Compare the mileage with the car's age first

A car in normal use covers roughly 10,000 to 20,000 kilometers a year. If a seven-year-old car shows only 30,000, ask questions right away. It does not always mean fraud, since some cars really are parked more than driven, but the seller must be able to explain why, and the explanation must match the car's condition.

Look at the touch points. They are the hardest to fake

The odometer can be changed, but signs of use cannot. Look at the things hands and feet touch every day.

• Steering wheel. If the leather is polished slick or worn through to the material underneath while the mileage says the car has been driven little, those do not match.
• Brake and accelerator pedals. Rubber worn smooth on the pedals means heavy use.
• Driver's seat. Look for creasing on the side bolster where the driver gets in and out every day.
• Frequently used buttons. The driver's power window switch, the air conditioning buttons: has the lettering worn off yet?
• Door seals and gear knob. These wear only with real use.

Ask for the records. This is the most direct check

• The service book. Each service visit has the mileage written down. Check that the numbers go up in date order. If there is a point where the number goes down, it has been rolled back.
• The oil change sticker that is often stuck in the corner of the windshield. Compare the number on the sticker with the number on the odometer now.
• Old repair receipts. Most of them list the mileage.

If the seller says there are no records at all, that does not mean they are cheating, but it does mean you have nothing to confirm the mileage. Price the car on the assumption that the mileage may not be real. This website does not verify the mileage in any listing. The number you see is the number the seller entered.