Looking at a used car? Trust the label!

Many manufacturers will put a small label (VIN tag, probably 1/2 inch by 2 inches) on every original body panel on every car or truck before it leaves the factory.  This label will have that vehicles VIN printed on it, most imports do it, Honda has for years.  One quick and easy way to tell if a car has had paint or body look to see if the doors, hood and trunk lid have label.  If the label has been painted over   or if some panels (like the doors) have the label and others don’t you can bet that the vehicle has had paint and/or body work.  Remember even with a clean Carfax report, all that really means is that the accident and repair was not reported.  Some manufacturers don’t have this practice, however, many do.  Look at you car at home and see if you can find a label (VIN tag).