Finding out information about used cars

[moobiegirl]

We are in the market for a "new to us" car. Is there any way for us to find out the history of the car? I'd like to now if any of the cars were interested in have had any major problems. thanks

[Jeanum]

If you know the VIN (the vehicle identification number, which is unique for each individual vehicle) for the specific new-to-you car you're considering, then you could pay to do a CarFax vehicle history search at CarFax.com to see if there's a record of crashes, how many previous owners, whether it was a rental car or fleet vehicle, etc. If the cars of interest are for sale at a used car dealership, some dealerships will provide free access to a CarFax history report for the vehicle, but not every used car dealership will do this for you. From a general car safety standpoint, you can also check crash test scores for the models you're considering at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website at www.iihs.org and the government's NHTSA crash test scores at www.safercar.gov You can also compare different vehicle models by looking at their safety scores based in part on the IIHS and NHTSA crash test results at www.informedforlife.org

Happy car shopping. :)

[Melanie]

Jeanum gave you some good sites. Edmonds.com is great too. It has info on specific models. It will also give you prices (what you should actually be paying), your vehicle value, etc. Look at their section on car buying tips and Confessions of a Car Salesman. It taught me a lot.

[SafetyKitsPlus.com]

My experience with the vehicle history reports is that they are all a scam! If you dont believe me pick one of your own vehicles thats been in a fender bender or two or has had some issues and look up the VIN in one of the popular vehicle history websites; you will find nothing!

Any reputable seller of a used vehicle including used dealers should allow serious buyers to take the vehicle to a mechanic of their choice for a thorough looksee. This is a really good idea and can save you thousands. If the seller is not willing that is a clear sign to move onto another vehcile.

[Jeanum]

That's the opposite of my own experience with vehicle history reports for vehicles DH and I personally owned and had the misfortune of being in crashes while driving them. DH and I were in 5 crashes collectively over a 5 year span, talk about inspiration for safe carseat usage and interest in vehicle safety. :o Our crashes did indeed show up in our vehicle history reports when we checked out of curiosity. It may not necessarily be true for every used vehicle, but that was our experience. :twocents: I do completely agree with taking the car for an inspection by an independent mechanic with no connection to the seller. :thumbsup: