Home Automobiles Why Using A VIN Decoder Is ESSENTIAL When Buying A Used Car

Why Using A VIN Decoder Is ESSENTIAL When Buying A Used Car

Why Using A VIN Decoder Is ESSENTIAL When Buying A Used Car
Photo by Obi Onyeador on Unsplash

Many people buy used cars for their many benefits. Used cars are often cheaper and more sustainable.

However, buying a used car does come with a set of unique challenges, one of which is checking the car’s history. 

How many miles has it done? Has it been in an accident? Wat its MOT done regularly? Has it come from a reputable place?

Luckily, using a trustworthy VIN decoder (UK), you can find out some key information about any car before you buy it. 

VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. This is a set of 17 numbers given to every vehicle to encode important information about the vehicle within it. 

Here is why it is ESSENTIAL to use a VIN decoder when buying a used car:

The VIN Can Show You Previous Accidents

When buying a used car, you may run into a dishonest seller who conceals the fact that the vehicle you are buying has previously been in an accident but has since been repaired. 

Photo by Malte Luk from Pexels

Even if a car has been repaired in theory, accidents can lead to long-term damage in cars that you may need to foot the bill for later. For example, if part of the car becomes misshapen during the accident, this can lead to faster wear. 

Similarly, if you don’t know the car’s accident history, you also won’t know who did the repair. If a bad mechanic did the repair, it may be a bad quality repair and lead to further problems down the line. Ultimately, this could cost you a lot of money later on.

The VIN Can Show Theft History

Thousands of cars are stolen in the UK every year, and a proportion of those are unknowingly bought by people looking for a good value used car. 

Although it’s unlikely the police will penalize you if you bought a stolen car unknowingly, doing so can lead to a HUGE headache. 

Firstly, the police will seize the vehicle, which may be returned to the owner or impounded. This means you’ll be without a vehicle and potentially involved in a police case. 

Thankfully, you can avoid this whole mess by using a VIN decoder to check the history of your car!

 The VIN Can Show You Previous Service History

Servicing a car is essential to ensure that your car is well looked after, safe, and without any issues or hidden defects. 

That’s why buying a used car with a full-service history is the lowest risk way of buying a used car. This way, you can ensure that there aren’t any unknown issues that could cost you later.

A service history often contains how many miles the car has done, so you can confirm that the mileage calculator on the car hasn’t been altered to make the car appear as if it’s done fewer miles than it really has. 

Dishonest sellers may artificially reduce the number of miles a car has done to increase the price because the fewer miles a car has done, the more they can charge for it. However, by checking with a VIN decoder, you can make sure that you have all of the correct information to make the best possible decision.

Author Bio:

Amy Swain is a content writer, foodie, an ex-chef. If she’s not baking, then she’s got a paintbrush in hand, working on her next masterpiece. 

Featured Photo by Obi Onyeador on Unsplash