Leeds is in top four for UK mileage fraud

The city and Manchester have been identified by mobile car electronics specialist Carly Connected Car as the top two regions in the North of the UK for mileage fraud, with up to 18 per cent of cars displaying the incorrect mileage. This is three per cent higher than the UK average of 15 per cent, which equates to nearly five million vehicles in total.

According to the data collected from a study of over 150,000 vehicles in the UK, part of a larger survey of one million cars, the northern cities join Birmingham and London as the top four overall UK regions for mileage fraud.

A spokesman for Carly Connected Car said: “Car buyers in Manchester and Leeds need to be aware that mileage fraud is on the rise, with the practice risking driver safety as well as costing millions of pounds every year.

“One of the reasons for the rise in mileage fraud is likely to be the increasing popularity of affordable car finance plans.

“Personal Contract Purchases and Personal Contract Hire deals often come with strict mileage limits where each additional mile can be charged at as much as 30p.

“This has led to some owners turning to ‘mileage correction’ firms that offer to dial back the odometer to avoid expensive financial penalties.”

The knock-on effect on the used car market means unsuspecting motorists are over paying by millions of pounds every year for vehicles which have had their mileage digitally altered.

The spokesman added: “The safety implications of which are very serious as modern cars rely on mileage to give an indication of which service is needed and when parts need replacing.”

The study also found changes in UK driving behaviour, with forty percent of all journeys on UK roads covering just three miles. Other topics covered included average speed and annual mileage.