For many years, buying a used car was just a shot in the dark. You could kick a few tires, look at the engine, take a test drive and hope for the best. Today there is a much better way to buy a car and that is by looking at the car history to see what repairs have been done to the car.
by MickBuick


For many years, buying a used car was just a shot in the dark. You could kick a few tires, look at the engine, take a test drive and hope for the best. Today there is a much better way to buy a car and that is by looking at the car history to see what repairs have been done to the car.

A car history is a tool that can let you know in a factual way the specific repairs that have been done on a vehicle. Since the odometer reading is reported with each repair, you can easily spot any rollbacks on the odometer. In addition, any body repairs will be noted on the report, so you can know if the car has been in an accident.

You may get reports free in several places, but with the cost of used vehicles it pays to get the more detailed report that will cost only thirty to fifty dollars more. The extra you pay may prevent you from having to spend hundreds of dollars on repairing a lemon of a vehicle.

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.

In order to get the history of the vehicle you will need its VIN number. Copy it yourself from the dash or driver's door to take home so you can order the car history. From that history, you will know the number of owners of the vehicle and how long that they have owned a vehicle. Be cautious if you see the word lease or fleet on the report, as it may have been seriously abused by the many drivers.

It is especially important that after Hurricane Katrina you look for flood damage. In the aftermath of the flooding the hurricane caused, there were thousands of cars shipped all over the country to be resold.

While it is very possible that you will be offered a report by the dealer, it is best to get your own report. It is not unheard of for a used car salesman to present a buyer with a clean car history before the purchase that has been forged. Also it is important that you verify the VIN number on the report with the actual number on the dash of the car.

Also check ask the National Insurance Crime Bureau for a report. This will assure that your are not buying a vehicle that has been stolen and not recovered. You do not want to be stuck with a stolen vehicle. There is no guarantee that you will get the money you have invested back.

When you buy a vehicle, you can now have a report that tells you of any major repairs that have been done to a vehicle. This will help you to choose a vehicle that should be trouble free for several years. It can also save you the trouble of a car broken down on the side of the road.

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