How To Get Information On A Used Car
It's a jungle out there. Those who have bought or are buying a used car know difficult it is. The stereotype of the slick used-car dealer may be fading, but finding out the vehicle history is difficult for the most well-connected, never mind the inexperienced, used-car buyer.
The Carfax Vehicle History Service was designed to change that and give the buyer the history of the car for which he or she is about to pay thousands of dollars.
The company, based in Fairfax, Va., (www.carfax.com or www.carfaxonline.com), was established in 1984 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Polk Co., the automotive market-research firm that bought the company last year. Carfax is a comprehensive, nationwide title search database. The company uses the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, which is found on the dashboard and on all title documents.
By using the VIN, Carfax can provide a detailed vehicle history report on virtually any registered used car or light truck within seconds. Consumers are able to unearth hidden problems such as salvage, junk, flood damage and manufacturer buyback titles that have been hidden from the vehicle's paperwork. Carfax is especially helpful in detecting odometer fraud because it provides a complete history of the car from the time it left the manufacturer. Nearly one in 10 used vehicles has had some sort of hidden problem. Those hidden problems can adversely affect the safety, performance and resale value of a used car. We can answer questions such as "Was the vehicle ever totaled?" "Was the vehicle ever returned as a lemon? and "Has the odometer been turned back?" Those are questions every used-car buyer has no matter how reputable the car dealer is." The Carfax database contains nearly one billion vehicle records on cars and light trucks dating back to 1981. The company collects its data from numerous dependable sources, including state motor vehicle departments in both the United States and Canada, emissions inspections stations, auto auctions and insurance companies. When you are buying a car you want as much information as possible, and the person you are buying the car from may be the most honest person in the world. But if the person he dealt with was dishonest and didn't disclose all of the information, you could be headed for trouble. The need for the service that Carfax provides has never been higher. More than 70 percent of all automobile transactions in 1998 were used-car sales according to the 1998 ADT Automotive Used Car Market Report. The need for information has never been greater. Many states have gotten into the act in regard to the used-car market. Many have enacted laws forcing sellers of used vehicles to accurately represent the vehicle history and disclose any potential problems. Carfax offers its services to dealers as well as the consumer.
Vehicle History
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