Using an Auto History Report to Haggle Used Car Price

Last Modified: May 28, 2019 by Jeff Ostroff

The information contained in an auto history report can give you some ammunition to use to negotiate the price lower on a used car. Here are some key information to look for and use to your advantage:

Delivery History of the car: Several of our visitors have made clever use of this helpful feature of the Used Car History Report to determine when the dealer took delivery of the used car. You might find the car was sitting on the lot for 6 months or more. You can use this powerful ammunition to knock down the price of the car. Many of our visitors have reported excellent success with this strategy.
Service Date: The report lists the in-service date of the car and thus how much warranty is left. This is useful data, because a 2010 car could have been bought in 2009, so it's really older than the other 2010 models you are looking at.
States of Registry: Most people love that the report shows the states a car was registered in, and when it was bought.
VIN Decode: The auto history report for my friend's used Lexus RX300 that he just bought has a VIN decode showing the car was 4 wheel drive. The dealer did not know it because you cannot tell from the outside, and they only charged him for the standard 2WD, so he made out quite well.
Sold at Auction: If the car went through an auction, the Auto History Report can show it. This is a great way for you to catch insurance companies who skirt the law. They resell a totaled car through a salvage auction, evading your state's minimum threshold of damage disclosure laws on the title. They are only required to brand the title if the damage exceeds a percentage of the value of the car. If they can get enough for the car at an auction, they won't have to brand the title even though the car should be totaled. Then you lose out.

Advertising Policy

Get Your AutoCheck Reports Now