One step worth checking when buying a used car in Nigeria


The one simple check that can decrease the risk of being squeezed when buying a used car is this – Car VIN check.

Buying a second-hand car is generally complicated and nobody wants to be bamboozled by dealer’s tricks. However, the buyer will need tons of experience to find out the best car with a commensurate price. However, there is one simple check that can decrease the risk of being squeezed when buying a used car is this step – Car VIN check.

Car Vin Check

VIN stands for VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER, a code consists of 17 alpha-numeric characters. The VIN number is like the car’s fingerprint which is used for inspecting information of the car, including car registration, insurance or repair. Maintenance garages can also choose the right type of parts based on the VIN number. And the most significant benefit for the buyer is VIN helps determine the history of the car, whether that vehicle was stolen, written-off, scrapped, etc. By quickly checking this code will decrease the threats of having a car fraud. It also reveals most information of the car such as past ownership, flood damage, accident history, car title check, airbag deployments and others related items.

car VIN

The VIN number is like the car’s fingerprint which is used for inspecting information of the car, including car registration, insurance or repair

Kindly be aware that a good-looking car does not mean it is still well-functioning and all components are in a good condition.  The car VIN will reveal the car’s maintenance history which tells you how much you may have to spend for the repair, how safe it is and how much it is worth.

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VIN can be found in different place on the car such as in the trunk, under the hood at the front of the engine, rear wheel well, driver door jam. The picture below shows the most common places the car VIN is located.

Where to find the car VIN

Where to find the car VIN

In short, here are 13 reasons to conduct a VIN check when buying a used car.

1. To tell if the car has involved into an accident.

2. To check the nature of as well as how serious any accident has occurred with the car

3. To know if it is a flooded car

4. To check if the last reported mileage is correct and tell if the odometer has been rolled back

5. To check whether the car has been recalled or not and easily find out which type of the recall

6. To know the number of previous owners.

7. To know if its airbags have been deployed

8. To know the title of the car, i.e rebuilt title, salvage title, clean title, parts only title before it is exported

9. To check whether it is a stolen car before export

10. It shows the original location the car was used.

11. It gives information about the year of purchasing.

12. It represents whether this car belonged to an individual or a company.

13. It indicates car repair history such as tire replacement, brake replacement, oil change etc.

These and other related issues can affect the safety, efficiency and even value of a used car so using the VIN service can protect you from fraud when you intend to buy a used car.

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