Most Popular Sports Cars

While you can save tons of money purchasing a used car, it’s still a scary proposition. Every year we hear stories about people purchasing used cars that have actually been in major collisions. To be honest, it’s easy for auto rebuilders to fix these vehicles up and put them back into the circulation. Unfortunately, we’re the ones that have to deal with the long term issues.

In many cases, when a vehicle has been totaled so that the cost to fix it is greater than its value, an insurance company will declare the vehicle a total loss. The owner is typically paid a sum equal to the pre-collision value of the car, and the car may be sold at a salvage auction. In other cases, the owner may be able to keep the totaled vehicle. In either case, there are unscrupulous car owners (whether they purchased the vehicle at auction or are the original owner) who quickly patch up these vehicles and try to turn a profit on them by selling them at full price.

Even if you take a close look, you may not be able to tell that it has originally sustained major damage. You won’t always see this on the title either, so it’s important to find out before you decide to buy it. So keep yourself guarded and do the appropriate research. Here are a few examples below:

Check the Title- Since not every salvage vehicle has a notation on the title, you have to look at the wording. If you see things like “scrap,” “parts only,” “unsalvageable,” or “un-rebuildable,” then you have a vehicle that’s been in an accident right in front of you.

In order to do this simple check, we recommend using the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). You’ll be able to enter a simple VIN number and get all kinds of helpful information. Whether it’s the odometer reading, if it’s been reported stolen, or if it was considered a total loss you’re going to know. In order to do this you can visit the NMVTIS at nmvtis.gov.

Have Someone Inspect It- Okay, so we don’t want you to have your next door neighbor come out and inspect it. However, if they are certified in collision repair then they would be a wise choice. They’ll be able to identify the signs of a previously wrecked vehicle.

Just Ask- One of the best things you can do is ask the seller if it’s been in an accident. Obviously the seller could lie to you, but their reactions will tell you everything. If by chance they are truthful and tell you upfront, then it’s important to find out what kind of damage the vehicle has had when it was in an accident.

Get a History Report- One of the best things you can do is getting a history report. The two best places are CarFax and AutoCheck. They will offer up all the dirt on any vehicle out there. Unfortunately, not all problems are reported to the state licensing agencies.

All we ask is that you be thorough when researching this vehicle. All the tips we provided above should give you enough details as to whether or not it’s going to be worth the money. If you’re really smart, document all your research and conversations in case something goes wrong. This way you can build a case in the event of a problem.