by Erica Fields

Created on: January 28, 2007   Last Updated: November 07, 2008

Finding out if a used car has been in an accident is an important step in the buying process. Although you may choose to buy a damaged car anyways a vehicle that has been in an accident will have a decreased value and may have problems you can't anticipate. Before I start, every country is different and I can only offer help in the United States where all vehicles are required to have VIN numbers (Vehicle Identification Number)and information is reported to the DMV (Dept. of Motor Vehicles).

After you find a car you are interested in you should request a Carfax report. Most dealerships and private dealers will offer you one free of charge. Private sellers may or may not, but it is a good sign if one is provided for you. If you have to order the report on your own look through the windshield at the dash on the driver's side. You'll see a 17 digit code on your dash, this is the VIN and it is unique to the car. Each door, the dash, the hood, and any major body parts should have this stamped on it. If a vehicle has been wrecked and the parts were replaced then they will not have the original VIN on them. While you're looking at the car you can also look for signs of bodywork like mismatched paint, over spray, doors not being hung quite even, or gaps between the door and fender.

Use the VIN from the dash obtain a Carfax report. Any accident reported to the authorities will be listed on it as well as floods, multiple owners, and commercial use etc. If someone else provided the report to you make sure the VIN on the report matched the VIN on the vehicle and you're not reading a report on the wrong vehicle.

There's no way to be sure if a vehicle has been in an accident if it wasn't reported to insurance or DMV, but if you use common sense and your better instincts then you're likely to pick a reliable car. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

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