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What happens if you buy a stolen car?
My sister wants to buy a Camaro from this guy off of Craigslist, but when she asked him about the title, he said he wasn’t sure where it was. That makes me nervous. What happens if you buy a stolen car?
Shannon Fitzgerald · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
When a private seller is unable to communicate where a car’s title is, that is definitely a red flag. You’re right to be nervous about this transaction.
Here’s what might happen if you buy a stolen car:
- The DMV runs the VIN number when you title or register it and you get arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle.
- A cop runs your stolen or unregistered plates on the road and arrests you for possession of a stolen vehicle.
- A cop runs your VIN number after pulling you over and arrests you for possession of a stolen vehicle.
You can see where this is going. While you can’t get arrested for the actual theft of the vehicle, getting charged with possession of stolen property is a criminal offense—even if you accidentally purchased that stolen property.
The best way to avoid this scenario is to have your sister
run a VIN check
on the vehicle. If the seller is unwilling to disclose the VIN number, she should definitely walk away from the deal. If the seller provides the VIN number and the report is clean, there’s a chance he just misplaced the title—in which case, she can
apply for a new one
at the DMV. Whenever your sister is able to purchase that legally acquired sports car of her dreams, she’ll want to protect her investment with good car insurance.
Jerry
can help track down the lowest rates available. Jerry analyzes custom quotes from over 50 top insurance companies for free to pinpoint the most affordable premiums for your coverage needs. The average user ends up saving $887 a year on
car insurance
, so it’s definitely worth a look! View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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