Last Updated on March 22, 2018 by Jason Mason
When you order a Vehicle History Report from any company of your choice, you will get a detailed report, which you may find hard to read or understand. You may get confused with phrases like Salvage auctions, insurance loss, vehicle events and several other phrases. A mechanic will tell you that the information that these phrases carry is nothing more than just a detailed vehicle report. The major categories of a VHR include Title History, Odometer Evaluation and Vehicle Events.
Title History
Title History contains information such as Salvage Title or Rebuilt Title. Salvage title means the car was damaged due to an accident and because the cost of its repair was more than the initial price tag, the insurer sold the car to the Salvage dealers who then repaired it and decided to resell it. But they will only sell it under a Salvage title to show that the car had been salvaged. If the vehicle had some minor damage, the buyer may repair it and sell it under a Rebuilt title. When a Vehicle History Report show either of these titles, you should avoid buying that car.
Odometer Evaluation
Odometer Evaluation is another information you get in a Vehicle History Report. In most cases, the seller must fill an Odometer Statement before surrendering the car to the new owner. If the car has exchanged hands in more than two persons, the odometer reading provided by the dealer may not be from the previous user but other users. If the other owners had stayed with that car for several months, the Odometer reading reported could be higher than what is indicated in the dealer’s book. Check the last reported mileage of the vehicle you intend to purchase and subtract it from the current mileage in the VHR. To get a rough idea of miles per year, divide the value by the number of year since the last reporting. You will actually know how many times the vehicle has been repaired or what needs to replaced.
Vehicle Events
A good company must also provide Vehicle Events in their Vehicle History Reports. Car owner history is also listed here. If the car was previously owned by a taxi company, police department, state or a leasing company; a VHR will report the same. Always try to avoid cars that are previously owned by the state or meant for commercial use. Regardless of the type or condition of the car, always get it inspected by a trusted registered mechanic before purchase.
Bottom line
You don’t have any other choice than reading a Vehicle History Report. In fact a VHR is more important than any Buyback Guarantee offer. If you hate going into detail you can stop in the first page but important information is found towards the end. Even a vehicle with bad VHR may be worth its price tag if you investigate the root point of the problems.
