A vehicle history report carries useful information for any person shopping for a used car. No one knows everything about a car’s history, but a vehicle history report is a great place to start. Many vehicles carry a history that the seller might not know about or might not be willing to share. The car’s history can uncover important details, and some might even make the car more valuable than the list price.

What Is A Vehicle History Report?

Whenever a car is in an accident or serviced at a repair shop, the vehicle identification number (VIN) is often used to record what occurred. This information is public and can be accessed through a report. Things like accident damage, number of previous owners, and maintenance visits can all show up on the vehicle history report. The report can sometimes be very detailed, even showing the date of oil changes, transmission service, and brake pad replacement.

While no report can show data that has not been reported, a large amount of info can usually be seen. If you are looking at a used car, this information can help you make a wise decision.

Get a vehicle history report through a CARCHEX partner now.

Find Bargains And Spot Lemons

One of the great things about history reports is that they can adjust the price of the car based on the history. For example, if a car has had very few accidents and an excellent service record, then the value might be greater than the Kelley Blue Book value. If the seller is asking for a lower price, you might find a great deal this way.

On the other hand, if a car has been in many accidents or has had flood or fire damage, this could also show up in the vehicle report. Or a car might have an excessive repair history – that is, it’s a lemon. In this way, the vehicle history report helps you steer clear of problematic vehicles.

Accident Reports And More

If the accident was reported, it will probably show up in the history. The report can even give details about the damage, such as noting that the car was rear ended. There can even be info about salvage history, manufacturer recall, rebuilds, structural damage, and airbag deployment. There is no way that you can know all this just by looking at a car, so it pays to look into the reported history. You can get a vehicle history report today.

Registration, Title And Usage Type

Vehicle history reports also can provide the dates when a vehicle was registered or when the title has changed. If the car has been used commercially, like as a taxi or rental car, this may be found on the report as well. All of this has an impact on used car buying decisions.

Spot Odometer Rollbacks

You might find on the report that the car’s advertised odometer reading is a lower than the last reading listed on the vehicle report. If this is the case, you probably want to look elsewhere.

Want To Know More?

If you are looking at a used car, make sure you make an informed decision. Get a vehicle history report from CARCHEX’s partner today.