The VIN Number Search is a way to tell if a used car you are considering is worth buying, or if you should continue looking to find a more suitable vehicle. It is the only sure way to find out everything you need to know about a car's history before you buy, giving you peace of mind when it comes time to make the purchase.

Oftentimes, the current owner will tell you that everything is fine, that the vehicle is in excellent condition and that there have been no major problems in the past. You might even have the opportunity to drive the car around the block a few times or on the highway, and not notice any issues. But does this mean you should go through with the purchase, based solely on the word of the owner and a few minutes of driving? Absolutely not.

That's where the VIN Number Search comes into play. Once you have discussed the particulars with your neighbor, friend, or dealer, whatever the case may be, and have driven the vehicle around, there is one more step in the process before you close the deal. Copy down the car's unique vehicle identification number, or VIN, which is a 17-character alphanumeric sequence found in various places on the car itself and on the title or registration.

Once you have this information, start with a free VIN Number Search at a reputable used car information service such as CARFAX or Autocheck. These companies have an extensive database with millions of records culled from DMV's, insurance companies, auction houses and other agencies, and chances are they have comprehensive information on the vehicle you are looking at.

After the initial free VIN Number Search, which will reveal the year, make, model, brake system, engine and other vital data, you can proceed with the full vehicle history report, which contains detailed information such as serious mechanical issues, odometer problems, hail damage, police use and much more. It will also give mileage readings so you can see how much use the car has seen, ownership transfers and various DMV transactions.

Although you can get very basic info in the free VIN search, for just $19.99 for one car or $24.99 for unlimited cars, the vehicle history report is well worth it, especially if it alerts you to a problematic vehicle that you were close to buying before you ordered the report. Spending $20 to avoid thousands of dollars in future headaches is a small price to pay.

So whether you opt for the VIN search, or the full history, make sure you check out any used car extensively before you decide to buy...you'll be glad you did!