When buying a used car, vehicle history reports are crucial. These reports provide valuable insight into the vehicle’s history, including details about major accidents, maintenance records, title information and past owners.
Although you can find limited information about a vehicle’s history from other sources, AutoCheck and Carfax are the most reliable sources of information. The majority of reliable dealers and franchises offer free AutoCheck or Carfax reports to buyers. However, if you are an independent seller or purchasing from a private seller, you will need to buy a report.
AutoCheck and Carfax provide vehicle history reports that are accurate and current. There are some differences between the two reports, including pricing and details.
How to choose the right provider for you.
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Carfax might offer more
Carfax provides vehicle history reports that include information about a car’s accidents and ownership history. This includes details such as the year it was bought, where it was bought, and how it was used.
The provider will also provide details on routine maintenance and services performed by mechanics, such as oil changes and filter changes, and if there have been any recalls. This information will allow you to see how the car performed in the past, and help you identify potential problems.
You can search for a car’s history through Carfax by entering its vehicle identification number. After that, you can view the historical records available for your vehicle. The site will then prompt you to choose the history reports that you wish to purchase and allow payment through it. You can also enter the license plate number of your car and state of registration to get a report if it doesn’t have its VIN.
According to Carfax’s website, the database contains “billions” of records from more than 100,000 sources. It also includes vehicle reports that date back to 1981. These reports can be expensive, as a single report costs $44.99. You’ll need to pay $64.99 for three reports and $99.99 for five if you have multiple cars in your sights.
AutoCheck is better if you are price conscious
AutoCheck offers vehicle history reports that include information about usage and registration history. This includes whether the car was used for personal or business purposes.
The provider also provides their AutoCheck Score. This is a number and range of numbers on a scale from 1 to 100 that are assigned to cars based on information in the car’s history report. Low scores can indicate that a car is less reliable or more likely to have problems. It is possible to quickly compare similar cars without having to go through the report.
Enter the VIN, license plate and state of registration to find the car that you are looking for. You have two options: you can either purchase one report for $24.99 or you can opt for the $49.99 option that gives you five reports for 21-days.
Although AutoCheck reports are less expensive than Carfax’s, they may not contain as much detail about a car’s maintenance records as Carfax.
What vehicle history report should I get?
Both AutoCheck as well as Carfax provide reliable vehicle history reports which give essential information about a car’s past. Carfax reports can be more expensive, but they may provide more detailed information about the car’s mechanical services than AutoCheck. Autocheck may be cheaper if you plan to buy multiple reports.
No matter which service you choose, a vehicle history report is only a first step to deciding whether or not you want to buy a car. A report may contain useful information, but it might not give the complete picture. A report won’t show information if the car was not reported to an accident or service station, or if it was done at an independent garage.
It is important that after reviewing a report, you still have your car inspected by a trustworthy mechanic to make sure there aren’t hidden issues and you don’t pay more than you should.