VIN Reports

When buying a used car there are many concerns about what may already be breaking or what's already been fixed. Over half of the used cars out there today are being sold "as is" with no warranty or guarantee. Once you purchase a "as is" vehicle you are out of luck if it breaks down, even the very next day. Find out VIN Reports can save you some grief and make your new purchase a safe one.

What's in VIN Reports?

VIN Reports will identify when a vehicle has been totaled or wrecked. A vehicle will often receive a salvage or junk notation on the title from various states. This is called a salvage title.

On of the biggest rip offs is odometer rollback or mileage discrepancies. This can cause you to spend thousands more than a vehicle is worth, by believing it is a low mileage vehicle, when it in fact could have 100,000 more miles than indicated on the odometer.

A series of rainstorms is not the only way to cause a flood. Flash floods can occur in less than an hour, totally submerging a car or truck. This water gets in the engine, rearend, and transmission. It can ruin the interior, causing mold to grow in the crack and crevasses.

Vandalism, accidents and mechanical malfunctions can cause a vehicle to catch on fire. The water used to put out even a small fire can get into the engine and interior. Many times the car has to have windows replaced and be re-painted. Fire can ruin the original factory interior.

VIN Reports can identify vehicles owned by major rental companies.

If the vehicle was a manufacturer buy-back (lemon) and how many records if any are contained in a complete VIN Report.

VIN Reports can identify vehicles which have been operated as taxis or driven as a fleet vehicle.

A vehicle history can prevent you from unknowing buying a stolen vehicle. You could lose 100% of all your money spent on buying a stolen vehicle, as well as being criminally charged with receiving a stolen vehicle.

If a lien were on the vehicle, which represents ownership interests not otherwise, revealed a VIN Reportwould reveal this.

Why you need to view the history of a car

As harsh example is fraud by auto dealers. Take for instance Denver, Colorado resident Mandy Travis. She learned that consumers can be victimized by what the dealer does not disclose. After totaling her car in an accident, Travis bought a '93 Honda Accord EX from a used car lot. She thought the deal was a steal at $13,551.

After owning the car for a year, Travis toyed with the idea of trading it in for a newer one. She visited a local Mitsubishi dealership to find out what kind of vehicle she could move into with her trade-in. After the dealer ran the Accord's vehicle identification number, they told her they, or no other Colorado dealership, would give her anything because the car was "salvaged."

"The dealer told me the car had never been rebuilt" Travis says. "They lied to me."

Mandy Travis was lucky - her used car did not have any recurring problems like most salvaged autos. In most states, selling a salvaged vehicle is illegal, but it's still being done. 1.2 million salvaged autos are recycled and sold at used dealerships each year. Auto dealers know when they are selling a salvaged vehicle. Many used dealers will often seek out salvaged vehicles to repair because the it's much more lucrative for them.