Buying a car can be one of the most expensive purchases you can make. It is important to find out as much as possible about the car prior to buying. The research you do prior to buying a car is important regarding fuel consumption and features, but arguably what is more important is gaining an idea of the history of the specific car you want to buy. If the proper check are not carried out, you could find yourself losing the car, and not be entitled to a refund of the money you pay. The statistics say that one in three cars have a secret history. One in four cars has an outstanding balance on them when they are sold. The knock on effect of this is that you may suddenly find yourself liable for the outstanding amount of the finance. Alternatively, this could mean that the finance company could repossess the car, if the balance is not paid, and you could be left with no car and very little chance of getting the money back that you have paid to the previous owner. This is also the case if you happen to buy a car which has been stolen. You will probably find that the car is returned to the owner with very little chance of recouping the money you have laid out.

Probably more worrying is that one in twelve cars have been classed as insurance `write offs`. This statistic carries with it the worry that if you buy a car which has been written off, you are potentially driving a car which is dangerous for the driver and his passengers. In one in twelve cars, there is likely to be a mileage discrepancy. A low mileage would lead you to think that the car has a few extra years of work left in it, and the chance are that you will have paid more than you should have done for your vehicle.

One method of avoiding all of this is to obtain a vehicle history report. This is simply a report which can be obtained on line for a small fee, which can give you useful information about the car. The vehicle history check can give you information on how many owners the car has had. It can also give you on the specific make and model of the car and it can even tell you if the car colour has been changed. More importantly, it can identify those issues that are likely to cost you money if the car has a dubious history. The report can tell you if there is finance outstanding finance. Many people fail to understand that the car finance has to be paid off before the vehicle is sold. The vehicle history report can also tell you whether the car is being tracked by another party, and may be at risk of theft or fraud. It can tell you whether the vehicle has been written of or stolen. Bear in mind that over half a million cars each year may be written off by the insurance companies. Many of them find their way back on to the market once the damage has been repaired. Mileage and registration plate changes are also listed on the report, as are CO2 emission levels.

It may seem that paying extra for a vehicle history report may be an unnecessary drain on your budget, but it could save you money in the long term. When buying a used car, always do your research first and check the insurance group of the vehicle as that will have a direct impact on the cost of your car insurance. Typically cars with higher insurance groups, such as performance and prestige cars, cost more to insure as they tend to have higher repair and replacement costs.