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  • When you are shopping for a used car you want to be sure that you get the best deal possible. One of the ways that you can improve your chances of getting a good deal is to look up the history of a used car before you buy it. There are several ways you can use to get an accurate car history without relying on the car dealership. A car dealer may forget to tell you that a car you are considering had severe flood damage or major body work, but a car report will usually tell you everything.

    Online Services

    There are many different online resources to find the history of a used vehicle. All you need to find the report you are looking for is the Vehicle Identification Number, also known as VIN. According to Autos.com, websites such as Carfax.com or Experian's Autocheck are two of the more reliable websites to use. These sites can provide a detail report on the vehicle from the day it was rolled off the manufacturer's assembly line right up to its last major repair. In most cases you will have to pay a fee of around $30.00 USD to get a copy of the report, but it is well worth the money if it prevents you from sinking thousands of dollars into a potential lemon.

    Department of Motor Vehicles

    According to Autos.com, it is possible that you could get a vehicle history report from your local office of the department of motor vehicles. Ask the DMV if they offer auto history reports, and find out how much it will cost. Check on the Internet to see if your DMV offers a car history report online, which can save you the hassle of having to wait in line.

    Cover All Bases

    Samarins.com is a resource for information on used cars, including advice on purchasing used cars. The site reports that a VIN number car history report is not always accurate. While it does contain the accidents and major repairs that are reported on a vehicle, not every accident is reported. A used car you are looking at could be in need of major repairs for an incident that was never reported or looked at. That is why you should always have a used car looked over by a qualified mechanic before agreeing to a purchase. A mechanic will point out potential problem areas, and you can report these back to the car dealership to see if they would be willing to make the repairs before you purchased the vehicle. If a dealer agrees to the repairs, have the car checked by your mechanic again before agreeing to a final purchase to make sure repairs were done properly.

    Source:

    DMV.org: Vehicle History Reports

    Samarins.com: How to Check Used Car History Records by the VIN Number

    Autos.com: How to Get a Free Car History Check

    Resource:

    Carfax

    Experian: Autocheck

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