How To Ensure Your Vehicle is a Good Buy

Unless you know the person and can trust him or her, there is a very real fear of buying a damaged vehicle from a private owner. This is where companies such as CarFax and AutoCheck come in. These third-party companies use the VIN on the vehicle to run a report that tells you if the vehicle has been in an accident, as well as if the title is clean and other pertinent information.

The question is: are these companies trustworthy? Research performed by Consumer Reports states that these reports are not always reliable. To test these companies, Consumer Reports ran the VINs of several vehicles that were listed online for sale that showed obvious damage to the exterior of the vehicle. Surprisingly, several of the auto check companies reported that these vehicles were fine.

So what's a budget-conscious and worried consumer to do?  You should still definitely run a car check report, based on the vehicle's VIN. The reports can be accurate and can yield surprising information that has been withheld by the car's previous owners. Title information linked to the VIN is normally up to date. Just remember to take the report as a grain of salt and only use it as one tool in a toolbox of many to determine if the car you are interested in is worth buying.

Here are four more things you should do before finalizing the sale:

Test Drive the Vehicle

 A test drive will enable you to hear any funny noises, as well as determine if the car pulls to one side or has other eccentricities. Check the exterior for poorly applied paint that could indicate a cover-up job and sniff the interior for a mildew smell that could indicate water damage. 

Inspect the Vehicle

If you are buying from a private owner, make sure to have the vehicle inspected by a third-party mechanic. Reputable dealerships often have no problem having their vehicles inspected by an independent mechanic. If the dealer balks at this idea, suspect a problem. WBM of Arlington submits its vehicles to an 88-point mechanical and 32-point cosmetic inspection before selling a vehicle, but also allows buyers to perform their own pre-buy inspections. 

Check the Title

Verify that the title information, such as the odometer reading, matches what the seller is telling you. Some titles will indicate if the vehicle has been wrecked or re-purchased under a Lemon Law.

Register with the Provider

Companies such as CarFax and AutoCheck offer buy-back guarantees if the information on their report is wrong and has led you to purchase a damaged vehicle. However, you must register with each of these companies in order to take advantage of this service. There is normally a limit to how many days you have to register, so be sure to get your vehicle registered as soon as you can.

If you follow these tips, you should be able to find a car that you can afford that won't break down before you reach your driveway.