Vehicle History Reports: 3 Red Flags

Pulling a vehicle history report can give you a lot of information about a car you are considering buying. The car may look great and seem to run fine, but once you pull the report, you may learn that the car suffered flood damage, which could continue to cause problems for the car for a long time. That’s likely information that would deter you from buying the car since you don’t want to have to deal with repairs and you want the car to last a long time.

There are a few red flags that will show up on vehicle history reports. Here are the top three:

Gaps in Records

The vehicle history report should account for ownership throughout the life of the vehicle. You should know every person that owned it, and you should see consistent reports for routine maintenance. If you see that ownership ended for one person but no ownership is shown for another couple of months or even a year, that’s a red flag.

There are many reasons there could be a gap in the record. The car could have been stolen or used for illegal activity. The owner could have failed to register the car properly, which means the owner probably also neglected maintenance. Or the car could have been abandoned. None of these are good scenarios. Gaps in maintenance records likely mean that maintenance was neglected or that it wasn’t done through a proper source. Again, neither is a good scenario.

Too Many Owners on a Newer Vehicle

A car can have many owners over the years and still be in great shape. But if a car is only a year or so old and has multiple owners, that could be a sign of a problem. It could mean that people keep selling or trading in the car because it has constant problems or doesn’t drive well. Or it could mean that the people who owned it were not responsible, so they probably didn’t give the car good maintenance either.

Always evaluate all the information on the report to truly know the value of a vehicle, but know that multiple owners in a short time is a red flag and requires extra scrutiny.

Accidents, Flood, and Other Reported Damage

After a car is repaired, it can look fine, and you may never know that it once had serious damage. The vehicle history report will show you whether a vehicle has been in a major accident, a floor, or has had other serious damage. This is important to know since major accidents can cause structural damage and other long-lasting problems. If you see these incidents on the report, it’s a red flag, and you should look for more information before you buy.

Shopping at a reputable car dealership is the best way to ensure that you are getting a great vehicle at a great price.

But you should always check the vehicle history report to make sure you are getting the most comprehensive information and are able to make the best decision.