This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Be wary of previously damaged cars

There are a ton of things to be mindful of when looking for used cars. Never mind knowing which vehicles are lemons, one also has to look out for damage.

There are a ton of things to be mindful of when looking for used cars. Never mind knowing which vehicles are lemons, one also has to look out for damage. Formerly damaged automobiles are being sold on lots countrywide, so be cautious. You can get car financing bad credit if you need a new car that was never damaged.

Number of formerly damaged automobiles on the road is unknown

There is a lot of risk involved when purchasing a used car because car manufacturers only certify them to a certain mileage, and there’s not a lot of information about the previous owner typically. Most of them are fine though.

You always need to stress about previous car crashes with the used car. The interest rate for a new car loan is lower than on a used car too, which means you will be paying higher interest. There are random stains and the service history is a mystery usually. You never know what you are getting.

Previously damaged vehicles, according to USA Today, are everywhere. There are 6 million cars in wrecks that get reported to authorities, about 12 percent of which are totaled. There's no telling how many are fixed up and re-sold.

Carfax report

There are a ton of dealerships that sell automobiles that have been damaged and redone as salvaged titles. You may end up with one of these without ever getting informed of the issue with the title, which is really crooked to do. Today explained that Carfax and AutoCheck car history companies could be really helpful in looking at the history of the car, but they are not always entirely accurate, and some accidents may slip by.

However, according to USA Today, Carfax does guarantee that if an individual pays for a report and a vehicle turns out to have been salvaged and resold without Carfax reporting it, the business will buy the automobile from the owner. Carfax has done so at least 70 times in the past 10 years.

Database for data

Finding out data about cars from Brooklyn to San Diego is much easier with the National Motor Automobile Title Information System, which was passed in 2009 by Congress. The database info can only be bought through Carfax and other vehicle history vendors. The data in the database is reported by different government agencies also as from insurance corporations and dealerships.

However, as the NVMTIS points out, salvage yards and other parties do not report every little thing they should, so there will not always be complete information.

When trying to find a used car, always search for signs of ill-fitting paneling and non-uniform paint. These are good signs that body work has been done. Your best bet is just to get an inspection done by a qualified mechanic, according to Today, and also you should be secure.

Sources

USA Today


Today

NMVTIS

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?