Motorists confused over age of cars

12 March 2010

UK motorists are in danger of being misled when buying a used car after a survey revealed a quarter of owners were unable to identify the age of a vehicle.

According to the study by Auto Trader, 26% of car owners failed to identify the month and year in which their vehicle was registered, while one in ten revealed they couldn't identify the age of car by looking at its number plate.

The group warned that knowing such information was essential for car buyers as the value of vehicles could often decrease with each month and year of its life.

The study also found confusion among respondents on vehicle age with 12% believing that new cars were released in January of each year rather than in March and September.

When respondents were presented with an example of a future registration plate, 27% could not identify the month in which the vehicle would be released, and 21% could not identify the registration year.

Commenting on the study, Matt Thompson, marketing director, Auto Trader, said: "The results of this survey indicate that many British drivers don't understand the numberplate system, finding that Brits may not know the age of their own vehicle. Our advice is always to check out our expert guide on our website and do your research before buying a new vehicle, so that you know exactly what you are buying."

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