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The Reports

Q: What is a Car History Report?

A: The Car History Report is a comprehensive report on the history of a used motor vehicle that has been registered in Australia. The Car History Report is designed to alert you to potentially significant information about a vehicle. A Car History Report includes a Vcheck Standard Report and depending on the information returned, the report can provide you with:

  • A PPSR Certificate - formerly REVS (existing finance on the vehicle)
  • Written-off Status, e.g. if the vehicle has suffered damage resulting in an insurance claim, e.g. hail, fire, accident, flood
  • If the vehicle’s odometer reading is accurate, or if it has been wound back
  • If the car has been written off or stolen
  • Previous sale listings
  • Vehicle safety and emission ratings
  • What the car is expected to be worth in the current market.

Q: Why should I get a Car History Report?

A: The Car History Report is a comprehensive report on the history of a used motor vehicle that has been registered in all states of Australia. It provides information about the vehicles history that is not available from any other report. This report with help Australian’s buy better and safer cars.

The Car History Report is a comprehensive report on the history of a used motor vehicle that has been registered in Australia. The Car History Report is designed to alert you to potentially significant information about a vehicle.

Q: What is a PPSR Certificate?

A: A PPSR Certificate is a national check for financial encumbrances registered against the vehicle. This replaces state based REVS registers from 30 January 2012. It provides details of any financial encumbrances against a vehicle including the interest holder, the vehicle or boat recorded on PPSR, the date the interest was recorded on PPSR and the type of interest. It may also include information including whether the vehicle has been recorded as written-off or stolen.

It is recommended the PPSR Certificate be purchased on the day you take ownership of the vehicle.

Q: Who do I contact if the information on one of the reports is not accurate?

A: You should contact us through the enquiry form on the Enquiry page or email support@carhistory.com.au.

Q: Where can I get more information on the components within the reports?

A: If you are unable to find the answer to your question here, please fill out the contact form at the bottom of the page with the correct details to send an email to our support team who will answer your questions.

A: You should contact us through the enquiry form on the Enquiry page or email support@carhistory.com.au.

Q: What does encumbrance mean?

A: An encumbrance relating to a vehicle being searched upon means that the vehicle has outstanding finance, i.e. money is owed on a loan relating to the vehicle. It is our recommendation that you ensure the finance is cleared and the encumbrance removed, prior to the purchase of the vehicle.

Q: What is a written off vehicle?

A: Those vehicles which have been in an accident, or suffered some form of impact, water, fire or malicious damage. Written-off vehicles are classified as either a statutory (unable to be re-registered) or repairable write-off (able to be re-registered once repaired and passes written-off vehicle and safety certificate inspections). Written off vehicles can be of the following types:

  • Dismantled - A statutory write-off that is stripped of interior and exterior body parts, panels and components
  • Fire damage - Sections or all of the vehicle has been burnt by fire
  • Hail damage - Sections or all of the vehicle has been damaged by hail
  • Impact damage - Damage caused, due to violent contact with another object
  • Malicious damage - Wilful damage or destruction of a vehicle
  • Refer jurisdiction - Contact the registration authority displayed in the 'state of registration'
  • Unrecovered theft - A stolen vehicle that has not been recovered. Contact the relevant registration authority
  • Water damage - Immersed in fresh or salt water

Q: The vehicle I searched on is reported as stolen, what should I do?

A: Make sure you do not buy the vehicle until you have made some investigations of your own. If you report it to Car History at support@carhistory.com.au we will advise the relevant police unit on your behalf, or contact the Police in your State to obtain further detail.

Q: How do I read a Car History Report?

A: The Car History Report has been constructed in sections to make reading and interpretation about the credentials of your prospective vehicle as easy as possible. The report is structured in the following order from the top:

  1. A summary of the vehicle description including vehicle identification information (VIN), make, model, series, body type, year of manufacture, and colour.
  2. A summary of each of the sections in the remainder of the report including:
    • Snapshot: identifies if there are any odometer discrepancies, encumbrances, if the vehicle has been written-off or stolen.
    • Identification: includes engine number, plate number and State the vehicle is registered in.
    • Status: includes last odometer reading, last sale listing and purpose of use.
    • Vehicle Ratings: includes ANCAP Safety Rating, air pollution rating, greenhouse rating and overall Green Rating if available.
    • Valuation: includes the dealer trade in price, private party price and dealer sale price.
    • Vehicle Details: includes fuel type, engine size, cylinders, fuel consumption, power and torque.
    • Odometer History
    • Sales Listings
    • PPSR – if there is or isn’t an encumbrance on that vehicle.
  3. A PPSR Certificate: provides the details of any financial encumbrances/registrations relating to the vehicle found on the PPSR.
  4. A reference section including Terms and Definitions and General Disclaimers.

Q: How can I view sample reports?

A: Car History provides clickable icons of sample reports at various locations on the website including the home page and the What we Offer page.

Q: Can I do a report with a chassis number or plate number only?

A: No. - The VIN is the prime identifier of the vehicle and it is critical to completing a successful Car History report. All vehicles manufactured after or on 1 January 1989 have a VIN. In the case of a PPSR Certificate, you will be able to complete the search on a VIN, serial number, chassis number or HIN.

Q: Does my VIN really need to be correct to purchase a report?

A: Yes. The VIN is the prime identifier of the vehicle and it is critical you provide the correct VIN number for the vehicle you are intending on completing search on. It is strongly recommended that BEFORE you request a report that you personally inspect the vehicle you are intending on purchasing to ensure that the identifiers you have supplied are correct. Failure to provide the correct number may result in your search not being successful or the report being invalid and no refund will be issued as a result of incorrect information supplied.

Q: Can I get a Car History report on a new car?

A: No, Car History reports are for used motor vehicles only.

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