Accident reports from companies like AutoCheck are excellent tools for car buyers who want to make sure they are buying a safe car. However, there is more information that customers need to consider before buying a used car.
Even the best vehicle accident report relies on the information they gather from accident records. If the original information was incorrectly entered by a DMV office employee, for example, the accident report would have an inaccurate vehicle history. Accident reports are a great way to research the history of used cars, but they are different. Many accident reports are incomplete because accident reporting companies limit themselves to information from state and federal authorities.
Vehicle maintenance records can sometimes be more meaningful than accident records. Users need to know whether the engine or body has been repaired repeatedly. While car histories provided by agents like Carfax or AutoCheck sometimes include a maintenance history, more often than not they don't.
If a used car maintenance history is not available, the accident history only provides a limited picture of the actual condition of the used car. However, accident reports still contain more information than you have about the history of the car.
While they can cost more than a written accident history, the best way to make sure you get a good quality used car is to have the car checked by an independent mechanic. Carfax and AutoCheck can provide a good guide for mechanics to know where to look for potential problems during an inspection.