How to check a used car prior purchase

How to check used car history records by the VIN number

I recommend to check a used car's history records as a first step before buying a car.
The used car history report can't give you a 100-percent guarantee that the car is perfect, but when you about to spend thousands of dollars on a used car, it is worth to pay for a history report that could give you some information about the car's past. Here are few examples of the information you may find in a used car history report:
The car was totaled in an accident/salvaged
Flood damage
Odometer rollbacks
Lemon histories
Junked Titles
State emissions inspection results
Lien activity, and/or
Vehicle use (taxi, rental, lease, etc.)
If available, service and repair history 

Look at the picture I made at a collision repair shop yard. Why do you think they keep that rear piece of the car? Because when they find the same vehicle with rear-end damage, they will just weld two pieces together into one car, paint it nicely and sell it through the auction somewhere in a different state or province. Soon it may appear in a used car dealer lot as "Immaculate condition with low mileage" vehicle. The car may look clean and shiny, but if you check the car history report, you may find that the vehicle was salvaged.

Another example: I received a message from the person who bought privately a "low mileage" car. He even had it inspected by a dealer and had been told that the car is OK. Few days later, he checked the used car history report and found out that previous reported mileage was a lot higher - very unfortunate situation.
By the way, when you bring a used car to a mechanic or a dealer for an inspection, have a look at items covered in the inspection checklist - usually it does not include things like previous accident check or odometer fraud check.

For these reasons, when buying a used car, it is worth to check the used car history as a first step and then have a car inspected by a mechanic of your choice.