What To Look For In A Vehicle History Report

If you are in the market wanting to buy a used car, then it is imperative that you get an automobile’s vehicle history report before you take a decision to buy. There are a number of online and off line companies that can provide you with a lot of details about a vehicle that the owner or dealer might not want you to know. Companies like Experian, Carfax and Autocheck can give you vehicle reports that will tell you about odometer readings, ownership issues, accidents and title problems that may majorly influence the cost of a vehicle that you are about to buy. All you need in order to get a vehicle history report is an automobile’s vehicle identification number or VIN#. This can be found printed on the dashboard, engine and some other parts. You can get a vehicle’s history by giving auto history companies the VIN# of the car you are interested in. They will give you a vehicle history report online within a couple of minutes. It is advised that you go for a paid vehicle history check instead of a free one (these will not give you complete details). You may end up saving thousands of dollars simply by paying a few. Some of the main things that you should look for in a vehicle history report are:

Odometer Rollbacks: Rolling back the odometer is an extremely old and cheap trick that a large number of private owners and dealers resort to in order to get a higher value for a vehicle. A vehicle history report will tell you about the odometer reading on a vehicle at various points in time and it is extremely easy to check and find odometer fraud once you get the vehicle history. While it is best to shun a vehicle with odometer fraud, this will give you ample leverage for bargaining and bringing the price down if you still want to buy a certain vehicle.

Titles or Brands: Title fraud is a major issue with used cars as more and more people resort to selling cars junked in one state in another with a new title. A vehicle history report will tell you whether a car carries a junk, salvage or rebuilt title. Since this means that the car has been totaled and rebuilt all over again, it is best to avoid such a vehicle. Your VIN report should also tell you whether a car has been damaged during a natural calamity like a flood or fire and then rebuilt again. Stay away from such cars especially if you have not been told about this by the person selling you the car.

More Title Issues: There are a large number of cars with auto title or other unpaid loans on them which could be put on the market by their owners. There could be other title issues where the person selling you a car may not be authorized to sell like in the case of joint ownership or when a car is registered under someone else’s name.
Accident History: This is something that a large number of owners try to hide because it causes car prices to depreciate faster than a sinking rock. But thanks to vehicle history reports, you can easily find out if a car has been in an accident and the amount of damage incurred. If you know that a car has been in an accident, then do not buy it unless you get it checked by a mechanic who can assure you that it has been repaired and refurbished with all original manufacturer parts.