About
EngineCreep

Why we started

It began with a simple problem. Our lead developer was shopping for a used car and asked AI search tools about known engine faults. Knowing how engines work, he quickly saw the answers were wrong: faults that don’t exist, catastrophic failures pinned on the wrong generation, and routine wear treated as a fatal design flaw.

The wider web wasn’t much better. Most car sites buried two useful sentences under 2,000 words of filler, affiliate links and sponsored recommendations.

We wanted something that didn’t exist: a site that gets straight to the point, separates real design flaws from normal wear, and puts a number on the risk using evidence instead of opinion. So we built it.

We do use language models, but only for narrow jobs, like reading a post and saying which part it describes. The counting and the maths are done by code, and a person checks every engine before it is published. Our methodology explains exactly how.

Who we are

We are a small, independent team of three car enthusiasts:

• Lead developer and project lead. Builds and runs the site, the data pipeline and everything that keeps it fast.
• Research lead. Checks the data: cross-references recalls, owner complaints, MOT records and owner communities, and reviews every engine before it goes live.
• Growth and outreach. Keeps the site visible and connected to independent mechanics, workshops and owner communities.

We publish as EngineCreep rather than under our own names, to keep the focus on the data and away from anyone’s personal brand. We don’t do brand sponsorships, we don’t accept press cars, and our scores are not for sale.

Data, not content marketing

• Straight to the point. No 1,500-word introduction explaining what an engine is. Each report gives you the grade, how often each problem shows up, the parts at risk and what the repair costs.
• Wear is not a design flaw. A valve cover gasket weeping at 160,000 km is routine maintenance. A timing chain guide failing without warning at 80,000 km is an engineering flaw. We make sure you know which is which.
• Evidence first, checked by people. Every score is built from official recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, DVSA MOT records and owner forums, and a person reviews every engine before it goes live. The methodology sets out the full scoring rules.
• Nothing padded. If we have no evidence for a section, it is left off the page rather than filled with plausible-sounding text.

Independence and funding

• No manufacturer influence. We take no money, sponsorship or direct ad deals from car manufacturers or dealer groups.
• Free for everyone. No paywalls, no accounts, no locked reports.
• How the site is paid for. Hosting and running costs are covered by ads served through Google AdSense. Google chooses the ads, and advertisers have no say over how any engine is scored.

Corrections

Mechanics and high-mileage owners often know things the data misses. If you have worked on one of these engines and have mileages, symptoms or repair invoices that challenge a score, tell us through the contact form or email contact@enginecreep.com. Every message is read by a person.