Looking Into Your Vehicle History

When purchasing a used vehicle, it’s best to understand your vehicle history. It’s easy to get excited about something shiny and new. While a new car can be pretty, sound fast and have an awesome detail job, it’s what you can’t see that could be a potential hazard to you.

There are many ways to save yourself any heartache later down the road. The first thing you want to do is gather as much information about the vehicle as you can. A vehicle history report can tell you if there are any reported accidents. However, it doesn’t list any that are unreported. Always be sure your information is coming from a reputable source. You can also get more detailed facts from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System.

Here are a few key points you want to focus your attention to:

1. Number of owners
• The number of owners on a vehicle affects the value.
2. Mileage
• This gives you an idea of how much this car has been driven. If the car was owned by a traveling businessman or rental agency, it is more likely to have more wear and tear.
3. Accident and theft records
• If a vehicle was stolen, it could have been driven erratically and altered or even tampered with at some point. It’s also important to take into consideration any repairs that were done on the vehicle afterwards. This is the most important factor.

Once a vehicle has been in an accident, you may not notice at first glance. This is because it has had a collision repair performed. It is a good idea to check every part on the vehicle to be sure of the quality of work. Look for any rust spots, dents, scratches or color differentiations. If you’re paying close attention, you may even notice drips, bubbles or an uneven surface. Often times, if you can’t find accidents on the reports you pull, you can likely tell by doing a thorough visual inspection. You can also try driving the car to a specialist and have them take a look for you.