Avoiding Title Trouble When Buying a Used Car

<p></p> <img src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/dcr-apis/wp_contents/uploads/DCR-ADMIN/car%20title.jpeg" alt="undefined" style="height: auto;width: auto"/> <p></p> <p>I was sorry to hear about a friend who recently lost $10,000 when buying a used car from a private party. He didn’t bother to check whether it had a clean title, and when he went to register it, he discovered the seller didn’t actually own the vehicle. It’s probably no surprise that the seller was nowhere to be found. My friend ended up donating the car and learning a tough lesson.</p> <p>There’s a simple way to protect yourself from this kind of trouble. The California Department of Motor Vehicles has <a href="https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/customer-service/request-vehicle-or-driver-records/online-vehicle-record-request/" target="_self">an online tool</a> that allows you to make a vehicle record request for $2. All you need are the VIN and the license plate number.</p> <p>It’s always a good idea to ask the seller of a used car to show you the title (it’s pink). You don’t want to see words like “salvage” or “lemon” on it. Also, the VIN on the title should match the one on the car. If you’re willing to pay a little more, you can get a vehicle history report from places like Carfax and AutoCheck.&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/" target="_self">Use Diamond Certified Resource to find top rated companies.</a></p> <p><strong>Local, Top Rated Diamond Certified Companies Related to Your Topic</strong><br><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/san-francisco-auto-repair/" target="_self">San Francisco Auto Repair Shops</a><br><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/alameda-auto-repair/" target="_self">Alameda County Auto Repair Shops</a><br><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/marin-auto-repair/" target="_self">Marin County Auto Repair Shops</a><br><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/auto-repair/ca/solano-county/" target="_self">Solano County Auto Repair Shops</a><br><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/contra-costa-auto-repair/" target="_self">Contra Costa County Auto Repair Shops</a></p> <p><strong>Related Articles</strong><br><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/Guide/New-Used-Car-Buying/" target="_self">The Essential Guide to New &amp; Used Car Buying</a><br><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/find-expert-advice/" target="_self">Get Expert Advice From Owners of Top Rated Local Companies</a><br><a href="https://www.diamondcertified.org/membership/" target="_self">Become a Diamond Certified Preferred Member (Always Free)</a>&nbsp;</p>