Running a Report Before You Buy or Sell

Vehicle History Report Highlights

A Vehicle History Report (VHR) provides information about the history of a particular vehicle. Each company that provides VHRs varies in the exact information they provide, but most provide title and registration checks, usage history, and damage―if the damage was reported.

A company can provide a VHR once you supply your vehicle identification number (VIN). Once you have the VHR, you can analyze the information and determine whether you want to buy, or sell, a particular vehicle.

Buyers and VHRs

When car buyers are in the market for great deals within their budgets, they most often shop for pre-owned vehicles. While pre-owned vehicles sometimes provide that budget-saving great deal you want, there are times when they simply provide headaches and debts. Ever heard the saying, "You're just buying someone else's problems"? Unfortunately, the saying can ring true when you purchase a pre-owned vehicle.

Order a VHR to help yourself make a well-informed decision and protect your wallet. If you aren't comfortable with the findings, don't purchase the vehicle. Also make sure to check out other time-saving Web reports. Examples include DMV.ORG's How to Find the Best Used Car, How to Avoid Flood Damaged Vehicles, and Trading in a Used Car.

Sellers and VHRs

If you're the person selling a vehicle, you might think there's no need for a VHR, like one from DMV.ORG sponsor AutoCheck. But your thinking could not be more wrong. Whether you're a private seller or a dealer, a VHR for the vehicle(s) you're selling not only helps you establish a good reputation, it actually helps you sell the vehicle. If the VHR is free of all blemishes or questionable content, what better way to gain the buyer's confidence than to present the VHR? And, if there is some sketchy-looking information on the report, you can make the effort to find out what it's all about and ease any concerns your customer might have.

Some dealers choose not to take pre-owned vehicles as trade-ins if the VHRs aren't quite up to their standards. Selling only pre-owned vehicles with "clean bills of health," so to speak, is just one way dealers boost sales and their reputations.