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Car Lemon Reports: Which Type Is Best?
When buying a used car it always makes sense to look at a car lemon report for the vehicles you are considering. While there are a lot of websites that provide car lemon reports, they all get their information from either Carfax.com or Autocheck. These companies provide reports that include a lot of the same information but there are a few key differences that will help you decide which report is right for you.
Both Carfax.com and Autocheck.com provide the following information:
- Title Information – They check for salvage titles or if the car has been rebuilt.
- Accident Damage – They both check for accident reports, which is important as the car could have frame or serious engine damage.
- Odometer Rollback – This is an examination of the various reported mileages on the vehicle to look for any signs of odometer rollback.
- Vehicle Use – It is important to know if the car was used as a fleet, taxi or rental vehicle as these cars are often driven harder and with less regard to the vehicle than a privately owned car.
- Hail, flood, fire damage – Reports if the car has ever been in a flooded area or if fire or hail damage has been reported to an insurance company.
Items that are specific to a CarFax Report include:
- Warranty Check – Carfax provides all of the manufacturer warranty information for the vehicle and estimate time or mileage left on the warranty for each major component of the car.
- Safety and Reliability Ratings – They also provide safety and reliability information about the year make and model of the car.
- Customer Ratings and Comments – You can see rankings and comments from other customers who own the same make and model car.
- CarFax Buyback Guarantee – If the CARFAX Report fails to include a DMV-issued branded title like salvage, flood or fire damage, and odometer problems, CARFAX may buy the vehicle back for the full purchase price. There are many conditions that apply to this so be sure to read the agreement in full to make sure your car qualifies.
Items that are exclusive to an Autocheck Report
- Autocheck Score – This is a summary of your vehicle’s history, put into a numerical score that makes comparing various vehicles easy.
- Lower Price – A single report on Autocheck is $14.95 compared to $29.95 for CarFax.
Knowing what kind of information you are looking for can help you decide what report is best for you, but you can rest assured that no matter which one you choose you will be getting high quality reliable information. When buying a used car it is important to look at a lemon car report but it’s up to you to decide which is the better fit.
