Best Carfax type report
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Make sure that it has no accidents, odo rollbacks, etc. and you should be good
If the car has ever been ran through Manhaim, then only autocheck will tell you if it has been announced as a unibody damaged car.
But if the car has never been auctioned, then I probably wouldn't bother.
Also, if you register on toyota's owners portal and you enter the VIN, it will tell you all of the dealer service records on the car.
But if the car has never been auctioned, then I probably wouldn't bother.
Also, if you register on toyota's owners portal and you enter the VIN, it will tell you all of the dealer service records on the car.
Make sure the guy selling it has been/is the owner for a long period and not a curbstoner for an auction car. Get a local mech to lift it and do a thorough inspection also - unless you can do this.
Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
Make sure the guy selling it has been/is the owner for a long period and not a curbstoner for an auction car. Get a local mech to lift it and do a thorough inspection also - unless you can do this.
Auction cars are not necessarily bad cars, I think that's an old myth. Cars go to auction for a variety of reasons. Dealers sometimes have cars that won't fit their local market, they make have excess inventory, lease buyout is too high, etc.
The auctions do give you pretty cool visual inspection reports though, such as this one:
http://mmsc400.manheim.com/MABEL/ECR2I.P...amp;SWO=5012931
Make sure the guy selling it has been/is the owner for a long period and not a curbstoner for an auction car. Get a local mech to lift it and do a thorough inspection also - unless you can do this.
Auction cars are not necessarily bad cars, I think that's an old myth. Cars go to auction for a variety of reasons. Dealers sometimes have cars that won't fit their local market, they make have excess inventory, lease buyout is too high, etc.
The auctions do give you pretty cool visual inspection reports though, such as this one:
http://mmsc400.manheim.com/MABEL/ECR2I.P...amp;SWO=5012931
Since I was in the market for a used truck a few months ago, I did both Carfax and Autocheck out of curiosity sake. I had leftover reports, so out of curiosity I ran my extisting truck I was planning to sell as well as one I planned to keep.
Autocheck was hands down the the more thorough of the reports on the vehicles I ran, including some dealer services that showed up in the report. Neither was fully complete - as an example, both listed my '99 F150 as a 1 owner vehicle, when in fact I was the second owner. Both correctly reported the vehicle as a "rental" and "fleet" vehicle, as that was the original use. Don't let that scare you away though, rental can mean rental car fleet or in my case, a company car through a company specializing in this type of rental and assigned to one driver and well taken care of.
If chose only one, in hindsight, I'd take the Autocheck report, even if not fully complete.
Nothing takes the place of a competent inspection in person or by a skilled mechanic though.
Autocheck was hands down the the more thorough of the reports on the vehicles I ran, including some dealer services that showed up in the report. Neither was fully complete - as an example, both listed my '99 F150 as a 1 owner vehicle, when in fact I was the second owner. Both correctly reported the vehicle as a "rental" and "fleet" vehicle, as that was the original use. Don't let that scare you away though, rental can mean rental car fleet or in my case, a company car through a company specializing in this type of rental and assigned to one driver and well taken care of.
If chose only one, in hindsight, I'd take the Autocheck report, even if not fully complete.
Nothing takes the place of a competent inspection in person or by a skilled mechanic though.
Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
Nothing takes the place of a competent inspection in person or by a skilled mechanic though.
So very true..
I am going to against that, and say if you were not able to lift up a car, those Insight Condition Reports are probably better than most in-person inspections by a mechanic. Many mechanics don't know what to look for when it comes to cosmetic issues.
Besides, on a late-model car, mechanical probably isn't a concern anyway since the car is still under warranty. Cosmetic is much more important.
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
Nothing takes the place of a competent inspection in person or by a skilled mechanic though.
So very true..
I am going to against that, and say if you were not able to lift up a car, those Insight Condition Reports are probably better than most in-person inspections by a mechanic. Many mechanics don't know what to look for when it comes to cosmetic issues.
Besides, on a late-model car, mechanical probably isn't a concern anyway since the car is still under warranty. Cosmetic is much more important.
Well in comparison I ran an Autocheck on the Forester because I am selling it and it missed all kinds of info whereas Carfax didn't.
Honestly they are both hit & miss it seems.
Honestly they are both hit & miss it seems.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
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Besides, on a late-model car, mechanical probably isn't a concern anyway since the car is still under warranty. Cosmetic is much more important.
Now that's bad advice, Critic
You sell used cars?
..
Besides, on a late-model car, mechanical probably isn't a concern anyway since the car is still under warranty. Cosmetic is much more important.
Now that's bad advice, Critic
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