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How can you tell if a used car was a rental?
I’m looking at buying a used car, but I want to know where this car has been as I think it might have been a rental. Is there some way for me to confirm this?
Pat Roache · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Sounds like you’re pretty close to finalizing a purchase—let’s get you all the way there. The vehicle identification number(VIN) is your key to checking a used car’s unique history.
A
vehicle identification number
is a unique 17 digit number (11 to 17 if the car is from before 1981) assigned by the manufacturer to help distinguish individual vehicles. Here are the steps to checking your car’s history with the VIN:- Find the VIN on the bottom of the windshield outside the driver’s seat or inside the driver’s side door near the latch. You can also check the title and registration if you can’t find it in one of these locations.
- Check the vehicle’s history record for any evidence of rental status. You may have to pay a fee for a more comprehensive report if you can’t easily find this information.
Checking the VIN report should give you plenty of useful information to help finalize your purchasing decision.
Once you know the car you’re getting, you can find the best insurance for it with
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