, so she needs a car she can trust for long shifts and lots of miles. She wanted a safe car with reasonable running costs and a clear history.
Her budget was £14,000, and she was looking for a clean hatchback that could handle both city trips and motorway driving. After two weeks of searching, she found a 2017 Volkswagen Golf on a popular used car website. The advert said it had 42,300 miles, one careful owner, and a clean history.
The price was £13,995, which seemed fair for the age, mileage, and specifications. The photos looked sharp, and the seller sounded confident on the phone.
Sarah arranged to view it the next evening and met the seller outside his house in north Leeds. In daylight, the car's paintwork looked good, the wheels were clean, and the interior looked tidy.
She took it for a short test drive, and it felt smooth and steady. The clutch felt normal, the brakes worked well, and there were no warning lights showing on the dashboard.
Back at the house, the odometer showed 42,312 miles. The seller said he was only selling because he had bought a larger car for family reasons.
Sarah liked the car, but she did not want to rely on a quick drive and a friendly conversation to make a decision. She had heard too many stories about clocked mileage, and she knew that a problem like that can be hard to spot in person.
While she was still there, she ran a My Car Reg Check using the registration number. She paid on her phone and waited for the results to load.
The report arrived within minutes and brought key details into one place. It included the MOT history, recorded mileages, and checks for write-off records, outstanding finance, and stolen markers.
At first glance, the report looked fine because there was no stolen marker and no obvious headline warning. For a moment, it felt like the car might be a safe buy after all.
Then Sarah opened the MOT section and checked the mileage records. As soon as she saw 78,540 miles recorded at an MOT in May 2023, her stomach dropped, because it did not match the 42,312 miles showing on the dashboard.
She read on and saw 81,102 miles at an MOT in May 2024, which made the higher mileage look even more believable. At that point, she stopped treating it like a small mistake and started looking for a clear explanation.
The next entry made it worse, because it showed 42,120 miles at an MOT in May 2025.
Sarah checked the registration number again to make sure the report matched the car in front of her. The details lined up, which meant the mileage drop was real in the record, even if the seller had no idea about it.
A drop like that needs a clear explanation. It can happen if an odometer has been altered, or if a replacement dashboard has been fitted without proper evidence and paperwork.
Either way, it creates doubt about the true mileage. True mileage matters because it affects value, servicing, wear, and what a buyer can expect from the car.
The report also showed a registration plate change within the last year. That can be innocent, but it can also make it harder to track a car’s past if other details do not add up.
On its own, the plate change did not prove anything. Still, combined with the mileage drop, it made Sarah feel that she needed answers before she even considered a deposit.
She stayed calm and asked the seller about the MOT mileage history. She explained what the report showed and said the car appeared to have been recorded at over 78,000 miles in earlier years.
The seller said it must be a mistake in the system. When Sarah asked why there were two high readings a year apart, he could not give a clear reason.
He then said the car had been off the road for a while. Sarah pointed out, politely, that being off the road would not cause the mileage to go backwards in official records.
Sarah asked to see the service book and any recent invoices. Paperwork often clears things up, especially if there was a genuine dashboard replacement or a corrected entry.
The service stamps stopped in 2022. There were no receipts for the last couple of years, which left a big gap in the story.
Sarah also noticed small signs that suggested the car had done more miles than the dashboard showed. The steering wheel felt worn, the driver’s seat felt softer than expected, and the gear knob looked more used than a low-mileage car usually does.
She did not accuse the seller of anything. She simply said she needed time to look into the discrepancy before making any decision.
She went home, opened the report again, and focused on the dates and readings. She wanted to be sure she understood what the records were showing.
The report listed the garage that carried out the 2024 MOT. The next morning, Sarah called the garage and asked if they could confirm the mileage they had recorded at the time.
They could not discuss personal details about the owner. However, they confirmed that their recorded mileage was just over 80,000 when the car was tested.
They also said they had no record of any correction later. That made the 2025 entry, which showed around 42,000 miles, look even more concerning.
Sarah then checked market prices for similar 2017 Golfs with 80,000 to 90,000 miles. She looked at several dealer listings to get a realistic range for cars with average service records.
Most of them were advertised at around £9,000 to £10,000, depending on condition and spec. That was roughly £4,000 less than the £13,995 she had been offered.
Sarah also thought about what would happen if she bought it and later tried to sell it. A car with unclear mileage records is harder to sell, and buyers often walk away as soon as they see a mismatch.
She also knew that higher mileage can mean more wear, especially if servicing is missing. Parts like the clutch, brakes, suspension, and timing components can cost a lot if they fail earlier than expected.
When Sarah added it all up, the risk looked close to £5,000. That figure included the likely overpayment on purchase price, plus the extra chance of repairs and the hit to resale value.
She messaged the seller and declined the car. She said the MOT mileage history did not match the current reading, and she could not take the risk without proper evidence.
The seller replied with a short message and did not offer documents or an explanation. That response made Sarah feel even more confident that walking away was the right move.
A week later, Sarah found another 2017 Golf at a small independent dealer, priced at £14,250. It looked just as clean, and the dealer sounded organised and straightforward.
Before she travelled to see it, Sarah ran a My Car Reg Check on the second car. This time, the MOT mileages increased steadily each year, and there were no major red flags.
When she viewed the car, the wear inside matched the mileage. The dealer could also show invoices and service paperwork that supported the history.
Sarah bought the second Golf and has driven it for six months without any nasty surprises.
