Dealers Not Required

No, the dealer is not required to provide you with a vehicle history report when you buy a used car. In fact, you should never trust a vehicle history report from any seller, dealer or not, but rather should order one yourself to ensure its authenticity.

Consumer protection laws do require dealers to maintain a certain degree of transparency when selling used cars. But there is no law requiring dealers to provide you with a vehicle history report when you’re buying a used car from them. And for the most part, dealers won’t take it upon themselves to provide you one.

Why Dealers Don't Provide Reports

There are good reasons why a dealer doesn’t want you to see a vehicle history report. Vehicle history reports contain all kinds of information about a used car’s history, such as title history, accidents and major repairs, among many others. Any of that information could affect whether you want to buy the used car and how much you’re willing to pay for it.

From the dealer’s standpoint, they would rather control the flow of information and keep you away from a vehicle history report. On the other side of the coin, you want to know as much about the history of a used car as possible before you make a purchase.

There's no doubt you'll want to review a vehicle history report. But you shouldn’t rely on the dealer to provide one for you. Even if they do, you should order your own to make sure of its authenticity, as some unscrupulous sellers alter or fabricate vehicle history reports.

Buying a Report

If you’re looking to buy a used car from a dealer, make sure you’re armed with the best information. Order a vehicle history report today. You can even buy an access pass so you can look up all the cars you want within a given time frame.