Before shopping for
an auto, let’s consider another type of protection that can
improve your purchase satisfaction. The simple things, of
course, are to take the time to take a close look at the vehicle
your considering along with asking questions including how it
handles, braking and more. Just as important is being
comfortable with the private party or dealer selling the vehicle
along with having a trusted mechanic look the vehicle over
before the purchase is made.
But before you “seal the deal” and make the purchase… and before
taking it to your auto mechanic, you may want to take another
step in between. All it takes is your trusty PC and the VIN
number (vehicle identification number) of the auto you’re
considering. See below where common locations of VIN numbers on
a vehicle are located.
For a reasonable fee, a service on the Web can provide you with
history of any vehicle as long it has a legal VIN number.
Running the VIN number through a service such as
AutoCheck.com can
alert you of any number of potential headaches such as the
vehicle:
-
Is stolen
-
Repaired
after a serious accident
-
Suffered
flood or other weather type damage
-
Is or was
part of a manufacture recall
-
Has a
history of recurring repairs
-
Was
previously used by emergency personnel
-
Was used
commercially
All of the above
could signal very serious problems. Without having a vehicle
history service, many of these things could be hidden from an
unwary buyer.
Common locations
of the vehicle identification number (VIN) vary but the
following are places to look:
Later model years -
most common area's of VIN:
Other areas:
-
Left hand inner
wheel arch
-
Steering column
-
Radiator Support
Bracket
-
Dash by
windshield
-
Drivers door or
post on passenger side
-
Guarantee &
Maintenance Book *Vehicle documents
-
Machined Pad on
front of engine
-
Component parts
as listed above -eg- engine, frame, etc.
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