Used cars may have a history of abuse, neglect or be stolen property. When looking at used or certified used and pre-owned cars, check its vehicle history report. Learning how to read your certified used vehicle’s CARFAX® report can help give you an idea of the treatment your potential vehicle received.
Vehicle History Reports
Every modern car is outfitted with a vehicle identification number (VIN) located on the engine, under the window and sometimes on the door panel. This VIN is unique to every car, and helps to identify it for the purposes of registration, transfer of ownership and car titles. All information for vehicle history reports is collected in a database using VIN numbers. A vehicle history report will provide information for the following areas: • Brand history gives information on the current state of the vehicle • Damage history reports whether an insurance company has declared the vehicle a loss • Odometer readings can help to prevent the crime of turning back mileage. • Salvage history records vehicles suffering from severe damage • Title information validates the car and helps to prevent fraud and theft.
CARFAX
CARFAX is an online vehicle history report service. When you use the CARFAX website to enter your 17 digit VIN number, CARFAX will provide you with your potential vehicle's reported events and history drawn from the following sources: • Auction records • Consumer protection agencies • Police and fire departments • Service companies • State motor vehicle records. The CARFAX database has access to more than 1 billion VIN numbers for purposes of vehicle history reporting and provides information for most cars built before 1981. CARFAX can be free when accessed on vehicle inventory sites and car dealer websites. Otherwise, CARFAX may cost up to $30 per use.
CARFAX Competitors
Autocheck® is another type of vehicle identification system. Autocheck offers unlimited reports for less than $30 and provides additional data on a car's frame damage. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) is a database including similar information to CARFAX and Autocheck, operated by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). While included in the cost of certified pre-owned vehicles are a number of inspections to determine the car’s health, this report gives you the tools to estimate how long your car is likely to stay on the road.