Twenty years ago buying a used car was a risky venture. Although the salesman or owner of the vehicle could say that there had been no damage to the vehicle, there were no guarantees. Now you are able to get a used car history that shows any major repairs or damage that the car may have suffered.
The car history is a tool that lest a potential purchaser know in a factual way what repairs have been made to a vehicle. The odometer reading is reported to the system each time a repair is made to the vehicle. Thus, you can easily tell if a vehicle has an accurate odometer reading. Additionally, body repairs or damage will be reported so that you automatically know if a vehicle has been in an accident.
While it is possible to get some of the reports free, if you are investing in a more expensive vehicle, the thirty to fifty dollars extra for the report with more detail may save you a trip to the mechanic which could cost hundreds of dollars.
After finding a vehicle that you are interested in purchasing, you will want to test drive the car. Then you will need to get a car history report. Many used vehicle dealerships will provide the report to you, but you can also order one from your home computer. You are looking for a report that is no older than one to two days.
To order the report you will need the VIN number to request a history of the vehicle. This number can be found on the dash or the driver's side door panel. The car history will let you know how many owners the vehicle has had and how long they have owned the car. If you see the word lease or fleet on the report, it may have been part of a motor pool and not have had the best of care taken when driven.
You will also want to look for flood damage. There were many cars that were flooded a few years ago in Hurricane Katrina that were shipped from of Louisiana to be sold to the rest of the states. Car history reports will let you know if the car has had flood damage.
Do not trust the dealers car history report, pay to get your own. Be sure that you double check the VIN number from the report with the one on the vehicle. This can save major headaches down the road. Taking the time to get a report may also give you some cooling off time to be sure that you want to buy the vehicle before signing paperwork.
In addition to the car history, it is important to check with the National Insurance Crime Bureau. They will check the VIN number at no charge to ensure that the vehicle has not been reported stolen.
Buying a used car no longer has to be a shot in the dark. With a car history, you can know if the car you are considering has had major damage or repairs before you buy the vehicle. - 29952
The car history is a tool that lest a potential purchaser know in a factual way what repairs have been made to a vehicle. The odometer reading is reported to the system each time a repair is made to the vehicle. Thus, you can easily tell if a vehicle has an accurate odometer reading. Additionally, body repairs or damage will be reported so that you automatically know if a vehicle has been in an accident.
While it is possible to get some of the reports free, if you are investing in a more expensive vehicle, the thirty to fifty dollars extra for the report with more detail may save you a trip to the mechanic which could cost hundreds of dollars.
After finding a vehicle that you are interested in purchasing, you will want to test drive the car. Then you will need to get a car history report. Many used vehicle dealerships will provide the report to you, but you can also order one from your home computer. You are looking for a report that is no older than one to two days.
To order the report you will need the VIN number to request a history of the vehicle. This number can be found on the dash or the driver's side door panel. The car history will let you know how many owners the vehicle has had and how long they have owned the car. If you see the word lease or fleet on the report, it may have been part of a motor pool and not have had the best of care taken when driven.
You will also want to look for flood damage. There were many cars that were flooded a few years ago in Hurricane Katrina that were shipped from of Louisiana to be sold to the rest of the states. Car history reports will let you know if the car has had flood damage.
Do not trust the dealers car history report, pay to get your own. Be sure that you double check the VIN number from the report with the one on the vehicle. This can save major headaches down the road. Taking the time to get a report may also give you some cooling off time to be sure that you want to buy the vehicle before signing paperwork.
In addition to the car history, it is important to check with the National Insurance Crime Bureau. They will check the VIN number at no charge to ensure that the vehicle has not been reported stolen.
Buying a used car no longer has to be a shot in the dark. With a car history, you can know if the car you are considering has had major damage or repairs before you buy the vehicle. - 29952
About the Author:
You can easily check used car history online these days but you can also find out lots about history of cars and the invention of the first car on Mick website about the very first cars as well as modern cars.
