How to check out that used car

This article is the archived version of a report that appeared in the July 2009 Consumer Reports magazine.

Have the vehicle inspected

Before you buy a used car, take it to an independent mechanic to have it checked for any evidence of prior damage.

Don't skip the test drive

Make note of unusual squeaks or rattles. If a car pulls to one side, that might hint at previous damage. Check the backs of body panels and door jambs for paint overspray, a signal that the car might have had body work. The smell of mildew or mold could indicate water damage.

Ask the seller for a history report

If the report isn't recent or you suspect it has missing or fabricated information, verify it with the service. Some dealer Web sites have free links to reports from the services.

Be redundant

Just because one report is clean, another might not be. If you are not provided with a report from the seller, check with the free or inexpensive services first. Although in our tests VINCheck wasn't as thorough as commercial reports, it identified vehicles that had been deemed a total loss. Because of regulations newly enacted after our test, National Motor Vehicle Title Information Systems reports, which cost a few dollars, should find vehicles sold through insurance salvage auctions, including clean-title wrecks. If reports from those sources are clean, consider also getting one from Carfax ($30) and AutoCheck ($15). Along with total-loss information, they might provide warnings about odometer tampering and non-total-loss collisions.

Remember, even clean reports from all services don't guarantee that the vehicle doesn't have damage or other problems.