Knowing about the history of a particular used car before you actually buy it can be incredibly beneficial, particularly to those people who want to avoid wasting their time and money on a vehicle that might not be as valuable as it originally seemed. In fact, if you're asking why you should check your car title, the best answer could be that doing so may save you a substantial amount of money in the long run.
By ordering a vehicle history report on your car title, you can remove a significant amount of the risk and guesswork associated with determining whether or not a certain used car is worth your time and effort. In fact, you might actually find out whether a used car that is being sold as perfect has actually been involved in serious accidents, or has undergone major repairs recently that could put you off your investment.
Why You Should Check Your Car Title And Get A VHR:
Getting your car title will allow you to apply for a VHR, which provides a wide range of essential information on the history of your vehicle, including the past ownership, how many owners the car has had, the liens on the vehicle, and the accident history.
Title and accident history can include everything from flood damage to accident reports, salvage title branding, and more. In fact, you can also use the title to find out whether the owner of the vehicle is the person that is selling you the car. In other words, the answer to the question "Why you should check your car title" is that you can use that information to determine whether the vehicle you are considering buying has actually been stolen.
Understanding A Car Title:
A car title is an official document that is used to prove that a car belongs to a specific person. This title will have been issued by either the Department of Motor Vehicles, or the Department of Transportation. Importantly, each title in each state will differ slightly, but for the most part, you should be able to find a significant amount of information about the owner of the vehicle, and the vehicle itself. The title certificate will include everything from the vehicle identification number, or VIN, to other crucial details about the history of your car.
The VIN is a unique number that is different for each vehicle. Whenever you to choose to check your car's title, you should always make sure that the VIN matches the number that is on the title. If you have trouble finding the VIN on your car, then it may help to know that this is usually located on the driver's side of the car, just underneath the windshield. On newer cars, you should also be able to find the VIN on a sticker that can also be found on the driver's side of the car, within the door jamb. Older vehicles sometimes have their VIN printed on the engine compartment of the car.