Always Get a Vehicle History Report

These reports will show you if the vehicle has ever been in an accident, reported stolen, been flooded, or totalled.

There are two companies that provide these reports: CarFax and AutoCheck.

Nowadays, most dealers already provide a free vehicle history report on all of their used cars, but if you're shopping private party , you may have to pay for the report yourself.

The cost for a CarFax report is $34.99. AutoCheck sells their reports for $29.99.

Both services obtain information from thousands of public and private data sources including state title and registratrion records, auto auctions, rental car agencies and police departments.

Most dealers prefer to use AutoCheck when purchasing their vehicles at auction.

Keep in mind these history reports are not fool-proof. If an accident was never reported, they will not know about it - so don't assume the car is good to purchase just because it comes back with a clean history report.

The reports are meant to be used only as the first step in your investigation process. Always get a used car thoroughly inspected by a trusted mechanic before purchasing.