Average mileage
The UK average is about 7,100 miles a year per car, so use that as your starting point. A car running well above that pace has been driven hard. One well below it has been used lightly, or may have sat off the road. Neither is a fault on its own, so judge the mileage against the car's age and MOT record.
Look for a steady climb. Mileage should rise at each MOT. A drop between MOTs is the classic sign of clocking, which is an offence when a seller doesn't declare it. Our free check shows the mileage at every MOT and flags clocking warnings.
- High miles with regular MOTs and a full service history often beats low miles with long gaps.
- Low miles with long gaps may mean it sat unused, so ask why.
- Ask whether it has ever been under a SORN, which means it was off the road.
Check before you view. Enter the registration to see the MOT history and mileage. Then review the wider history before you pay.
What matters more than the number
The mileage matters less than how the car has been looked after and driven. Start with the MOT record. Every test logs the mileage, so check it climbs steadily. A free MOT history check shows every reading. A drop between tests is the classic sign of clocking. Treat it as a red flag.
Read the advisories next. They don't fail a car, but they flag costs ahead. The most common are tyres worn close to the legal limit, worn or pitted brake discs, cracking tyres and thin brake pads. Legal tyre tread is 1.6mm, and brake pads fail below 1.5mm, so budget for them soon.
A service history is next. Stamped books or invoices show the car was looked after on schedule. Ask how it was used, too: heavy towing and endless short trips wear a car in different places. Compare the seat, pedals and steering wheel with the mileage. If the wear doesn't match the figure, walk away. Judge the total against the UK average of about 7,100 miles a year.
Very low mileage
Very low mileage isn't always a good sign. Compare it with the UK average of about 7,100 miles a year. A car far below that may have sat unused for long stretches, which can mean perished tyres and pitted brake discs. Tyres cracking or perishing and brake discs worn or pitted are among the most common MOT advisories, so look at them as closely as you would on a high-mileage car.
Check the mileage is genuine. Look at the reading recorded at every MOT. It should climb steadily from one test to the next. A drop between MOTs is the classic sign of clocking, and selling a car with the mileage wrongly declared is an offence. Also check: - Does the mileage rise at every MOT? - Do the seat, steering wheel and pedals show the wear you'd expect? - Was it ever taken off the road under a SORN?
Our free check shows the mileage at every MOT and flags any drops. If the figures don't add up, don't buy until the seller can explain them. For the full picture, use our mileage check.