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A vehicle title check is an invaluable part of the used car buying and selling process in Alabama. This tool may help add some much-needed transparency to the entire process by helping buyers understand the vehicle’s true value, potential long-term reliability and point out possible safety issues. It may also help sellers facilitate a smoother sale transaction by helping build trust with the potential buyers.
Some of the benefits of a vehicle title check may include:
Ownership History: Provides details related to vehicle ownership and legal status as well as various details related to transfer of ownership events.
Title Brands: A vehicle title check may identify potential title brands. These events are very significant and usually result from an insurance company writing off the vehicle as a total loss. Among the most popular title brands are salvage, rebuilt, flood-damaged, lemon or junk. A vehicle with a branded title is considered less desirable as the brand may have a serious impact on its safety, resale value and long term reliability.
Outstanding Liens: A vehicle title check in Alabama may uncover active liens, which are a result of a debt incurred through a vehicle loan or an unpaid vehicle service bill. A lien can be placed on a vehicle by various organizations and lenders. Buying a car with an undischarged lien can create serious headaches for the new owner as it may create issues in having the vehicle’s title in the new owner’s name, potentially entangling them in legal and financial obligations.
Accident History: A title check may uncover a history of past accidents and damage claims as reported to the insurance company. A vehicle accident history may include everything from the damage sustained on the vehicle-to-vehicle severity disclosing possible airbag deployment and immobilization.
Theft Check: A title check may identify a stolen vehicle as well as provide theft recovery details as documented by insurance and various popular insurance auctions.
Title Fraud and VIN Cloning: An Alabama car title search may help identify potential title document tampering as well as VIN cloning. This may provide signs to the potential buyer that the vehicle’s documents are not legitimate or if the VIN has been tampered with or swapped. This is often done by criminals to mask the vehicle’s past to artificially inflate its value. In some cases these tactics are used to pass off a stolen vehicle as legitimate.
Legal Compliance: A clean title ensures that the vehicle can be legally registered and driven in Alabama without issues. A full vehicle history report may help in identifying potential issues with the car’s legal status by identifying liens or title brands. Coupled with a professional pre-purchase vehicle inspection, you are able to determine if the vehicle may come with additional headaches and be able to make a more informed car buying decision.
Prevent Unexpected Costs: Investigating the vehicle’s past and professionally assessing its current condition may help avoid buying a vehicle with preexisting issues. This will save you from spending money on extensive future repairs, lienholders, insurance hassles and legal expenses.
Among the most common mistakes made by pre-owned vehicle buyers is not doing their due diligence and getting a full vehicle title check in Alabama before they finalize the purchase. Skipping the vehicle title search in Alabama entirely and relying solely on the seller’s representation of the vehicle’s condition and legal standing will increase the risks associated with used car purchase. Some of the other common risks as they relate to buying a car in Alabama include:
Not Verifying the VIN: The second most common mistake made by used car buyers is not verifying that the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) listed on the vehicle’s documents matches the VIN permanently etched into the vehicle’s body. A mismatch may indicate title fraud or VIN tampering both of which are serious red flags.
Using Unofficial Sources: By using official sources and data obtained from the Alabama Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you are able to ensure the information has not been corrupted or manipulated for any reason. Always ensure your Alabama car title search is conducted through trusted, verified platforms.
Ignoring obvious red flags like Title Brands: It is vital to familiarize yourself with the Alabama vehicle title in order to know what to look for on the document itself. Important terms like "rebuilt," "salvage" or "flood" on the document or the vehicle history report should not be ignored and should be considered carefully. Title brands can significantly affect the car’s safety, insurability and resale value. A branded title represents a vehicle with a diminished value and is generally considered undesirable on the used car market.
Not Checking for Active Liens: Overlooking lien information can result in major legal issues later on. If the previous owner hasn't paid off the loan, the lender may still have rights to the vehicle even after you've bought it. This means the car can be repossessed by the previous owner leaving you high and dry.
Here are the thoughts expressed by some of our customers:
Performing a vehicle title check in Alabama is an essential step for anyone planning to purchase a used car in the state. An Alabama car title search can reveal whether the vehicle has been involved in an accident, reported stolen or written off by the insurance company as a total loss. By reviewing the vehicle’s title history you can gain critical insight that can influence your buying decision and safeguard your investment.
To get started with a vehicle title search in AL, the only thing you will need is the vehicle's 17-digit VIN belonging to the vehicle you wish to investigate. A VIN can be located on multiple locations in the vehicle itself as well as on its legal documents such as the title and registration. Using the VIN, you can conduct an AL car title search through the Alabama Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or CarValid.com website. By getting a full vehicle history report along with an in-person vehicle inspection conducted by a trusted professional automotive technician you will be able to make a more informed car buying decision.
Alabama is home to the highest auto insurance claim rates in the country. Due to the recent wild fires a quarter of all claims were deemed as total losses. This includes catastrophic events including floods, fires and serious collisions that prompted the insurance to declare the vehicle as a total loss. You can also see the details of the damage, such as the event type, extent, and location of the damage, dates and more...
A rise in the size and length of new auto loans generated in the state of Alabama is leading to increased delinquencies. Checking for liens and Legal ownership related records may help identify if the vehicle has any outstanding loans, liens, or judgments against it.
There are over 130 thousand cars being sold through various Alabama based salvage and insurance auctions.
Auction records may contain images of the vehicle, sale price, sale dates, condition related items as well as lien and lender related details.
Alabama had the highest number of motor vehicle thefts in the United States.
A title record theft indicator identifies vehicles that were reported as stolen, impounded, or exported during their history.
The state of Alabama had the highest number of new car sales in the United States.
Sale Records can provide information about sale events related to title reassignment. It can include details such as dates, prices, states, banks, amounts and more...
Alabama vehicle title records may include a wide array of events permanently recorded by the state. Everything from registered use of the vehicle such as Taxi, Police or Government use to Odometer Recording and Ownership History related details are recorded as a title events.
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