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Mileage checks - is the DVLA prone to mistakes?

I am in the process of buying a used car. The HPI check has revealed an alert on the mileage, with the DVLA recorded mileage in 2009 showing as 180,000 miles. However, after checking the MoT history, the mileage is shown in 2009 as 20,995. The mileage since then are consistently showing average mileage between 5000 and 10,000 miles per year. How do I know if DVLA recorded mileage in 2009 is a typing error?

Asked on 28 July 2016 by Sophie Hall

Answered by Honest John
You don't. But it probably is. Lot of errors in DVLA mileages at MoTs. Sometimes they record the trip. Sometimes kilometres. Sometimes just plain miskey it. Was probably 18,000 miles.
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