How Are Vehicle History Reports Compiled?
How vehicle data is obtained and where it comes from  When buying a used car, its crucial that you check its vehicle history report before sealing the deal. That account can tell you a lot of secrets about the vehicle that simply looking at the car itself wouldnt reveal, such as accident history, flood damage, and title issues. Built Ford Tough: Top Ford trucks to buy used  The importance of a cars VIN for tracking vehicle history  According to DMV.org, Vehicle history reports rely heavily on a particular source for tracking data: a vehicles identification number, or VIN. This 17-character fingerprint is unique on every single car. Every time a police report, insurance claim, repair paperwork, or sale transaction is performed involving a vehicle, its VIN is noted and the information logged. Thus, by running a VIN check, searchers can look for a cars VIN throughout many databases, including the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, insurance records, auto dealership files, repair garage logs, law enforcement systems, and even salvage auction records. Across these databases, a wealth of insight can be obtained on a cars odometer readings, title, collisions, previous owners, maintenance history, travels, emissions, and more. However, not every incident is necessarily reported and thus wouldnt show up on a VIN check or vehicle history report. While these records arent guaranteed to be 100 percent complete, they can typically provide enough insight into the cars background to know if its a reliable purchase to make. Later on, these records can be amended if you obtain sufficient information  for instance, on a fender bender that didnt result in an insurance claim or non-private repairs. Even if you do obtain a detailed vehicle history report, make sure you still have the car inspected by a skilled mechanic. Having a clean title and history doesnt necessarily guarantee the car doesnt have problems. Like a Rock: Top Chevrolet trucks to buy used