What Your Car History Report May Not Be Telling You
Posted on: 6 August 2015
If you are in the market for a new or used car, then you know one of the things you can order is a car history report. These reports give you details on accidents, repairs, and anything that may have been reported to insurance companies based on the vehicle identification number. Though these reports are very detailed, there are a few things they may leave out that you want or need to know. Here are a few details that the car history report may not be telling you:
Routine Upkeep
When you pay for car services like oil changes, filters, new tires, and new brakes you may think this would show up on a car report. When you have these services completed on your car, they will likely not appear on a car history report. These are considered preventative maintenance and not part of a car repair or accident that is reported to the police or your insurance provider.
If you are concerned about the history of the used car, as it relates to preventative work, ask the dealer for any statements that may have arrived with the car. If non are available, have a detailed inspection performed on the car to ensure tires, brakes, and other important maintenance is up to date.
Unreported Accident Related Repairs
The majority of drivers will have at least one accident in their lifetime that is unreported. These can be anything from running into your mailbox to hitting an animal on the road that causes damage to your vehicle. In these cases, you may decide to simply have the repair completed and not report it to your insurance. You may also have a friend or yourself make the repair, like banging out a small dent to the bumper or car door. Since these were not reported, they will likely not show up on the car history report.
Car Service and Mechanic Information
When you have work done on the car, the car history report may not show the exact services performed or who the mechanic was that performed them. For example, car repairs that were not authorized by the insurance company or paid for by the insurance company may show on the report but not in an itemized list. You may have had several car repairs that needed to be done due to a bad collision, but if you are paying out of pocket, the repairs may simply be a grand total or list on the major repairs like new engines.
These are just a few of the things that may be left out when you purchase a car history report. If you are concerned about the items the history report may not list, or you aren't satisfied with what the report says, then consider having a diagnostic run on the car. The diagnostic won't show everything either, but it will give you a solid look at what you may be buying.
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