New Jersey has some amongst the highest rates of vehicle theft and sale fraud in the nation. Property theft rates hover 20% above the national average. In addition to elevated property crimes New Jersey has a higher accident rate, partially attributed to the state’s crumbling infrastructure and traffic congestion. All of these factors lead to a somewhat inhospitable used car market full of unscrupulous sellers attempting to artificially and in many cases unlawfully increase the value of their sub-par inventory of used cars.
By conducting a vehicle title check before purchase buyers are able to get a clearer view of the vehicle’s value, safety and potentially long-term performance as the title check may uncover a wealth of valuable information such as:
- Uncovers various damage events in the car’s past: A New Jersey vehicle title search reveals crucial information that the seller may not want you to know, such as previous accidents, flood damage, salvage or rebuilt status and whether the vehicle was ever declared a total loss. This may help to avoid buying a car with a problematic or dangerous history.
- Ownership History: A title search provides a vast amount of information related to the vehicle’s ownership. It can uncover everything from the number of previously registered owners to various sale dates and discrepancies.
- Outstanding Liens: One of the most important benefits of conducting a title check is to determine its legal status and identify any liens on the vehicle. If the previous owner still owes money to a lender, the lender could repossess the car even after you’ve bought it. A New Jersey vehicle title check may help you steer clear of this risk by identifying all possible lien holders, lean holder types and more.
- Title Fraud: Title fraud such as title washing or VIN tampering is a serious issue in the state of NJ. As the state with one of the highest car theft and fraud rates criminal vehicle misrepresentation may be used to sell a stolen car or conceal past damage or title branding that may diminish its value and overall desirability on the open market. A car title lookup in NJ may provide indicators when it detects that the information was artificially altered and provides indicators of any Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) discrepancies that could signal fraud or illegal activity.
- Compliance with NJ Laws: A New Jersey vehicle title search by VIN may help identify issues that could indicate that the vehicle may not comply with New Jersey’s stringent emissions standards.
