The purchase of used cars grows by 5.2% in our country, and the percentage of vehicles that are put up for sale increases by 2.2% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to GANVAM (the National Association of Vehicle Sellers motor). Buying a second-hand car allows you to access more advantageous prices, but it also entails various dangers. Of a sample of more than 400,000 vehicles verified by CARFAX, 44.5% presented at least one associated risk. In fact, this company has detected a 3% increase in risks in used cars. Of these, 1 in 10 presents at least a serious risk, such as previous damage or accidents, mileage manipulation, active theft report, cases of total accident or unfavorable technical inspection. In this situation, the best option to avoid making mistakes is to be well informed.
CARFAX, the world's leading vehicle history provider, offers very useful information about a used car. The procedure to access the information is very simple: Simply enter the registration or chassis number in the search engine on their website, and then purchase the report. In case we want to check several vehicles, CARFAX offers packages with special rates. A single consultation can cost between €19.99 and €34.99 (the price varies depending on the countries where the information is obtained). The three-history package is priced at €39.99 (€13.33 for each one) and the six-report package is only €59.99 (€9.99 per report). Likewise, they have 3 professional packages (20, 50 and 100 consultations) that allow you to save up to 65% on the price.
In the CARFAX report we find relevant information on possible damages or accidents, maintenance and inspections or mileage data (which allow us to know if there is any inconsistency or possible manipulation of the odometer). It also provides information on whether the vehicle has been registered in other countries or if it has been reported stolen. In addition, it allows us to access the number of previous owners and know if it has been used as a taxi or rental car. To this we have to add other elements of interest, such as the technical information of the vehicle or the Environmental label and more. With all this, we are in a position to compare the information offered by the seller and, if necessary, request more official documents.
But CARFAX is also a good option for sellers, since showing the history when selling a car is a sign of transparency and offers more confidence to the buyer. Today, more than 3 million cars in Spain have some hidden defect, so information is key when making decisions. Since 2010, CARFAX has been responsible for providing us with all the necessary data on more than 300 million vehicles in Europe and more than 1 billion worldwide.
