Vehicle identities

For most buyers, vehicles are second only to houses in terms of cost and significance. If you want to purchase a vehicle, you need to have an accurate picture of its history and specifications for insurance and servicing purposes. If you’re the person selling the vehicle, you need to be sure that you have identified and described it accurately in order to hold up your side of the transaction, disclosing anything that may affect the purchase.

The challenge is ensuring you have full and accurate information

Before you purchase or trade in a vehicle, you need to ensure that the seller is the real owner of the vehicle, the vehicle doesn’t have a hidden history that could impact its value and the vehicle hasn’t been tampered with, e.g., mileage. In cases where your company is selling a used vehicle on to a consumer, there is a legal requirement to provide an independent report on its history. If your company finances purchases of vehicles through loans, you need to not only check on the individual’s credit history, but also have full information about the risk of using the vehicle to secure the loan. Even a quote for insurance on a vehicle requires disclosure of the vehicle’s details.

Experian^® can help you:

Confirm the identity of a vehicle – with more than 7 billion records held on vehicles in the United States, Experian can help you obtain specific details for a vehicle, such as make, model, color and dimensions. We also can help with more complex or industry-specific information, such as comparing the cost to a possible replacement or ensuring you have knowledge of the right finance, loans or insurance agreements for the vehicle.

Minimize the risk of purchasing a problem vehicle – a used car may have issues that are not evident just by looking at it on the surface. These issues can have a significant impact on the value of the vehicle. We can tell you whether the vehicle:

• Has ever been reported as stolen
• Was ever involved in a serious car accident
• Has undergone a change in registration or license plate
• Is recorded as being imported or exported property
• Has an anomaly with the mileage record

Provide peace of mind and governance when selling the vehicle – Experian is approved by manufacturers and brands and works closely with regulators to be able to provide an independent check and follow due diligence to meet the expectations of a used-vehicle purchaser.

Confirm what parts or services can be used for that vehicle – we hold industry-standard codes and data assets that allow your vehicle to be linked to its proprietary information, linking you to parts files and specifications to make sure the correct components are ordered for a vehicle and fitted as the vehicle requires.