When you are considering buying a new car, locate the vin number, go online, and conduct a thorough vin number search of the auto. Sure this new auto may be attractive and appear to be the car of your dreams, but what if it has a deep, dark past of serious mechanical problems. Would you still be interested in driving this vehicle home? An auto is only as good as its history tells you it is.
Search the Vin Number for the Hidden Truth. A VIN is composed of 17 digits and characters that act as a unique identifier for the vehicle and displays the car’s unique features, specifications and manufacturer. The VIN can actually tell you the complete history of any used car.
The very first thing a crook will do to hide the history of a car is he will attempt to change the VIN number on the car and on the documents that support the car. To the unsuspecting buyer this can be done easily and quickly. To a well experienced, honest person in the auto business undoing this cheap fraud is even easier. There are several places on the car where the VIN number is evident and several that aren’t. An experienced mechanic can quickly get to the more hidden places where a VIN number is stored and can expose the crook in his game.
From that point forward the car will be officially branded as one that attempted to conceal damage by virtue of a phony VIN number - easily checkable by anyone who takes the time to run a VIN number check on a used car before buying. Furthermore, there are a whole host of minor repairs that can make a very damaged car look acceptable. Obviously, a quick paint job and ding/dent removal will make the exterior of the car look much better and if that’s all the car needed it’s well worth the money.
Flood damaged cars will soon be flooding the used car market everywhere but without the tell-tale signs of water damage to give them away. Vehicles will be restored to new-like condition, water damage erased to the extent possible, sold several times to get a clear title that does not reveal flood damage, and then made available for sale to some unsuspecting consumer who is interested in a vehicle with a seemingly disguised water-damaged past. But there are things you can do to protect yourself against vehicles with hidden information.
Consumer Beware Has Never More True
Getting a vehicle history report is one of the most important steps in the used car buying process. Why? Because it is the only way to find out the full history of the vehicle, including any serious problems that might not be evident upon inspecting or even test-driving the car.
The vehicle history report, also referred to as the VIN search or VIN check, is a complete biography of an automobile, from the time it was first registered up until the last ownership transfer. Some of the important information that will be included in the report are odometer readings, DMV transactions, ownership transfers and registration data.
What is a Used Car Lemon Law? Essentially, Used Car Lemon Laws provide some legal recourse for consumers who happen to buy a “lemon” of an auto. You are guaranteed a written warranty that specifically states that a dealer must repair any problems or defects in the car or reimburse you for the cost of the repairs. If the car cannot be repaired, you are entitled to a refund.
Lemon cars which are essentially cars that are covered by the lemon law cannot be sold “as is” which does not imply a warranty. Remember, a dealer who sells or leases you a used car must provide you with a written warranty that specifies the terms or sell the car “as is” which essentially means consumer beware. If the vehicle is covered by a warranty, it must be given to you prior to or at the signing of a sales contract or lease.
When you are looking to purchase a vehicle, a smart thing to do is run a vin number check on the vehicle by using the VIN number. Actually, a lot of experts will tell you that checking the VIN on a car you are interested in purchasing can be one of the smartest moves you can make as a consumer. You never know what that vehicle may have been through prior to your looking at it. People would be amazed at how much can be hidden under a great interior detailing job and a fresh coat of paint.
The VIN, or vehicle identification number, is a 17 digit number which can be found on the inside driver door, dashboard and any official paperwork that may come with the car. With this number, a potential buyer can check to see if the car has been involved in anything from serious accidents to major hurricanes or floods.
The value of a VIN number seach can be immeasurable. When you purchase a car, your car, much like a person, is “born” with a special identification number which is similar to your social security number. This number is known as the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN number.
Whenever purchasing a used vehicle, a VIN Number search is always a good idea. Doing a VIN number check can provide you with vital information about your used vehicle, such as the year, make, model of the car, and the body type. A VIN number search will also tell you how many owners have had the car before you, if the car was stolen at any point or if the car was previously owned as a rental car or a taxi.
Unless you yourself have been making repairs on the car you are about to buy, which is highly unlikely, you must get an accurate, reliable vehicle repair history before you buy. By simply viewing a used car and even by test driving the vehicle for a short distance, you may be falling prey to a less than honest car seller who has spent a small amount of money covering up damage in order to make you spend a large amount of money on the car.
Sometimes, even mechanics can’t ascertain a lot of the potential troubles a car may have with a cursory examination - and in some cases, when the value of the car is not overly high, a detailed exam by a qualified mechanic may just be too costly. The only true protection a used car buyer can count on is the vehicle repair history available from any of several different places. On the internet there are a variety of choices - search for vehicle history report and see who pops up high on the list.