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Author's Note: How AutoCheck Works

I have a used car sitting in my driveway right now, and I'll admit, I have run exactly zero vehicle history checks in my life. Ever. Not a one, for any car I have ever purchased. Now that I think about it, I personally have never owned a brand-new vehicle. They have all been used. (My husband has a new-off-the-showroom-floor vehicle. He's so fancy.)

Maybe I trusted my experience as an automotive journalist; maybe I was a foolhardy idiot. They're kind of the same thing. But I've been lucky; the only disaster of a used car was the first one I ever bought, and I think that's unavoidable. I doubt anyone in college has ever made a sound vehicle-purchasing decision in the history of the automobile.

I'm in love with my current car, so the chances of my using AutoCheck or the like is pretty slim. By the time I'm ready to buy again, there will be holograms available for test driving. Holograms of flying cars. I'm sure of it.

Sources

  • AutoCheck. "FAQ about AutoCheck Score." (Oct. 16, 2012) http://www.autocheck.com/consumers/pdf/AutoCheck_FAQ.pdf
  • AutoCheck. "The AutoCheck Advantage." (Oct. 16, 2012) http://www.autocheck.com/consumers/pdf/AutoCheck_Advantage.pdf
  • Consumer Reports. "Don't Rely on Used-Car-History Reports." June 2009. (Oct. 16, 2012) http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/05/don-t-rely-on-used-car-history-reports/index.htm
  • Consumer Reports. "Beware the Flood of Flood Cars." April 2012. (Oct. 16, 2012) http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/09/beware-the-flood-of-flood-cars/index.htm
  • Jensen, Christopher. "EBay Adds Car History Reports." The New York Times. Nov. 15, 2009. (Oct. 16, 2012) http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE1D7113CF936A25752C1A96F9C8B63
  • Kator, Lynn. Senior director of marketing at Experian Automotive. Telephone interview conducted on Oct. 22, 2012.
  • Lang, Steven. "Hammer Time: CarFax vs. AutoCheck." The Truth About Cars. Oct. 5, 2010. (Oct. 16, 2012) http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/10/hammer-time-carfax-vs-autocheck/