Free Tennessee VIN Check & Vehicle History Report

Buying a Used Car in the State of Tennessee? Read this before you buy!

Buying a used car may be a smart financial move, especially in a time when new car prices are climbing and access to an abundant inventory may be limited in some areas of the state. But for some Tennessee residents, that “great deal” on a used car can quickly turn into a complete nightmare. Tennessee’s used car market is not without its pitfalls and if you do not take the necessary precautions, you can find yourself tangled in problems you never saw coming.

One of the biggest concerns related to buying a used car in Tennessee is the prevalence of salvage or flood-damaged vehicles. After major local weather-related events as well as floods and storms in the neighboring states, used cars often make their way onto the Tennessee used car market, often with no visible signs of previous damage. Despite having sustained serious damage, a lot of these vehicles are sold without any disclosure, possibly hiding serious issues that may affect the vehicle’s value, safety and long-term reliability. Buyers may be stuck with vehicles that have electrical issues, excessive corrosion or safety system failures that aren’t immediately visible.

One of the reasons why Tennessee tends to be a dumping ground for vehicles considered undesirable in other states is because the state doesn’t have a statewide vehicle inspection program, which means many used cars hit the market with undiagnosed or unaddressed mechanical or structural problems. In some counties, emissions testing still exists; however, without a proper safety inspection, it's not enough to catch mechanical faults such as bad brakes, bold tires, drivetrain troubles or worn-out suspensions. In short, a car can be road-legal in Tennessee while still being dangerously unreliable and in some cases, even unsafe.

Further compounding the task of buying a reasonably priced, good condition used vehicle in the state is the fact that Tennessee’s title laws allow certain loopholes that unscrupulous sellers can exploit. Cars can be retitled in a different state to “wash” a salvage or rebuilt status and then brought back into Tennessee with no obvious record of past issues. The buyer only realizes the problem when it’s time to resell—or worse, when the car breaks down or is deemed unsafe. Additionally, the state has seen a rise in odometer fraud in recent years. While the practice of mileage rollback and odometer tampering is highly illegal, it still happens more often than people think. Some small sized dealers or private sellers roll back odometers to make high-mileage vehicles appear more desirable. Since digital odometers can be tampered with using software tools, there may be no clear signs of any type of odometer tampering and unsuspecting buyers may never know they were duped—until maintenance costs start piling up far too early.

Tennessee is a state with a lot of rural areas, where access to trusted dealerships or repair shops is limited; buyers often rely on word-of-mouth or online listings, which opens the door to even more deception. Misrepresented vehicles, vehicles with hidden damage and vague ownership histories are unfortunately all part of the used car landscape.

2 simple ways you can decrease the risks associated with buying a car in Tennessee:

1. The dangers of buying a used car in Tennessee lie not just in the vehicle itself but in the layers of unknown facts related to the vehicle’s possible unresolved ownership claims, undisclosed damage, legal loopholes and outright fraud. A vehicle history report in Tennessee may help in decreasing these unknown factors, possibly helping the buyer weed out the undesirable options.
   

   The information obtained using a vehicle history report in TN service, such as VinCheckUp, may uncover undisclosed details about the car that may affect its value, safety and long-term reliability. Events in the vehicle’s past, such as accidents, total loss claims, liens, recalls, odometer fraud, lemon buyback history, theft and salvage events, can have a huge effect on the vehicle’s desirability. To get your history report all you need is the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This unique number can be found imprinted on the vehicle’s driver’s side dashboard, door sill, chassis and title document.

2. While a vehicle history report is an invaluable tool in the used car buying process, it can never replace a professional pre-purchase used vehicle inspection. By hiring a trusted professional automotive technician to inspect the vehicle prior to purchase, you can get a better understanding of the vehicle’s current condition and even help budget for future repairs. A pre-purchase vehicle inspection may uncover hidden issues never reported to any agency, such as excessive corrosion, structural damage, electrical faults, unreported auto body repair(s) and more…

At the end of the day, the dangers of buying a used car in the state of Tennessee may all be mitigated with some due diligence and a proper pre-purchase vehicle inspection.