The key to getting as much information as possible about a vehicle is a vehicle history report. Despite these reports being very important for buyers in order to facilitate an informed purchasing decision, not all car dealers offer free access to history reports on the vehicles they are selling. Regardless, you should make it a point of getting a vehicle history report especially if you are buying a second hand car. You need to know the condition of the car and its history as it is a big investment. The following are several main reasons why it is essential to have a car history report.
Vehicle damage
The report will tell you if an insurance claim was filed due to an accident. Majority of reports may even mention whether or not the accident caused structural damage to the vehicle’s body. If this is the case, you should be wary before you purchase the car. Maintenance and repair procedures performed in a repair shop should also show up and tell you how well the vehicle was maintained.
Ownership history
The report will inform you on the number of owners or drivers on record. It will also tell you the region the vehicle was mostly driven and the period of ownership of each owner. Typically the report will have odometer readings when the vehicle moved from one owner to the next. By making a comparison on mileage and duration each driver was the owner, you can determine how hard the car was driven. You can use this to estimate the car’s life expectancy.
Flood damage
When you are looking for a used car, the last thing on your mind would be flood damage especially if you do not live in an area where flooding is common. In an effort to quickly unload flood damaged vehicles, sellers may move them to a region in the country where flooding is rare. If any flood damage occurred it should be listed in the history report. If it is present, it should be a big red flag for you as potential buyer as it indicates the vehicle will have a very short life expectancy.
Is the salesman honest with you?
Being familiar with a car’s history report can give you a lot of leverage against a dealership. This does not mean a buyer should take advantage of the dealer even when the report is clean. However, you should be comfortable knowing that they are not trying to hide anything from you or cover up problems with the car.
It is inexpensive
The wealth of useful information present on vehicle history reports should convince you to get one. The last thing you would want is making an investment by spending thousands of dollars only to discover you have gotten less than half the value for your money. The benefit associated with getting a vehicle history report, even if you have to buy it, and preventing future problems is huge. Remember that some of these reports may be provided for free by the dealership.