Dishonest car selling on the rise

03/10/2011

By Jake Richards

A fifth of motorists are selling their old cars to new users without disclosing the whole truth about the vehicle's performance history, a new study has shown.

Used car website Trusted Dealers suggested that around 1.4m motors across the UK are being sold on dishonestly, with sellers omitting details of existing faults in favour of making a quick sale.

Of those who admitted to cheating, over one in three lied to cover up mechanical issues that do not present themselves on first inspection.

 Neil Addley, of Trusted Dealers, said: "This research clearly demonstrates the hidden dangers of buying a car from a private seller and although the majority of lies covered small defects, a worrying minority were trying to conceal potentially serious problems."

Money was the top reason given by sellers for lying about vehicle history, the survey of 2000 motorists found.

Around 6.8 million used car transactions that took place in the country last year.