Whenever a person buys or leases a car, he seeks ways to finance this move. Most auto financing involves a car loan, which entails a detailed check on his credit history and a tough interview about car finance. When he undergoes all these to buy a used car, it is only fair that he also performs his own investigations about the car he is going to buy. In fact, he should never consider buying a used car, which history has not been checked. If he does, he may just end up paying for a piece of junk.

A used car must be checked for its title, registration, odometer, and the problems that it had weathered before it reached your eyes. A "title check" will determine if the car is salvaged, flooded or rebuilt. For example, many cars were destroyed during the 9-11 World Trade tragedy. Many cars, too, were damaged during the hurricanes and floods. These cars are salvaged by enterprising people. The cars will be rebuilt and sold again at car auctions. A title check will also discover if the used car has lemon history.

A "registration check" will determine if the used car has been used as a fleet car, or as a taxi, or even as a police car. If the used car has been utilized in any of these, then it is safe to say that within a given period of time, this particular used car has covered more miles than the average privately used car. A registration check will also reveal if the used car was ever rented or leased.

The car's odometer is an instrument used to measure the distance traveled by a vehicle. An "odometer check" will show if the odometer has been broken or fraud. It will also show if it has been rolled back or rolled over. If the odometer has been tampered, this does not bode well for the next owner of the used car. The car may be older than what the dealer is telling you. Or it may have mileage problems.

A "problem check" will determine if the used car has sustained fire damage or an explosion. It will also show if it has been involved in a major accident. The fire or accident may have inflicted a still undetected damage on the used car. It is also quite creepy to use a car that has cradled dead bodies before. A problem check will reveal if the car has been stolen. A car that has been stolen may no longer have all its original parts. To be safe, the potential buyer must order a vehicle history report.