Every car has a story to tell. Cars tell stories from the moment they are assembled and shipped out by the manufacturer until they are disassembled, recycled, or disposed of.
You can tell the history of a car by looking at the VIN. There are websites that provide free service to check VIN, so you do not have to pay a dime to know the story of a car you like.
Let’s look at why it is crucial to check a car’s history before buying a used car.
What is a car’s history?
A vehicle’s history is a report of the car’s manufacturer, owners, titles, and other records. The car’s history tells a potential buyer of its journey through the years.
What does a car’s history say?
A car’s history is a piece of very insightful information for anyone looking to buy a used car. Here are some of the details it reveals about a vehicle—
Accident History
Collision damages reported to the relevant authorities are part of the reports that show up on a car’s history.
Title Report
A title is a legal document that confirms ownership of property. A signed, sealed and delivered title effectively transfers property ownership from one person to another.
A car’s history will show how many times the car’s title has passed to a new owner.
A vehicle the title has been changed a few times may not be an ideal purchase. This is because it is usually difficult to assess the condition of a car and how it was used if more than one owner has used such a car.
A car’s history report will also show whether the vehicle has a salvage title or other title problems.
The title report is a significant part of a car history report. Before you overlook it, remember that title problems can result in a lot of loss for an inadvertent buyer.
Vehicle Recalls
Vehicles can be recalled for safety reasons. When a car is deemed defective and highly likely to cause road accidents, the relevant road safety authority will instruct the car manufacturer to recall and fix the affected vehicles.
You can check if a car has been listed for recall by running the VIN through an online VIN lookup tool.
If you need to find out what a VIN is, we wrote an article about it. You can read through the post to learn more about VIN, why you need it, and how to use it.
Mileage Report
The mileage report of a car is recorded every time a vehicle is serviced. This report is reflected in the car’s history. From the mileage report, you can tell if what you are about to purchase is truly worth the amount of cash that you are about to spend.
The mileage on the dashboard can not always be trusted.
If you notice a discrepancy between the mileage report on the dashboard and the mileage report recorded by the car history report, it might be an indication that the odometer is either faulty or that it has been tampered with.
Why vehicle history matters
A car’s history report gives potential buyers of used cars insight into the state of the car over the past few years. Was the car used as a taxi, rental, or fleet vehicle? How many times has it been resold? How many times has it been repaired? There are so many questions that a simple car history can answer.
A vehicle history also keeps you from getting scammed. When you know a car’s history, you know the worth of the car firsthand. A vehicle with 100,000 mileage and a faulty brake pad changed two years ago will sell for a different price than a car with only 10,000 mileage on it.
Research is an important aspect of decision-making. If you do not want to regret a car purchase, it is best to conduct research before making a decision.
Check for inconsistencies in the car’s history, compare prices, compare different cars, identify the faults, and decide if you can handle the potential problems that will occur in the future.
You cannot always tell if a car is good or bad by looking at the body, but you can learn many things about the vehicle by looking at its history.
How to check a car’s history
A decision to buy a car without first checking the vehicle’s history is a bad decision.
The only way to avoid regrets is to find out the true story behind the car you are about to purchase by using an online VIN lookup tool. You can check VIN for free here with a VIN lookup tool called EpicVin.
EpicVin provides a basic free VIN check. Car buyers and agents use this free service to check VIN and find out the history of the cars they want.
If you stay anywhere in the US, you can get USA free VIN check from EpicVIN. The tool is fast and easy to use.
Visit the EpicVin website. Input the VIN of the car into the search and get your car’s history in less than a minute.
