How to Get a Car History Report

Before buying a used car, you should always get a car history report to find out whether the car has ever been in an accident, whether there is a current bank lien on the vehicle or whether the VIN (vehicle identification number) is accurate. A car history report will protect you against fraud and may possibly save you thousands of dollars down the road.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• VIN (vehicle identification number)
• Processing fee

Get the VIN Number for the Car

1. Get the VIN, or vehicle identification number, for the vehicle in question. The VIN is usually located on a small plate on the dashboard of the car, between the steering wheel and the windshield. Since there are 17 characters in a VIN, and the digits can be small and difficult to transcribe accurately, you may want to use a ruler and a piece of graph paper to keep everything straight.

2. Check the VIN at least twice to ensure that you have copied the number down correctly. You may wish to reference the VIN plate on the dashboard with other plates that may be located in the engine compartment, door wells and trunk. If the VIN plates do not match throughout the vehicle, the car may have been subjected to tampering, theft or fraud.

Obtain the Car History Report

3. Bring the VIN number to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) where the car in question is registered. For a small fee (depending upon the state), you can get a car history report from the DMV that will list the previous owners of the car, whether the car has been involved with any illegal activities, whether there is a lien placed upon the vehicle by a financial institution or whether the car has ever been in an accident.

4. Make copies of the car history report, so you can use the information at the bargaining table if you still wish to acquire the vehicle in question. In addition, you may need to supply a copy of the car history report to your financial institution if you are trying to get a loan for the car.

5. Use online resources, such as Carfax, to get a car history report (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to get two car history reports on the same vehicle to ensure the validity of each report. Any car history report offered by the seller should be treated with suspicion, since it is very easy to alter the document.

Resources

• Carfax to get a car history report

[profile]

on 3/22/2009 Wonderful! I'm in the middle of looking for a car. this is right on time. 5*