Vehicle history reports
In the United States, an estimated 34 percent of consumers (in 2006) are buying vehicle history reports for used cars.Vehicle history reports are an inexpensive way to check the track record of any used vehicle. Vehicle history reports provide customers with a detailed record based on the vehicle's serial number .These reports will indicate items of public record, such as vehicles title branding,lemon law buybacks, odometer fraud and recalls. They may indicate minor/moderate collision damage or improper vehicle maintenance. An attempt to identify vehicles which have been previously owned by hire car rental agencies, police and emergency services or taxi fleets is also made. However, consumers should research vehicles carefully, as these reporting services only report the information to which they have access.
In some places the government is a provider of vehicle history - but this is usually a very limited service providing information on just one aspect of the history.
None of the vehicle history reporting services in any of the countries listed above offer the service for free. citation needed Several of the services, most notably those in the United Kingdom and the United States, sell reports to dealers and then encourage the dealers to display the reports on their Internet sites. These reports are paid for by the dealer and then offered for free to potential buyers of the vehicle.