Search News Second hand cars could cost big New research has suggested that buying a second hand car may prove a false economy. According to research by vehicle data analyst HPI one third of all used cars sold in the UK have "something to hide". Latest Cheap New Cars Need A New Car Quotation ? In a sample of 100 cars checked there were 30 cases of outstanding finance, ten of a previous identity, eight where mileage clocking had occurred, six that had been written off and one recorded as stolen by police. Some cars were found to be hiding more than one of these problems. It seems that while second hand car dealers are checking vehicle histories more closely, advances in technology mean that they are still behind the criminals when it comes to clocking. "The type of criminal is changing: they are becoming more professional and while there are fewer of them they are far more sophisticated," said the director of HPI's automotive sector, Daniel Burgess. "I think clocking is bigger than we think it is. Thieves are becoming more sophisticated in the methods they are using and dealers forget that it is still going on." For the seller, clocking adds around £75 onto the price of a vehicle for every 1,000 miles taken off the odometer. For the buyer it can lead to very bad value for money, and unexpected, expensive problems. With cheap new car deals available to buyers who are willing to search internet car sales sites, the extra hassle that can come with a used car may not be worth the savings on the original cost price.