clocked

The following mileages the OP stated aren't in line with that many miles per year. I have just assumed it was the same owner, but it might not have been, so as you say 4K per annum isn't strange.

I've just checked the history on my own car, the first MOT states 113K. The history since is all in order, currently reads ~66K now (or around that number, can't actually remember). It looks and feels like it and has just had a family member (mechanic of god knows how many years) looking at it and he picked nothing up. Is it uncommon for a typo on MOT? The only thing what stands out for me as being shifty is the fact I don't have that certificate.

Surely the first owner didn't do ~40K a year in a Cooper S?
 
Ryan-3 said:
The following mileages the OP stated aren't in line with that many miles per year. I have just assumed it was the same owner, but it might not have been, so as you say 4K per annum isn't strange.

I've just checked the history on my own car, the first MOT states 113K. The history since is all in order, currently reads 66K now. It looks and feels like 66K and has just had a family member (mechanic of god knows how many years) looking at it and he picked nothing up. Is it uncommon for a typo on MOT? The only thing what stands out for me is the fact I don't have that certificate.

Surely the first owner didn't do ~40K a year in a Cooper S?
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More than likely 13k there's been quite a few cases of mistypes spotted since the introduced the online checker.
 
It had me worried when I first saw it, but I would have expected the car to be showing signs of wear and tear if it was the case. Mechanicals in good order, electrics, etc. Only one of the original keys is pretty worn (dealership 'lost' the second key while it was in their possession and immediately replaced it for me), but it just looks like it was badly taken care of, kept with change, scratched to bits, etc.

The thought of 40K.. Doing over 10K a year in one of these would do my head in. I do about half that and get sick of the poor roads and harsh ride. :p Anyway, i'll stop taking over now.
 
Sounds like you might be totally jumping the gun.

Did it have an owner change around first MOT time? If so there's nothing to suggest that the original owner drover it more than a few thousand miles a year. The BMW history until past this point helps too.

Not many people buy a brand new car then clock it every year. I'm sure there are some out there, but really will be few and far between.

Find out what BMW are actually saying about it and why. Ignore the DPF chat personally I'd leave that as it is, ask specifically why they say clocked - it could have perfectly genuine mileage but either just have been ragged its whole life, or be a Friday car
 
just thinking outside of the box here, but could you look into (careful now!) how these cars are clocked, and then look for any physical signs that certain things have been popped opep by a gorilla with a flat-head screwdriver.

I have no idea how it's done to be fair, or what it involves... but I know from experience that removing parts of interiors and putting them back together again is not easy! there may be signs that something has been tampered with - but again I've no idea how it's done and may not involve getting to any of the instruments at all.

[edit]
it hasn't taken long to find that it's quite an involved process to do this, I have only really found out about 5 series, and I don't know much if anything about BMW E numbers (what's this one? by the way) but it seems like there's a fair bit of intrusive work to clock a car of this nature and you may be able to find wear on screw heads, scratches or deformations where things have been popped open.

you just need to find out how to do it yorself to know where to look.
 
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rodenal said:
Sounds like you might be totally jumping the gun.

Did it have an owner change around first MOT time? If so there's nothing to suggest that the original owner drover it more than a few thousand miles a year. The BMW history until past this point helps too.

Not many people buy a brand new car then clock it every year. I'm sure there are some out there, but really will be few and far between.

Find out what BMW are actually saying about it and why. Ignore the DPF chat personally I'd leave that as it is, ask specifically why they say clocked - it could have perfectly genuine mileage but either just have been ragged its whole life, or be a Friday car
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I think the suggestion is that it was clocked before it went in for it's 1st MOT.
 
If it's got full BMW history up to and beyond that point it should be pretty obvious if there's a pattern of say, 20k, 20k then minus 30 (extremes obviously but you get my point.)

Even if the variable servicing never wanted it to visit BMW until two years old the mileage this should also give a good clue. If it's covered 9k of the 10k in the first two years then things start to look odd

So all that's really left is the owner doing it every year, on a 1 series. Seems unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely
 
So there's no actual proof that it's been clocked? Just a dealer spouting rubbish?

Perhaps someone had it on a fairly low mileage limited lease for 2/3 years and then the remainder of the users have used it properly. It's an 8 year old car so it will start to feel a bit worn anyway.
 

check this video then look for signs of similar being done to yours.
plastic clips snap, and scar easily!

I don't really know anything about this and I'm only guessing it's an E87 you have so don't take it as a fact.
 
Janesy B said:
So there's no actual proof that it's been clocked? Just a dealer spouting rubbish?

Perhaps someone had it on a fairly low mileage limited lease for 2/3 years and then the remainder of the users have used it properly. It's an 8 year old car so it will start to feel a bit worn anyway.
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Maybe, but I can't see a logical reason why BMW Salisbury would state that it had been clocked for no reason.

I'm getting the car back tomorrow which has the service log book in it so I can check the MOT against service history. Then I can quiz them on the clocked claim.

Of the top of my head I'm the third owner so it is entirely plausible that the first owner only did 10k over 3 years but from my perspective why would you buy a brand new 1 series coupe and hardly use it for 3 years before selling?

Either way I think unless the MOT/Service history shows a disparity then there's nothing I can do about other than learn not to go private again. The replies are much appreciated. Will update as and when I know more.
 
davisdavid said:
Of the top of my head I'm the third owner so it is entirely plausible that the first owner only did 10k over 3 years but from my perspective why would you buy a brand new 1 series coupe and hardly use it for 3 years before selling?
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It's unlikely but there are people out there like that. My mum is on her 2nd Audi A1 and she averages about 5-6k miles a year. Seems pointless buying a brand new car outright and doing such low mileage to me but there we go. So it's definitely a possibility at least, even if it is unlikely.

Will be interesting to see why BMW think it's been clocked though. Keep us posted :)
 
Soooooo, got the service book back with my car minus £1100.

Service Record: 31,171 miles - 10/07/13

MOT Certificate: 32,000 miles - 11/10/12

Legal action is a go by the looks of it.

As for the rest:

MOT

16/02/11 - 10,236 miles
28/10/11 - 20,068 miles
11/10/12 - 32,000 miles
25/10/13 - 42,254 miles
18/10/14 - 57,282 miles

I purchase 09/03/15 at around 62,000 miles

28/10/15 - 75,165 miles

Service

05/02/10 - 6,576 miles
08/03/11 - 14,211 miles
06/06/12 - 25,617 miles
10/07/13 - 31,171 miles
07/03/14 - 44,119 miles

Obviously I'll have to do more checks against the MOTs and check any discrepancies against the MOT test numbers before proceeding but it looks better than it did last night.
 
R B Customs said:
despite your gut instinct and the paperwork you have - it's going to be very hard to prove :(
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I know, that's why I need to check everything over before proceeding but those figures are so far out it'd be hard to argue against it. Especially if I already have BMW Salisbury thinking it has been clocked.
 
davisdavid said:
I know, that's why I need to check everything over before proceeding but those figures are so far out it'd be hard to argue against it. Especially if I already have BMW Salisbury thinking it has been clocked.
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sorry to keep going on about it..... but have you looked for any physical signs of tampering?
 
davisdavid said:
Legal action is a go by the looks of it.
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Against whom and for what?

As for the rest:

MOT

16/02/11 - 10,236 miles
28/10/11 - 20,068 miles
11/10/12 - 32,000 miles
25/10/13 - 42,254 miles
18/10/14 - 57,282 miles

I purchase 09/03/15 at around 62,000 miles

28/10/15 - 75,165 miles

Service

05/02/10 - 6,576 miles
08/03/11 - 14,211 miles
06/06/12 - 25,617 miles
10/07/13 - 31,171 miles
07/03/14 - 44,119 miles
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I can't see anything there that shows anything negative. It mostly seems to tally up and the only unusual things are that it covered 4000 miles in the space of 3 weeks between its second service and it's first MOT but as unusual as that sounds it proves nothing and is possible - I've put 4000-5000 miles on a car in a similar period of time in the past for example. Secondly 10k miles in 4 months seems odd but it doesnt look like evidence of clocking does it? It just looks odd.

So exactly who are you going to take action against and for what? When do you think it was clocked and why? Potentially it may have happened before the cars first service but, and this is a big BUT, even if it was who do you think you can sue? The offence is misrepresenting the mileage in a sale, did the person who may or may not have done something in 2011 do that to you?
 
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