Carfax.com to Check Out a Used Car’s History

The Internet and services like www.Carfax.com or www.AutoCheck.com have made it easier to check out a car's ownership history and whether it has been in any accidents. You should never buy a used car without getting a report using the vehicle identification number (VIN). If a seller refuses to give you the VIN, run away from that deal. Or if the VIN report says the car is blue and the vehicle you're looking at is white, be very suspicious of stories about changing the color. Look inside doorjambs and nooks in the trunk and wheel wells for signs of the original color. The seller may have switched VIN plates to pass off a lemon-law buyback or salvage vehicle.

At the beginning of your used car buying process, you should sign up with Carfax or AutoCheck to get their two-month unlimited car reports service. Every time you get a line on a used car you might want to buy, run the vehicle identification number through Carfax. This will tell you if there is salvage title on the car, whether there are any recalls in effect and warn you if the mileage on the odometer is suspicious. This is a small cost that could save you tons of money in the long run.