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Check it out

Buying a used car? Now you can find out loads of information about the car you are considering before you buy – and avoid an unwanted surprise.

Buying a used car can be a fun process of searching, researching and chasing down the best deal you can. Sticking to your budget can be tough, and a ‘too good to be true deal’ can be hard to turn down – but how can you be sure what you are buying?

Buyer beware

Everyone has heard the horror stories. Someone finds their dream car, gives it a once over and all seems to be in order. The seller appears to be trustworthy, the car looks great and the price is right. Then down the track the car starts to have major problems and it eventually comes to light that it was involved in a serious crash and patched up for sale. Did you know that it’s not a crime to buy a repairable write-off vehicle in one State, fix it up, then re-register it in another State and then sell it on? If the repairs were well done and the car passed the proper inspections, this isn’t a major issue – but most people would still like to know this information before agreeing on a price. Until recently, finding out the interstate history of a vehicle that is now registered in NSW has been tricky. You could find out if a vehicle is currently listed as written-off, but only if it was written off in NSW. Also, it has been very difficult to track details such as the number of former owners and type of damage if it had been a repairable write-off. And what about former usage? How can you find out if the car had previously been used as a taxi or police vehicle in NSW several years ago?

Vehicle History Check

For many people, half the fun of buying a new car is the search. Comparing the different models, options and market prices to find the best ride you can afford. But when you want to drill down to the history of a particular car, it can be difficult to get a clear picture – until now! Roads and Maritime Services has now launched the Vehicle History Check service which provides a new level of information for people looking to buy a NSW registered vehicle. Some of the main features of the search are that it will tell you whether a particular vehicle has been written off anywhere in Australia since 2004, and if it has it will tell you the type of damage that occurred. You can also find out if the car has been stolen and the NSW operator history such as the number of previous owners and whether it has been used as a taxi, police car or business vehicle. It will also tell you the current status of registration and compulsory third party insurance, including the date these run out.

It makes sense

If you want to get as much information as possible about your next car before you hand over your hard earned cash, consider getting a Vehicle History Check. The service costs $18 and it could save you a lot of money and drama in the future.

Another service worth checking out is The Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR), which can tell you if any money is owed on a vehicle.

Check out www.ppsr.gov.au for more information.

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Here at GEARED, we love to read your comments and suggestions – even your complaints! You can send us questions, suggestions for articles... anything you like, to geared@rta.nsw.gov.au