Information Found in a Carfax Report

Purchasing a used car from a car dealership or as a private sale can be tricky. You have no idea the history of the car, how many accidents it has been involved in, or even if it’s the car the seller is claiming. In the past you might have had to rely only upon what the seller was telling you about the car, but now you have a report known as the Carfax Report that can help you.

Here’s a look at what a Carfax Report can tell you about a car.

Previous Owners

A Carfax Report can tell you exactly how many owners a car has had in the past. It will outline how many times the title of the car has officially changed hands. The more owners a car has had the more likely things have fallen through the cracks like accidents and damages.

Major Accidents

A Carfax Report will look at the VIN number of a car and compare it to any insurance claims that have been filed in the past. As most car owners will file insurance claims when they have been involved in an accident, this will help you understand if the car was previously damaged. However, if the car owner paid privately for the repairs the accident might not be on the report.

Vehicle Recalls

Car manufacturers will sometimes issue recalls for certain vehicles. A Carfax Report will show you any manufacturer recalls that have been issued.

Obtaining the information found in a Carfax Report will help you decide whether or not you want to purchase a particular used car.

Filed Under: Used Cars Tagged With: , ,

Seeking Legal Advice for Automotive Malfunction

Is there anything more frustrating than dealing with your car breaking down? Actually, there is: dealing with the repair and those responsible for doing the repairs.

Protecting Your Rights

There are several things that you can do to protect yourself and your legal rights when dealing with this type of situation. Many do not even recognize that there is an inherent risk to be concerned about. You should seek out advice from a Florida personal injury attorney to help you protect yourself and your family.

The best way to ensure that your rights remain intact is to request a written estimate detailing the work to be done to the car, how long it will take, and how much it will cost. If any work is done in addition to that described in the written estimate without your prior consent, you are not responsible for paying for it.

Another way to protect your assets is to photograph your vehicle before it goes in for repair. Make sure the photographs are date-time stamped so you can prove that the damage was, in fact, inflicted at the shop and did not previously exist.

Implementing Your Rights

If you do have an issue with an ineffective repair or if the vehicle continues to malfunction after being repaired, here are a few tips to implement and maintain your rights.

  1. Don’t continue to drive your vehicle.
  2. Call the repair shop immediately and request that they tow your car back to the shop.
  3. Document all events once you discover an ineffective or unauthorized repair.
  4. Ask another mechanic to evaluate it and provide an expert evaluation.
  5. If the problem is still unresolved, you are entitled to any costs incurred.
Filed Under: Auto Insurance, Maintenance Tagged With: , ,

Basic Guide to Filing Charges for Motor Crash

A car accident in Tokyo, Japan.

Image via Wikipedia

The automobile industry is quite adept at making cars look glamorous. Driving becomes synonymous with allure and luxury. Picture this: a woman wearing a fancy cocktail dress is steering her car down an open country lane to meet her date for the evening. Would this mental image be as captivating on a Segway or a bicycle? Not really. The ubiquity of cars since the end of World War II has not diminished its glamor at all.

Cars give us great freedom to travel and enjoy the convenience of crossing from one side of the city to the other. Of course, that requires us to master the skill of driving, but even those who are experts at the road and take great care to avoid accidents may eventually encounter situations where the law becomes involved. It’s not very glamorous at all, and you’ll definitely be glad if you have auto coverage.

If you get into an accident, you may be burdened with the problems that come from trying to file a claim from your insurer and claim damages from the person responsible. In addition to police and a San Jose personal injury lawyer, a camera can be your best friend. Pictures tell stories that many words cannot. Cell phones are very sophisticated these days and many come with a camera to help you survey the accident site. Evidence is crucial and you will need it when you call your insurance company.

Your car should always be insured and you’ll need to see what kind of coverage they can offer. It doesn’t hurt to stay abreast of the company’s terms prior to a car accident. Get the police on the phone immediately following an incident involving your car whether it’s simply another person’s poor judgment call or a hit-and-run. They can file a complaint.

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How to Avoid Purchasing a Lemon When Buying a Used Car

Used Car Lot

Image by Hugo90 via Flickr

Buying a used car can come with a lot of headaches and problems if you don’t approach the sale cautiously. While many used car sales are fair, some are not. Car industry experts recommend that you approach every used car sale as if it could be a scam.

However, don’t let this scare you off from purchasing a used car. With a little knowledge and some car inspection, you can make sure that you are purchasing a used car that won’t cause you problems. Here’s a look at some things you should do before handing over the cash for a used car.

Conduct an Exterior Exam

You should always conduct an exterior exam of the used car you wish to purchase. Look for things like a recent paint job, bubbled paint, scratches or dents. These are usually a sign that there could be other problems with the car.

Bring a Mechanic to the Car Exam

While you might be able to notice obvious problems like scratches and dents, most people do not know enough about cars to know about problems that are happening right under the hood. Although you’ll have to pay the mechanic to do a car exam, it could save you hundreds of dollars if the used car you are considering is a lemon.

Conducting an exterior exam and having a mechanic along for the ride while you purchase a used car will help ensure that you don’t end up purchasing a lemon and having to deal with all the problems that come along with purchasing a bad car.

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Filed Under: Used Cars Tagged With: , , , ,

iPhone Apps That Save You Money at the Pump

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

Before the invention of the iPhone and the Internet, the best way to find cheap gas was to hop in your car and drive around, or if you were lucky by having a network of friends who would call and tell you what local stations have the best gas prices. Today’s modern technology has pushed these old school styles of finding cheap gas aside and made finding cheap local gas easier.

A number of iPhone or iPad apps allow you to get the cheapest gas prices with the touch of a button. Here’s a look at some of the most popular iPhone apps for finding cheap gas.

Local Gas Prices App

Local Gas Prices is an easy to use app that lists all the local gas stations and their last reported gas prices. This allows you compare prices and find gas stations that are offering the cheapest gas.

Cheap Gas App

You won’t have to search through huge lists of gas stations to find the cheapest gas prices with the Cheap Gas App. This iPhone app retrieves the last reported gas prices for local gas stations and lists them in order of price for you. The only downside is it doesn’t give you a map or turn-by-turn directions to the station, so you’re on your own for directions.

GasBuddy App

GasBuddy was rated the best of the best when it comes to apps that offer cheap gas prices. By having the option to choose to have your listings by location or price, you can always find the cheapest prices and won’t have to look too far to get them.

Stop driving around looking for the cheapest gas. Just pull up one of these great gas price apps and you’ll almost always save money on gas.

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Filed Under: Maintenance Tagged With: , , , ,