Look Before You Buy

If you’ve already purchased a car with a negative vehicle report from a private party, there is little you can do.  In some cases, you may be able to take legal action against the seller if they materially misrepresented the history or condition of the car or if mechanical problems cause you repeated repair expenses.

The purpose of obtaining a vehicle report is to do your due diligence on a car before you buy it.  If you’re considering buying a used car and you already know that it has a negative vehicle history report, it is your responsibility to purchase or not to purchase the car based upon the facts as you know them.  If, however, you discover the negative vehicle report after you purchase the car, that information alone is not actionable unless you can prove the seller materially misrepresented the history or condition of the car.  State lemon laws vary by state, and some state lemon laws only cover new cars.  Even in states where used cars are covered by lemon laws, you’d have to show repeated mechanical failures and repair expenses to have any legal standing against the seller.

Order a Report

The best policy when buying a car from a private party is to check the vehicle history report first.  A standard vehicle report contains all kinds of information about the history of a car, including title problems, severe accidents, car damage, odometer problems, ownership history, mileage, whether the car was a rental car or a fleet car, accidents & service, total loss claims, airbag deployment history, frame damage, and service records.  So put your mind at rest and order a vehicle history report today.