Tips In Finding Your Vehicle Repair History

When you decide to purchase a used car, it is a good idea to check the repair history to ensure that the vehicle is a good value for the money. Looking under the hood and even taking the car for a test drive can not truly assess any hidden problems with the car.

Unfortunately, there are people who will try to rid themselves of a problem vehicle by simply making nickel and dime repairs to cover a problem that will cost you hundreds or even thousands later.

While it is a good idea to have a mechanic look over your vehicle for potential problems or to evaluate a vehicle's soundness, he or she can not see everything. For some serious issues, the mechanic would have to do an in depth evaluation of the vehicle in order to even possibly find them.

This is where a vehicle repair history can be invaluable. Through a repair history you can determine if the car has been involved in an accident, was ever stolen or has ever incurred flood damage.

There are several methods of obtaining a vehicle repair history report. The most popular is likely on the internet. Experts highly recommend that you perform a vehicle history report before you buy. You can also obtain the car's safety ratings and common trouble areas on any make and model car that is currently available. You can also learn about the average repair costs that you may incur by purchasing that type of vehicle in addition to the comprehensive accident, repair and odometer history.

If you do not wish to pay for an entire history, then review certain aspects of the car and use your own judgment as to whether this purchase should not take place or if any suspicions are raised. For example, if you look at the mileage and it seems rather low given the age of the car, you may want to check into the possibility of the odometer being altered or replaced.

Don't be afraid to get on your hands and knees to look under the vehicle. One common tactic that is used by sellers that may not be on the up and up is covering rust in the body with a coat of paint or Bondo and paint. Walk around the vehicle and tap on various parts of the body, listening for a variance in the sound.

Some of the more common areas of rust on a vehicle are low on the side panel, just under the doors, and on the wheel well. When you tap you can hear a slight difference in the thinned, rusted areas, but when you compare a tap on Bondo to a tap on an unaltered body and you will hear a large difference. The unaltered body has a solid sound, but a Bondo area has more of a woody, hollow sound.

Even if you do not hear any difference, get down on the ground and either look or feel along the inside of the side panel, particularly just under the doors and on the wheel well. You may not see the rust from the outside because of paint and Bondo, but they are not going to Bondo the underside of the body.

If you start to examine the body for rust and the seller seems nervous or does not want to do so, do not purchase the car. A legitimate seller would let you crawl all over their car and will tell you up front any areas of rust and offer you a repair history.

Vehicle History