A typical vehicle history check can tell you a lot about a vehicle. Some of the common things covered by regular car checks are Outstanding finance, Insurance wright off, Mileage discrepancies, Stolen car check, Number of previous owners, VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) checks etc.
It is not wise to rely on dealers check or old certificates from previous owners. You might not know what the car has undergone in between. It is always best to get your very own history check.
1- Outstanding finance
Make sure that the car you are buying doesn’t have any outstanding finance. This means that the previous owner does not have any balance outstanding in relation to the car. Whether this balance is in the form of Hire Purchase, PCP or whatever. Essentially, if there is outstanding finance, the car doesn’t really belong to you until the outstanding amount is clear.
2- Stolen
Car checks can tell you about the ownership of a vehicle. This means you can find out whether the car really belongs to the seller or dealer or not. If the car is stolen, it will show up on your car check so you can look for another car.
3- Written off cars
Some cars are written off by insurers. This means that the car is no longer suitable for running on the road. Such cars are also sold after grooming, so you have to be vigilant. Some cars categorized as A and B are total written-offs while cars C and D can come back after certain repairs and certifications.
4- Mileage
Car checks reveal the actual mileage of a car. The dealer might tell you that the car has run only a limited mileage. However, it might have run double or triple that number. How do you find out? A car history check will provide you with the details.
What a Vehicle History Car Check Does NOT Tell You
1- Accidents
History checks cannot provide you with information about every accident the car has ever been in. The information you can get is only the recorded history through insurance companies and such. Many times, owners get their cars fixed outside insurance, so you have no way to learn about such accidents.
2- Internal damages
Accidents that cause internal damages may not be visible on the outside and can thus go unnoticed by insurance companies. Such information will also not show up on your history check.
In any case, it is safer to have a vehicle history check rather than not have one at all. So select a reliable report generator and get your VIN check today.
