There are so many horror stories of people buying a used car and having significant mechanical or technical difficulties. A vehicle history check allows you to get all the information you need before the purchase of a used car so that you can avoid significant problems down the road.
How to obtain a Vehicle History Check
When purchasing a used car, you always want to get the vehicle’s VIN. The VIN is a string of 17 letters that basically act as the car’s social security number. Every vehicle has its own VIN, and no two are the same. Once you get the car’s VIN, you can use sites like Carfax or AutoCheck to see what the car has been through. These do come with a fee (usually around $25 – $40) but they include all the necessary information to ensure you know everything about the car you are about to purchase.
What You Should Look For
There are five primary items that are listed on a Vehicle History Check that will help you to catch any red flags:
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- Salvage Title: If the car has been in a severe accident, fire, or flood and is marked as “totaled” by the insurance company, it will be issued a “salvage title.” Although it may still be drivable, you want to keep away from these vehicles due to the potential problems and the resale value if you ever choose to sell it.
- Accidents: All serious accidents are reported to insurance companies and included in the vehicle history check. Minor accidents may be published too, so not every accident is a reason to rule out a car.
- Odometer Rollback: Some car dealerships may take the opportunity to spin the odometer back to increase a car’s value. A history report will alert you if something has been tampered with.
- Number of Owners: It’s not always a given that a used car only had one previous owner. If you get a vehicle history report, you will know every time that your potential car changed hands.
- Maintenance Records: Some routine maintenance or repairs may also be listed on the vehicle history check. It depends upon where the car was serviced. It is usually included in the report if taken to a dealership rather than an independent garage.
At Eustis Body Shop, your safety is our number one priority. We want you to find the perfect car that fits all of your needs. However, this is not always the case; if you end up purchasing a used car that needs body work, we are here to save the day! Our auto body shop team of experts can help you with auto body and collision repair, glass repair and replacement, paintless dent repair, and 24/7 towing services. We are always here to help you, no matter the situation.