# Looking for son's first car, is this a red flag? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 4, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734 "2025-04-04T20:06:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/21 "2025-04-05T13:42:32Z")
> [@JoeMario](#): > > I just tried the site vincheck.info on a car that I’ve owned 11.5 years since new. It says the car was sold four times. I just entered my vehicle’s VIN at that site. I bought it on 10/22/22, and it claims that it was purchased twice on that date, and then was purchased _again_ on 11/11/22. I think that it would be foolish to trust that site for any **accurate** information. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 2:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/22 "2025-04-05T14:27:18Z")
You looked at 2 cars and both had data on 30 owners? That’s a crazy coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/23 "2025-04-05T15:32:20Z")
Yep sounds like the red flag is with the free vin check program and not the cars. ---
**Author:** ![lioneagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@lioneagle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lioneagle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/24 "2025-04-05T16:25:28Z")
using vincheck.info im making a post now with 3 pictures to see ---
**Author:** ![lioneagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@lioneagle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lioneagle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/25 "2025-04-05T16:27:12Z")
i appreciate all the info guys…here are 3 different cars from different sellers in different areas. ---
**Author:** ![lioneagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@lioneagle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lioneagle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/26 "2025-04-05T16:29:08Z")
![car 1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/f/f/ff977672cfc62511f08fd13a17015ad7fa5a2b9b.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/27 "2025-04-05T16:38:26Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > foolish to trust that site for any **accurate** information From VDCdriver: “ foolish to trust that site for any **accurate** information”. I think that is the answer. I think you indicated some of these cars were at dealer, so ask for the Carfax report and ask if you can have it inspected by your mechanic, if the answer is no, it my be better to keep looking. As noted, Carfax only posts was is supplied to them, so very well may be incomplete. As far as recalls, no big deal, few cars can go ten years without a recall, some are minor, some major. I would not buy one that has not had recall work completed. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 5:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/28 "2025-04-05T17:05:03Z")
Don’t see 3 vehicles or even a complete report. Those are not sales but just says listed for sale . Find a better site . ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/29 "2025-04-05T17:27:19Z")
It looks like these are status reports of a car, obtained by a sweep of available data from dealers. It could be all from one dealer over a period of 5 months, or it could be from several different dealers. What you can learn from it isn’t much except that it’s been for sale for a long time, and this record does not provide anything else. The website is sloppy, it should have filtered most of that info out. If you like the car have it examined by an independent shop, and then negotiate with the seller knowing it’s been for sale since last July. ---
**Author:** ![lioneagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@lioneagle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lioneagle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 7:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/30 "2025-04-05T19:43:15Z")
having some issues posting so i was only able to post 1 car but that is only a screenshot of the ‘sales history’ not the entire report…i have to run out but i will try later posting all the info ---
**Author:** ![lioneagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85e7bf/32.png) [@lioneagle](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lioneagle)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 7:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/31 "2025-04-05T19:46:38Z")
yes but cant figure out if this is actually a red flag or not, thats what im trying to learn…i have never encountered this before and nobody seems to have a definitive answer… ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2025, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/32 "2025-04-05T20:12:04Z")
> [@lioneagle](#): > > i have to run out but i will try later posting all the info Just give up on that web site . Those say listed for sale not sold . Did you not read the posts by members that found wrong info about their own vehicles . Find something in the price range you like , have it inspected by an independent shop and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 12:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/33 "2025-04-06T00:17:11Z")
> [@lioneagle](#): > > figure out if this is actually a red flag or not, It is not a concern. The list shows a separate record for each advertising agency used and each time the ad was revised or renewed. The vehicle was for sale in 2016 and October - December 2024, I don’t see any reason for concern. I don’t see a reason to believe it is a faulty record, just a misunderstanding. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 1:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/34 "2025-04-06T13:30:55Z")
Yes, I suspect this is a red herring. This may be similar to a home listing. Each time the price changes, it triggers the listing change. Or perhaps if a new listing service is used. It’s a bit weird that some are on the same day even. But why not just ask the seller what’s going on? ---
**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734/35 "2025-04-06T21:08:08Z")
Not quite sure what “definitive answer” you’re looking for. The website you’re using seems to provide unclear, if not misleading, information about the history of the car(s). Several others have suggested you try other websites for car history, or try different cars. Or both. The website you’re using is the problem. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-sons-first-car-is-this-a-red-flag/199734.md?page=1)