Mileage Check

Why a mileage check matters

Mileage is one of the biggest drivers of a used car’s value, which makes it one of the most tempting things to falsify. A car that appears to have done 60,000 miles instead of 110,000 can command hundreds or thousands of pounds more — so a mileage checkis really a check on whether you can trust the number you’re being sold. AI Reg Check builds a mileage timeline from the readings recorded at each MOT and reads it for you, flagging anything that doesn’t add up.

The mileage timeline explained

Every MOT test captures the odometer reading on the day. Line those readings up in order and you get a timeline that should only ever climb, at a roughly sensible rate. AI Reg Check plots that line as part of the AI Car Check’s mileage analysis and uses it to analyse recorded mileage patterns. What you’re looking for is a smooth, believable rise:

• A reading that goes backwards — the single clearest sign of possible clocking.
• An implausible jump or drop — annual mileage that suddenly triples, or collapses to almost nothing.
• A long gap — a stretch with no tests, which leaves the mileage unverified for that period.
• A total that’s too low — a much older car showing improbably few miles.

MOT-based analysis vs a discrepancy marker

It’s worth being precise about where each signal comes from. The MOT-based mileage analysis is part of the AI Car Check: it’s the timeline and the AI’s reading of it, built from public MOT readings. A formal mileage discrepancy marker — the kind that records an odometer anomaly against national mileage data — comes from the Full Vehicle History Check (£14.95, or £99.99 for a 10-pack), where available. In other words, the AI check helps yousee a potential problem; the Full History check is where a recorded discrepancy is confirmed.

A worked example

A hatchback is advertised with “only 48,000 miles”. The AI Car Check timeline shows the car climbing steadily to 96,000 miles at its MOT two years ago — then the current advert claims less than half that. The AI flags the inconsistency immediately and marks the history score down. A Full Vehicle History Check then returns a recorded mileage discrepancy, confirming the odometer no longer tells the truth. Without the mileage check, that car’s low reading looked like a selling point.

How to run a mileage check with AI Reg Check

Enter the registration and run your free AI Car Check to see the mileage timeline and the AI’s read on it, alongside MOT history and valuation. The AI Buy Score and “Would I Buy It?” assessment require both current mileage and asking price. If the timeline raises any doubt — or simply because you’re about to hand over money — follow up with the Full Vehicle History Check to look for a recorded discrepancy marker, plus finance, write-off and stolen markers where available. And remember: a mileage check is decision support, not proof of condition. Always confirm the odometer, service history and general wear in person before you buy.