SLK Purchase Mileage Discrepancy

[Eddie Twadds]

Interested in this car: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508145...

However, MOT mileage is all over the place: https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?regis...

Looks more than a mileage entry issue. Anybody able to check for me please?

Thanks

[sixor8]

Hardly all over the place, it just went backward in 2024, albeit over 20k miles and then went up the next 2 tests, so not a typo.

If it's one owner from new, they should know why it shot backwards. Most likely an instrument failure and replaced with a used set. I doubt anybody would be dumb enough to clock it with digital MoT records.

[Jag_NE]

Eddie Twadds said:

Interested in this car: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508145...

However, MOT mileage is all over the place: https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?regis...

Looks more than a mileage entry issue. Anybody able to check for me please?

Thanks

what did the seller say?

[macron]

fk that st.

[Sir Bagalot]

Ask the owner. It went back in their ownership (but obv don't tell them that)

[sixor8]

macron said:

fk that st.

That adds nothing to the link provided by the OP to the DVSA MoT record, with the addition that it failed for an illegal tyre on 24/05/23, covered 3 miles getting a new tyre and passed on 25/05/23. Whatever source you're using for data is poor.

[Scootersp]

Ok here is an outside shot at a positive explanation.

That age merc I think you can toggle between KM and MPH including the odo?

The 46,015 miles (june 24) converted to KM's is 75K km which would be a reasonable 7K km added to the (may 23 65K)

If you go back to June 2019 and the 31,519 miles there is a chance (pandemic etc) that the June 2021 mot is the first where for whatever reason the display was changed to KM, 31,519 in miles is approx 51K km, the June 21 mot is 55,808.

So what's more likely in 2 years, in and around covid/lockdowns, the owner did 24K miles? ( a total oddity vs other years before and after) or the odo units were switched (maybe they did a european trip) and they did 5k km's?

Yes MOT sometimes/should pick up the units and state miles or KM's but I know they don't always spot it.

[leef44]

sixor8 said:

Hardly all over the place, it just went backward in 2024, albeit over 20k miles and then went up the next 2 tests, so not a typo.

If it's one owner from new, they should know why it shot backwards. Most likely an instrument failure and replaced with a used set. I doubt anybody would be dumb enough to clock it with digital MoT records.

It would be strange to get such discrepancy with FMBSH unless they failed to mention it had a replacement engine.

[Belle427]

Immaculate but just has a few dents.
Is someone dumb enough to clock them these days, maybe they were and totally forgot about the online history or will make up some story about changing clocks.
I would still like to hear the owners response.

[tomsugden]

One lady owner with the last change of keeper in March 2023, just before it had a big haircut.

[maz8062]

Clocked. Buy that and you’ll be explaining it to every potential buyer come resale.

[911Spanker]

Written like a trader rather than the owner?

[Eddie Twadds]

Scootersp said:

Ok here is an outside shot at a positive explanation.

That age merc I think you can toggle between KM and MPH including the odo?

The 46,015 miles (june 24) converted to KM's is 75K km which would be a reasonable 7K km added to the (may 23 65K)

If you go back to June 2019 and the 31,519 miles there is a chance (pandemic etc) that the June 2021 mot is the first where for whatever reason the display was changed to KM, 31,519 in miles is approx 51K km, the June 21 mot is 55,808.

So what's more likely in 2 years, in and around covid/lockdowns, the owner did 24K miles? ( a total oddity vs other years before and after) or the odo units were switched (maybe they did a european trip) and they did 5k km's?

Yes MOT sometimes/should pick up the units and state miles or KM's but I know they don't always spot it.

Ok - so we have a winner (if you can believe the story). Car being sold on behalf of elderly owner but not by a trader. V5 passed from husband to wife. Car used for European touring (anyone spot the headlight stickers?). Presented for MOT in KMs. 'Sounds' plausible ?

[bennno]

Supposedly has a full Mercedes history so it’d be easy enough to double check the mileage when it was serviced to see if it fits with the mot dates.

Husbands name will be showing on the v5 as the previous keeper if it’s true.

The green part of the v5 won’t be missing + presumably if it’s not a trader then payment would go to the name on the v5.

[Scootersp]

Eddie Twadds said:

Ok - so we have a winner (if you can believe the story). Car being sold on behalf of elderly owner but not by a trader. V5 passed from husband to wife. Car used for European touring (anyone spot the headlight stickers?). Presented for MOT in KMs. 'Sounds' plausible ?

Just do some more checks, service history may give more info around the covid times. Invoices close in date may confirm the early Miles to KM add on has come from a unit change and not usage.

Some clocking makes sense but this SLK's didn't really need it did it?

[ThingsBehindTheSun]

Scootersp said:

Ok here is an outside shot at a positive explanation.

That age merc I think you can toggle between KM and MPH including the odo?

The 46,015 miles (june 24) converted to KM's is 75K km which would be a reasonable 7K km added to the (may 23 65K)

If you go back to June 2019 and the 31,519 miles there is a chance (pandemic etc) that the June 2021 mot is the first where for whatever reason the display was changed to KM, 31,519 in miles is approx 51K km, the June 21 mot is 55,808.

So what's more likely in 2 years, in and around covid/lockdowns, the owner did 24K miles? ( a total oddity vs other years before and after) or the odo units were switched (maybe they did a european trip) and they did 5k km's?

Yes MOT sometimes/should pick up the units and state miles or KM's but I know they don't always spot it.

This is a likely explanation, but at the end of the day do you really want to buy a car that has a suspicious mileage record? It's going to be a nightmare to sell on for exactly the same reason you are worried.

Also, is it me or does that seem a lot of money for a 13 year old car?

[Eddie Twadds]

ThingsBehindTheSun said:

This is a likely explanation, but at the end of the day do you really want to buy a car that has a suspicious mileage record? It's going to be a nightmare to sell on for exactly the same reason you are worried.

Also, is it me or does that seem a lot of money for a 13 year old car?

Unsure at the mo re the purchase. Potential red flags but explanation re mileage may/may not hurt down the line. Re the price - I agree - the petrol 250 versions are rare (as are the 350s) so they are more expensive than the dugga dugga diesels which are ten-a-penny. Not in a hurry so I'll just move on to the next one (or a Z4)