Used Car Check

How does a used car check find a lemon vehicle?

Buying a vehicle is for most of us the second largest investment we will make in our lifetime, next to our home. When choosing the right car, we believe that you should know all the facts by both checking the vehicles history and having it inspected by a professional. If you haven't found the right vehicle yet, here's a quick guide to help you through the whole buying process.

1. Choosing the right vehicle

2. Knowing what it's worth

3. Finding your vehicle

4. Getting all the facts

5. Always know the vehicle's history.

6. Have the vehicle inspected by a professional.

7. Who are you buying from?

8. Are there any outstanding liens?

9. Are there any outstanding recalls?

10. Protection & Security

Choosing the right vehicle
Choosing the type of vehicle you want and need is a very personal decision. Sport utility? Truck? Family Sedan? Sport Coupe? Convertible? Performance? There are several very good buying guides and magazines available to help you make that decision. They have a good section of used car reviews from selected manufacturers dating as far back as 1991. It's always a good idea to do your homework and do some research on the type of vehicle your looking for.

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Knowing what it's worth
Once you've picked out the type of vehicle you want, this is when the fun starts. We recommend that you compare the prices of several similar vehicles in your vicinity to get a feel for the prices ranges and to make sure that the vehicle you are looking at falls within the ballpark. If you don't know much about car prices, find a price guide. Spend the couple bucks for the price guide and you might save hundreds or even thousands when buying a car.

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Finding your vehicle
Finding your vehicle is becoming easier all the time. There are a growing variety of sources where you can find vehicles for sale. One of the more renown and reputable sources is the Trader publications. They are all available for viewing online at autotrader.com.

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Getting all the Facts
Once you've found a few vehicles you'd like to consider for purchase, always remember these two points that we mentioned earlier:

1. Always know the vehicle's history.

There are several reasons why knowing the vehicle's history is crucial. The more informed you are about the vehicle you're considering for purchase, the more confident you'll be with your purchase decision. As a buyer, you have a right to know the complete history of the vehicle for sale.

Has it been written-off, junked, salvaged, scrapped or destroyed? Was it rebuilt or stolen? Is the mileage accurate or has the odometer reading been tampered with? Could it be a lemon? Was it a rental car or a taxi? According to a recent Consumer Reports Special Report, about half of the annually estimated 2.5 million vehicles totalled each year in North America are sold at salvage auctions, rebuilt and put back on the road.

An vehicle history report combined with a thorough mechanical inspection provides the answers, gives you peace of mind, and can help you avoid problem cars.

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Have the vehicle inspected by a professional

A proper inspection can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Sometimes it takes more than just kicking the tires or checking under the hood to see if a car is in good shape. Be sure that you get the inspection done by a reputable and honest service / inspection station. Have them lift the vehicle up on a hoist and look for any signs of accident damage and leaks, this could uncover any unreported damages and wear that may not appear on a vehicle history report.

Along with an vehicle history report and an expert inspection, there's a few more things that should all be considered when making a purchase decision.

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Who are you buying from?
Is the vehicle on a dealer lot or is it being sold privately? There's a common perception that buying from a dealer is much safer than buying privately. In a lot of cases, that can be true because the dealer, when taking in a trade, will generally check for salvage history to make sure that they are not getting ripped off themselves. Plus, a lot of dealers will do thorough inspections on site for their own protection as well as yours. But unfortunately a large number of the vehicles on any used car lot are usually not from trade-ins, but rather purchased at auction with an often unknown history. It's always a good idea to find out from the dealer where the car originated and ask them for an vehicle report.

Buying privately can sometimes be riskier, but at the same time you now have the opportunity to find out some facts. Find out why the owner is selling the vehicle. Get any available service records and damage reports. No matter who you're buying from, remember to always get a vehicle history report.

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Are there any outstanding liens?
Conducting your due diligence by performing a lien search before buying a vehicle is no different than finding out if a house has a mortgage on it before purchasing it. Knowing if there is a secured 3rd interest on the vehicle is a definite must. According to Ron Giblin, former vice president of the Insurance Crime Prevention Bureau (ICPB) and CEO of Lien Quest, "The stolen and embezzled vehicle industry costs the used vehicle industry about $1 billion a year in Canada." Any party with secured interest on the vehicle often has the right to collect by any means necessary, including repossession, no matter who the current owner is. When a vehicle is brought to another jurisdiction (sold to someone in another province or state), litigation can be quite costly to prove that it was purchased under the notion that no liens were outstanding. Even then, the chances of getting the original perpetrator to pay off the lien are slim, "Someone is going to pay somewhere down the line," Giblin said. "The last guy on the totem pole gets stuck with the bill."

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Are there any outstanding recalls?
For you and your passengers safety, it's always a good idea to find out if there are any outstanding recalls on your vehicle. Online databases such as www.nhtsa.dot.gov has recall information of all vehicle makes and models.

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Protection & Security for you and your vehicle
After you've taken all the necessary steps to ensure that you make the right buying decision and you have full confidence in your purchase, we recommend that you protect your new investment. Any vehicle could at any time suffer from breakdowns and is vulnerable to theft.

These days the prices for automobile repairs have skyrocketed making it a virtual necessity to have extended warranty coverage. There are a lot of companies offering various extended warranty plans, some are good and some are not so good.

While a good extended warranty can save you thousands in the event of a breakdown, it cannot protect your vehicle from theft. Law enforcement agencies and insurance companies agree that one of the best anti-theft protection systems is VINGuard's proven window etching system.

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