When buying a car it’s important to know the history of this vehicle. There are ways to check out a vehicle’s history, but the best way is to use a car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) and use one of the free VIN check websites.
We have made a quick list of reasons why you should always have a history report of your car. Here are five reasons why it is important to know the history of the car you buy.
1. Mileage
Source: 3D Car Shows
Modern cars can still run perfectly even after a great deal of mileage, but either way, it’s good to know the true mileage of a vehicle you are about to buy. Knowing a car’s mileage can tell you what kind of service you should give to your car and how frequently you should do it. It also gives you an idea of how much wear is on the engine, transmission and other important parts of the car. Some people reset the odometer so they can get a better price for the car they are selling, so checking if the odometer has the same numbers as the history report is a smart idea.
2. Accidents
Cars that have been in major accidents have unexpected and hidden problems that could show up at any moment in the future. That is why buying a car that has been in a serious collision is not recommended and overall seen as a risky decision. No matter the quality of repairs it has received, it is still possible it has serious damage that even the best professionals won’t notice. If the history report shows a collision with minor damage, this shouldn’t scare you out of buying. On the contrary, you can use this to your advantage and bargain for a better price.
If you want a free VIN check and see if a car has had any accidents in the past make sure to check out vinfreecheck.com
3. Flooding
Source: Advance Auto Parts
Flooding can cause huge issues in cars, especially to a car’s intake and exhaust systems and even more so to the sensitive electronics, so checking history reports for flood damage is a must. Even if you are located in an area where floods are rare, used cars could still have water damage.
4. Title checks
An important piece of information about your car that you can get out of a VIN check is the status of the title. You should be looking for cars with a clean title, this means the car has never been written off by insurance companies. If you see a car with a rebuilt or salvage titles, this is a big red flag and you should not even consider buying these type of vehicles.
5. Service records
Source: wikiHow
Having a history report of all the type of maintenance a car has received in its past can give you a good idea if the car has been treated properly. Giving you an insight if maintenance was done frequently enough and give you a general idea if any of the car’s performance has degraded over time.
These are one of the few reasons why everyone should have a history report of the vehicle they are planning to buy, so make sure you do a VIN check next time.
