For those who are looking to purchase a used car anytime in the future, one thing always comes to mind- vehicle history reports. While these reports may provide you with a sense of security, they don't always reveal everything in a vehicle's past history.

We've been taught to ask for a vehicle history report, even pay upwards of $40 to find out where a car has been, if its a lemon, if its been wrecked, etc. But there's no substitute from having a neutral mechanic check it over. The last thing you want to find out is that the used car you just purchased has been in a massive wreck, leaving the question of structural integrity in the air.

I have a new avenue for folks who are sick of paying big bucks for little in additional security- paying less for that same report. Why would you shell out near $40 for a report that will sometimes miss key elements of past history when you can get a similar report for a fraction of that price?

The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) is a near complete government resource for those looking into a new vehicle to ensure better chances of protecting yourself against salvaged or vehicles declared a total loss. I would highly suggest checking it out, even if not in the market for a new car, to see what you can learn for future experiences.

NMVTIS also provides links to multi-state vehicle search records for as little as $4.95 for a complete report- a lot better pricing than other companies who use the extra money to market their services.

Protect yourself as best you can when buying your next used car- check it out with a relatively inexpensive report, and pay a mechanic for one hour of labor to examine the car. That $50-$75 for labor may go a long way to making sure you know what you're buying.