For many, it’s the ultimate definition of freedom: cruising down country roads in the U.S. in a Ford Mustang convertible, feeling the airstream and simply enjoying the moment. This unique feeling is something you just want to pack in your suitcase and take home with you.
That’s exactly what CARFAX customer Lars thought. In 2011 he made such a road trip through the “Land of the Free” and since then a 2010 Ford Mustang was his absolute dream car. He saved up for the car for a long time, researched interesting models on the internet and in the summer of 2022 the time had come, the search came to a head for two Ford Mustangs, one in red, one in blue with white rally stripes. A private seller wanted 11,000 euros for the red convertible, a dealer called just under 18,000 euros for the blue Mustang.
Before deciding on one of the vehicles, he asked both sellers to send him the vehicle identification number, VIN in short.
“The contact with both sellers was great, but I didn’t want to let that guide my decision,” Lars says.
The private seller did mention that the red Mustang had defects, but without going into detail. Lars himself had discovered various conspicuous features during an on-site inspection, and a paint coating measurement did not bode well either.
“As a result, I called my mechanic. He referred me to a US car specialist, and he recommended that I do a check with CARFAX,” Lars explains.
The CARFAX check of both vehicles then made Lars’ decision easy. The privately offered Ford Mustang in the bright red had three critical entries, all of them heavy previous damages resulting from accidents. For Lars, it was immediately clear that he would not buy this car and took distance from the offer.
“I wrote to him and told him that the CARFAX was not clean. His car is actually junk,” Lars says.
The second offer at the dealership passed the CARFAX check.
“I checked the second Mustang with CARFAX as well and there were no issues there,” Lars explains.
The seller’s information matched the information in the CARFAX vehicle history. The car was imported normally, with no prior damage. With a good feeling, Lars finally bought the Mustang from the dealer.
With CARFAX, Lars was able to fulfill his dream of owning a Mustang. But the additional information about the vehicle did not only help him with the purchase.
“Unfortunately, my wife didn’t like the car, so I sold it again after a few months. However, thanks to clean CARFAX, I was able to get a very good price,” Lars elaborates.
So not only did Lars avoid a very expensive bad purchase with CARFAX, but thanks to the good vehicle history, he was in a good negotiating position when selling the convertible.
Are you planning to buy a used car or motorcycle? The vehicle history can help you, like Lars, to avoid expensive bad purchases and to put you in a better negotiating position when reselling. Serious dealers and sellers like Lars provide you with the CARFAX vehicle history directly, so that you get a comprehensive impression of a vehicle.
