The high number of complaints concerning pre-owned cars is especially troubling to buyers of such cars, as many of them are not trained mechanics with the ability to spot defects or even to validate the true mileage of a car ("Car industry still tops list of gripes by consumers in 2016"; Feb 18).

More can be done to bring about transparency throughout the lifespan of a car.

I propose that the Land Transport Authority set up a central database where all maintenance and repair records are entered as well as the exact mileage clocked at each servicing.

The service invoice has to be scanned and uploaded by the workshop to validate that regular servicing/repair has been done. To maintain confidentiality, car owners' details are not captured.

When the cars are put up for sale, the records can be made available to buyers for a small fee (perhaps $2) so they can make an informed decision.

Sellers are, therefore, discouraged from cheating and the entire process is made transparent to all.

Chan Swee Wing