When buying a used car, it’s important to make sure that the vehicle you’re buying is what the seller claims it is. If the car you’re purchasing has only ever been owned and registered in Alberta, you can obtain an Alberta Vehicle Information Report (it will only show you information about the car that’s in the Alberta Motor Vehicle System). However, for more complete details, or if the car comes from out of province or the U.S., you should purchase a Carfax report.
Carfax gathers information from motor vehicle agencies, insurance providers, car dealerships, import/export companies, manufacturers and other sources from across Canada and the United States to create a comprehensive history of registered vehicles. Here’s everything this report will tell you and why it’s important to know. • Canadian Registration Information Here is where you will see which Canadian jurisdictions the vehicle is currently or has ever been registered in. Additionally, this is where the vehicle status (Normal, Stolen, Rebuilt, Salvage, Non-Repairable, Inspection Required) is listed. If the vehicle has never been or was not last registered in Alberta, it will require an Out of Province inspection before being registered. • Accident history A Carfax report will show if the car has been damaged in an accident or in other ways, even if not all sellers want you to know. This is important information because previous damage from a collision can impact the safety and value of the car you’re driving, especially if it wasn’t repaired properly. • Service Repairs With a Carfax report, you’ll see how many records have been submitted in regards to the servicing the vehicle. A car that’s been in and out of the shop numerous times may indicate a recurring problem, especially if the repairs are always on the same component of the vehicle. Alternatively, finding a vehicle that has been well maintained is always a bonus. • Liens If the previous owner of the vehicle has unpaid debt relating to the car, as you may be responsible for paying it off if you buy it. • Recall information If the make and model of car that you’re looking at has been recalled or has had recalls on individual vehicle components, this information will be on your report. Combined with an independent inspection and a test drive, a clean Carfax or Alberta Vehicle Information Report can help you choose whether or not to buy the car. Once you’ve decided to purchase the vehicle, head to Registrations Are Us to register the car in your name. Contact us today to find out more about our motor vehicle registrations services.