If you're looking to buy a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle, you may be tempted to treat a vehicle that comes with a CPO stamp of approval as a vehicle that has a clean vehicle history report. It's true that the majority of vehicles being sold as a CPO will have gone through a rigorous testing process and background check. But if you're looking to spend thousands of dollars, why not spend a bit extra for the added assurance and peace of mind that the CPO dealer hasn't missed anything?
No two CPO programs are exactly alike. The implication is that when you compare CPO vehicles from different manufacturers, keep in mind that the different standards may have been used when designating the vehicles as CPO. For this reason, it's a good idea to purchase a vehicle history report, which can answer many of the following questions:
- Has an accident ever been reported on the vehicle?
- How many people have owned this vehicle?
- Has the vehicle been damaged by floods, fires, hail or other natural disaster?
- Is the mileage on the odometer accurate?
- Was the vehicle used as a service vehicle (poice car, taxi, etc.)?
- Has the vehicle ever had a branded title (e.g., junked, salvaged or rebuilt)?
- Was the vehicle ever repossessed or stolen?
Ideally, the CPO dealer can answer these questions for you, but purchasing an AutoCheck vehicle history report is a great way to get information from an independent data source, if you want to see data that backs up what the dealership has told you. Many CPO dealers will give you a vehicle history report for free, and the report might be from Carfax. But did you know that Carfax and AutoCheck obtain their information from different sources? AutoCheck may have additional records on its report that Carfax doesn't have. Click here to see why Autocheck is better than Carfax.
Even if you purchase a CPO vehicle, you should still play it safe and play it smart and purchase an AutoCheck vehicle history report before you buy.
