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Determine A Used Car's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
You might find a great used car for what you think is a fantastic price. It might look like it's in mint condition and the current owner might tell you the car's been well maintained and has low mileage. You might have even checked resources, like car buying guides and data published by Consumer Reports, on the model's repair records over time. But how do you know that the car you are considering buying is really as good as it seems? What if it's been in an accident? What if the odometer has been rolled back to make it seem like a newer car than it is? What if it suffered severe water damage in another state and was transported illegally to your state? What if it's transmission has already been replaced twice?
All of a sudden that shiny car with the great features isn't as good of a deal as it looks on the outside. By obtaining a car vehicle identification number (VIN) you will be able to research a complete history of that car, including any other individuals that have held the title.
All cars and light truck's built afer 1981 have a unique 17-character VIN number. A car's VIN can be found on its dashboard, driver's side door jamb, car insurance card, and on other stickers and documents. Buying a used car without being able to access its VIN is asking for trouble. Once you obtain the VIN, you can go to online sites like CARCHEX.com or Carfax.com and search the car's detailed history including: title problems, frame damage and other major repair information, if the car was determined to be a lemon, and if the car was ever salvaged.
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