Used Car Buying Guides

Straight answers on the things that actually decide a used-car deal — salvage and rebuilt titles, flood and lemon cars, stolen-vehicle checks, and how to inspect a car before you buy. Every guide includes a free VIN check.

• Is a rebuilt title bad?A rebuilt title means a totaled car was repaired and passed inspection. It is not automatically bad — but it changes value, insurance, and resale. Here is how to judge one, and how to check a specific car before you buy.
• Should I buy a salvage title car?Buying a salvage or rebuilt title car can save 20–40% — or hide an unsafe repair. Here is the decision framework, the red flags, and how to check a specific car before you commit.
• How much is a rebuilt-title car worth?A rebuilt-title car is typically worth 20–40% less than a clean-title equivalent. Here is how to estimate the discount for a specific car and check what it sold for at auction.
• How to check if a car is salvageCheck any car for a salvage or rebuilt title by VIN: what records to pull, why the paper title can lie, and how to see the salvage-auction damage and photos before you buy.
• Rebuilt vs salvage title: what's the difference?A salvage title means a car was totaled; a rebuilt title means it was repaired and passed inspection. Here is the difference for driving, insuring, financing, and buying — and how to check a specific car.
• Can you insure a rebuilt or salvage title car?You can usually get liability on a rebuilt-title car, but full coverage is harder and payouts are lower. Here is how salvage and rebuilt titles affect insurance — and how to check a car's history first.
• Used car inspection checklistA step-by-step used car inspection checklist: the VIN history check, exterior, interior, mechanical, and test-drive items to run before you buy — plus the records to pull first.
• Questions to ask when buying a used carThe questions that actually protect you when buying a used car — for the seller, about the title and history, and about price — plus how to verify the answers by VIN.
• What is a lemon title?A lemon title (lemon law buyback) marks a car the manufacturer repurchased for chronic defects. Here is what it means for buying one, and how to check a car's title and history by VIN.
• How to check if a car is stolenCheck if a car is stolen by VIN before you buy: what a stolen-vehicle record means, why it matters for private sales, and the steps to verify a car's status.
• How to check a car for flood damageFlood-damaged cars are cleaned up and resold across state lines every year. Here are the warning signs, and how to check a car for a flood or salvage history by VIN before you buy.

Related tools: VIN check, salvage check, free car report, Carfax alternative.