Is a clean vehicle history report enough to trust a used car?

Question

Every used car I see has a 'clean vehicle history' posted. But I've heard of cars with clean reports that had major accident damage. How reliable are they really? What might they miss?

Tom Wrenches · Accepted Answer

Vehicle history reports are useful but incomplete. They only show what's been reported. Cash repairs at body shops may never appear, and they won't catch poor-quality repairs done well enough to avoid a salvage title. Combine the history report with the multi-point inspection report and, after delivery, your own mechanic's check during the inspection window.