Carfax Vehicle Reports

I'd highly recommend purchasing a vehicle history report BEFORE purchasing any used car, truck or van!

Unless you have a keen eye (for detecting paintwork) and a super nose (for finding hidden water damage) you can easily end up buying someone else's problem child!

Vehicle history reports are valuable tools for detecting previous accident damage, flood damage, title problems, mileage discrepancies, Lemon Law history and more!

These reports offer buyers some inexpensive insurance against buying a vehicle that has had significant problems in the past.

Most offer manufacturer's activity history, which can provide you with a good idea of how the vehicle's been cared for. Service work performed by the manufacturers (dealer maintained) are reported, which is a great indicator as to how the vehicle was cared for.

If your report does not show any dealer service, don't freak out. It doesn't mean the vehicle wasn't cared for, but that any service performed was done at an independent garage. (They don't report to the services.)

If your report shows a very checkered ownership history, as in 3 or 4 individual owners in a relatively short span, beware. There's a reason all of those previous owners chose to dump that vehicle!

If your report comes back clean, with no accident history, you can't necessarily assume that the vehicle is accident free. I have seen numerous vehicles that have clean reports, but that have also had significant paint or bodywork done. If you have any doubts, most body shops will look over a vehicle for you for a nominal charge.

Most reports will also note any odometer discrepancies. If your report shows a mileage discrepancy DON'T FREAK OUT. Many times these are simply clerical errors made when vehicles are titled, have service work performed or state inspections done. You will want to research the vehicle's history more thoroughly, but the odds of finding a relatively new vehicle with serious odometer problems (rollback) are low.

Most services will also offer a package plan, which will allow you to run a large number of reports over a limited period. This is a great option to use if you're considering several different vehicles and will want reports on all of them before buying.

Again, these reports aren't foolproof, but they do offer inexpensive help to buyers that want a used vehicle, not a nightmare!!!

(Oh, and the Hummer? No paint, no flood, no worries...I checked!)