The UK's used car industry continues to go from strength to strength at present, but many sellers have admitted to bending the truth somewhat when it comes to describing potential faults with their vehicles.

Research published by HPI has revealed 35 per cent of sellers admit to being "selective with the truth" when parting with a vehicle, meaning buyers need to be extremely wary when making a purchase.

Overall, individuals in this group said they would not be forthcoming about a vehicle's faults unless specifically asked about them by a potential buyer.

Indeed, younger vehicle owners were shown to be the most likely to tell a white lie to secure a quick sale, while 11 per cent stated they would attempt to physically hide any issues with a car and nine per cent admitted to intentionally turning back the odometer of a vehicle to get a better price.

In response to the survey results, HPI's senior consumer services manager Shane Teskey commented: "Buyers should make sure that they are aware of all the risks involved, from minor faults right through to worst case scenarios, where the car has been stolen, clocked or previously written-off, which could see them lose the car and the asking price."

He added that last year witnessed a 13 per cent increase in the number of cars being intentionally clocked by owners, while one in four private sale models had outstanding finance against them.

It is not an issue all sellers face though, as a third (37.2 per cent) of respondents to the 2,000-strong survey stated they would be honest and open in all their dealings with a potential buyer. Unfortunately, this means almost two-thirds of sellers do not take this stance.

"When buying from a private seller it really pays to ask the right questions about the car you are looking to buy," Mr Teskey concluded.

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Posted by Clare Lafferty, Account Manager, The Fuelcard People.