How to spot a clocked car?

[james12]

I've got a niggling feeling that my car may have been clocked at some point in it's life, maybe just me being paranoid!

It was 7 years old in March and had 43k on the clock when I got it in May, 5 previous owners on the V5.

The drivers seat looks a bit worn with the side nearest the door shiny with some creases in, it's not broken but you can see and feel it's a bit worn where the leather isn't as smooth in the cracks/creases and discoloured. I'm not sure how durable the leather is in the Exeo? Maybe short journeys jumping in and out?

Another thing is on the first MOT in 2012 the mileage recorded was only 15,244 but there was advisories for both rear tyres near the legal limit, that's roughly what I'd expect to get out of a set of fronts! Can the Exeo eat through rear tyres in 15k?

I've just replaced the rear continental contact sports after getting a puncture which couldn't be repaired. They'd been on roughly 18k miles with a 2013 build date and were a little over 1/2 worn so they would have got into the mid 20k's easily, poss towards 30k. Also some bubbling on the alloys and quite a bit of old adhesive left behind from wheel weights after tyre changes on the front wheels.

Service & MOT carried out on the same date in 2013 but there's a 600 mile difference in the service book vs the mileage recorded on the MOT on the same day, just a mistake?

Paid for an online HPI check but it came up with no mileage records. Not sure what else to check?

 

[ajf3011]

Rear tyres I usually get at least 30k out of, but driving style, road conditions, brand etc can all have a big effect on that figure.

My drivers seat bolster also has the wear you describe as well as the steering wheel starting to look a bit worn smooth, mine has over 100k on the clock though.
If the drivers have been a bit on the lardy side or not too careful getting in and out it then I guess it is possible the seat could show wear after only 40k.

Personally a 7 year old Exeo with 5 owners and low mileage would set alarm bells ringing, they tend to be a car people buy to stick miles on, seems strange 5 people have had it and averaged less than 10k each before selling on. Were the previous owners private or business?
If I remember right you have to pay extra on HPI for a mileage check, did you try this?
Should be some info on there even if it's just MOT entries.
Generally if a car's going to be clocked it'll be done before the first MOT, as mileage is always recorded at MOT which should show on a full HPI check.

 

[andycupra]

could get advisory on the rears if they were previously the fronts..

 

[james12]

Rear tyres I usually get at least 30k out of, but driving style, road conditions, brand etc can all have a big effect on that figure.

My drivers seat bolster also has the wear you describe as well as the steering wheel starting to look a bit worn smooth, mine has over 100k on the clock though.
If the drivers have been a bit on the lardy side or not too careful getting in and out it then I guess it is possible the seat could show wear after only 40k.

Personally a 7 year old Exeo with 5 owners and low mileage would set alarm bells ringing, they tend to be a car people buy to stick miles on, seems strange 5 people have had it and averaged less than 10k each before selling on. Were the previous owners private or business?
If I remember right you have to pay extra on HPI for a mileage check, did you try this?
Should be some info on there even if it's just MOT entries.
Generally if a car's going to be clocked it'll be done before the first MOT, as mileage is always recorded at MOT which should show on a full HPI check.

Yours has done more than double the mileage with similar wear! I didn't mention the steering wheel but it does look smooth as well. I used some leather wipes on it and it looked better so maybe it needed cleaned as it was a bit greasy, doesn't look overly worn though. The other seats hardly look like they've been sat in.

I was a bit weary of the 5 owners when viewing the car but it's in VGC and it drives spot on, no idea if they were private or business as only the previous owner to me on the V5, can I request this info from the DVLA?

The car had done 5907 miles on the first annual service, 10799 on the second and it was MOT'd in March 2012 @ 15244 then serviced in the June @ 17802 miles. Services were all carried out at the supplying dealer.

There's an increase of 10k on the next maintenance page in the book but no date, the mileage was 27228 which shows the timing belt has been replaced but not at Seat, I'm going to call the garage that's stamped the book and ask for the date on that service. The following 4 services the car has only been doing 3-4k per year, not the type of car you buy to do so little mileage, it is a bit odd that 5 owners have all been low mileage users. Should have thought about the 5 owners and when I come to sell it as atm it's nearly had on owner for every year of it's life as I'm the 6th, how will this affect the resale value? Maybe garages won't be willing to accept it with so many previous owners in a not so old car?

I paid £15 for the HPI check but no mileage records available, they'll only be recorded at each MOT?

The reg number is not from round here either, it starts with KN09 and cars registered in Cumbria are either PX or PY but it was delivered new to the first owner from my local Seat dealer.

could get advisory on the rears if they were previously the fronts..

True, they could have done a rotation but the fronts must have been quite worn when put onto the rear axle?

 

[stuarttunstall]

If you know anybody with VCDS or VAG-COM as it was known get them to do a scan, this should show the mileage stored in the ECU, not sure if that can be changed as easy as the instruments...

This is the top of the last scan I did on my Ibiza before I swapped it...

The mileage was within about 5-10 miles of the speedo reading

Monday,13,June,2016,21:25:19:20813
VCDS -- Windows Based VAG/VAS Emulator Running on Windows 7 x64
VCDS Version: 15.7.4.1 (x64)
Data version: 20160216
www.Ross-Tech.com

Dealer/Shop Name: Stuart Tunstall

VIN: VSSZZZ6JZBR106995 License Plate: YY60VEL
Mileage: 159350km-99015mi Repair Order:

As for tyres if they are Dunlop Sport Maxx I got about 10000 miles out of mine, twice! they were rubbish, changed them to Goodyear in the end.... cannot comment on those as I swapped for the Superb a few months later..

 

[james12]

Interesting, I don't know anyone with VCDS. I could take it to a garage but not sure how much they would charge me.

 

[stuarttunstall]

May be worth posting here http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=104 maybe a member is local to you who could help

 

[james12]

Thanks, have put a post in there.

 

[stuarttunstall]

Good stuff... I am pretty sure it showed on my old Exeo as it does on my Superb now..

 

[james12]

Be good if it shows the mileage stored in the ECU vs the instrument reading and if it has been knocked back then hopefully they weren't clever enough to alter the ECU reading, depends on how easy/difficult it is to do I guess.

I'm hoping it hasn't been tampered with but if it has then I won't be happy and I'll be paying a visit to the dealer...

 

[m0rk]

KN09 - so it's a Northampton car. Likely either 1st owner was SEAT as press fleet (especially if well specced)

Or

1st Owner was still SEAT on a staff lease (or friends & family lease)

Then the cars are returned to dealers to sell on as 'approved used' well before their first service (I think 9 months) - quite possible that it sat about not going anywhere in the time before it's 1st service (check the service date vs the 1st registration date)

When cars are traded in, they sit if they're not a fast mover, which accounts for the lack of mileage at times.

I agree with the comment that the rears wearing could be because they'd been rotated.

Otherwise, all five of your previous owners will have had to have been in on the clocking of the mileage. Which is unlikely

 

[james12]

The 1st owners name and address is in the front of the service book and they took delivery in March 2009 when it was registered and it's 1st service was done in March 2010. It's an SE Lux so well specced but no optional extras. I think the first owner probably had it 3 years as similar mileage between services up to 2012.

5 owners with most doing small mileage is a little odd for the type of vehicle but that could be for many reasons I suppose. There was a year between services where the car did 10k so one of the owners clocked up closer to average annual mileage. The last owner on the V5 acquired the car January this year and it was back up for sale in March.

You're right, it's highly unlikely that 5 different people would've had the car clocked.

After a bit of Facebook snooping there's a photo of my Exeo on the previous owners Facebook page from 2014 but according to the V5 it says he acquired it on the 26th Jan 2016.

 

[james12]

Its very difficult and expensive to clock the Exeo, calculate how much you paid and how much you could have bought a 100,000-150,000 mile car for, its peanuts.

There's some on Autotrader with 150k+ going for £2.5 to £3k, I paid £6995. reassuring to know it's not easy or cheap to clock the Exeo.

 

[GREEBO22]

To be honest James12 as long as the car is driving ok and you are happy with it i wouldnt worry, ( my last car 99 passat 2ltr TDI did about 190k and if it didnt need a new clutch & flywheel i would still be driving it )
and you said about a pic on FB, maybe the previous owner bought the car from a friend or family member, i used to do that when possible as i knew how the car was looked after etc

i bought my Exeo ( 60 plate) in 1st week in April with 117k and have only done just over 1000 so far ( work just 3 miles from home ) which is mostly weekend driving, i paid £6300 for it but i wanted the spec,,
Winter Pack Tech Pack 170 Sport with xenon & led rear lights (and it also has factory fit detachable tow bar)

 

[Flobadob]

I agree that 5 owners is a lot for a 09 plate car, but there are many legit reason for this.

Some Question / observations,

If you move house you have to declare the new address to the DVLA so they know where to send you notice of tax etc. Is this address change classed as new ownership? If yes could the previous owner been renting and moving around with work etc?

I purchased a car for my ex as a surprise 40th present but she later insisted that I put the car under her name thus a new owner but under the same address. Same owner new name. 6 months later divorce happened....

Low mileage could be because the car has been sitting on the forecourt for ages, this also may be the reason why its it good condition. There is an Experian check that can be run that looks at all the activity on the car with regard to finance and hpi checks that have been requested on the car. Not sure how you get this info as a mate works for an insurance company and offered it to me when I last purchased a car. But this info could show that the car had been sitting on forecourts for a while.

MOT history can be found here and mileage:-

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/?_ga=1.58270700.774617096.1437737745


My big question though is why has it had 5 owners? Is there something wrong with the car? If this is the case pay for an extended warranty.

Hope some of the above helps?

 

[andycupra]

Sounds like the Facebook guy has played around with the registered owner.... divorce, partner, business, tax, insolvency, among a long list of reasons to change ownership. Not all correct or legal of course..

 

[james12]

I agree that 5 owners is a lot for a 09 plate car, but there are many legit reason for this.

Some Question / observations,

If you move house you have to declare the new address to the DVLA so they know where to send you notice of tax etc. Is this address change classed as new ownership? If yes could the previous owner been renting and moving around with work etc?

I purchased a car for my ex as a surprise 40th present but she later insisted that I put the car under her name thus a new owner but under the same address. Same owner new name. 6 months later divorce happened....

Low mileage could be because the car has been sitting on the forecourt for ages, this also may be the reason why its it good condition. There is an Experian check that can be run that looks at all the activity on the car with regard to finance and hpi checks that have been requested on the car. Not sure how you get this info as a mate works for an insurance company and offered it to me when I last purchased a car. But this info could show that the car had been sitting on forecourts for a while.

MOT history can be found here and mileage:-

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/?_ga=1.58270700.774617096.1437737745


My big question though is why has it had 5 owners? Is there something wrong with the car? If this is the case pay for an extended warranty.

Hope some of the above helps?

Not good if it's been sitting on a forecourt for ages with so many owners? They haven't kept it 5 minutes before getting rid after doing a few miles?!

I did get an extended warranty in the deal, the standard was 3 months but the salesman doubled it to 6.

Sounds like the Facebook guy has played around with the registered owner.... divorce, partner, business, tax, insolvency, among a long list of reasons to change ownership. Not all correct or legal of course..

Hmmmm... Wish I could find out who the previous owners were, can I request that from the DVLA? It's odd that the guy had it in 2014 but on the V5 he acquired it January 2016 then it was up for sale a few months later.

He has paid £7000 for a 7 year old car, I think he must have extended warranty, I paid £7000 for mine but it was half as old as that and I got 12 months warranty.

Yeah 6 months as part of the deal instead of 3.

 

[jasons76]

the DVLA wouldn't give you that information due to data protection/fraud reasons,i take it you have the last owners address deatails on the v5,why don't you write to him to find out why he sold it etc.maybe if he had the car in 2014 but only acquired the car in 2016 it maybe that it was on finance so technically he wasn't the legal owner of the car until the finance was paid off.

 

[james12]

Yeah thought that would be the case trying to get the info from the DVLA. I've had cars on finance before and have always been the owner on the V5 from the start.

Might get in touch with the last owner and see what he says, whether he'll be honest I don't know! He also works for a local taxi company...

 

[decadent]

Some observations from myself:

Do you know where the car was based? If city then low mileage and high bolster wear correlate - short journeys and lots of getting in and out. Blistered alloys could have been a result of a poor refurb job, again if a city car perhaps a lot of kerbside misjudged parking opportunities by previous owners.

Multiple owners - well the first was likely to have been SEAT themselves or a dealer, the 2nd was the first private owner. Maybe they had it as a company car and then bought it themselves creating the 3rd owner. Perhaps the 3rd moved house and DVLA screwed up and classed another owner on the log. Perhaps it was sold again, maybe something to do with the VW emissions scandle to a 5th owner. Could be any reason, but 5 does seem fairly high for a 7 year old car.

Another observation is that the tyres were of a decent brand in 2013 (continental sports), unlikely to be someone clocking if they are spending good money on tyres.

The advisory on the rear tyres in 2012 is likely someone swapping fronts to back.

What's the overall condition of the car - is the front peppered with stone chips? are the headlights still clear? What's the wear like on the pedals, steering wheel, gear stick? Do you have any receipts for previous work outside the dealer network - like tyres, geometry etc which note mileage?

What were the mileage intervals for years 1 & 2 if the 3rd year was 15244?