Toyota VIN lookup has become a really burning issue because Toyota recalls have dramatically increased in the past years and for the first time recall costs even exceeded warranty costs. If you are a Toyota owner and want to know if your car was recalled with a particular defect, just go to Toyota website (Toyota.com) and lookup your VIN number there. Obtaining recall information timely is critically important, for two reasons. First, a recall may concern a serious defect which not just affects the value of your Toyota vehicle, but also compromises your and your passengers safety. Second, the age of vehicles eligible for recalls is limited to 10 years, according to NHTSA: “In order to be eligible for a free remedy, the vehicle cannot be more than 10 years old on the date the defect or noncompliance is determined. Under the law, the age of the vehicle is calculated from the date of sale to the first purchaser.” The good news is that a recall is attached to a vehicle, not the owner (as well as the warranty). Even if you purchased a used Toyota it is still eligible for recall services. Which brings us to the next issue: Toyota VIN lookup when buying a used car.
If your are a planning to buy a Toyota, VIN number lookup on the manufacturer’s website is not enough to guarantee a secure purchase. VIN lookup results on Toyota website there are limited to Service Campaign or Safety Recall records. It does not show the full history of Toyota vehicles. Manufacturer recalls make a very small percent of the hidden problems found in many used cars. An defect that caused recall may be supplemented with a really bad problems from the history of the vehicle.which may be hiding many unpleasant surprises, such as accidents, thefts, odometer tampering, water damager and what not! (See the list of potential problems at VIN lookup homepage). Even if the title is clean, there is no guarantee that the car didn’t have a branded title at some point in the past. Title washing is a very common procedure in the used car market which made many unaware buyers pay good money for vehicles of little value and much trouble. The best way to go is to do Toyota VIN history lookup is to go to Autocheck or Carfax sites and get car history reports. Remember: if you buy a vehicle that is subject to a recall the manufacturer will fix it for you. If you buy a car with a problem history it’s your responsibility, you won’t have much chance to get compensation.
If you have difficulties finding the VIN umber on Toyota the website will give you instructions on that, the most typical locations being a label attached to the door jamb on the driver’s side or a metal plate on the dash where it meets the windshield, on the driver’s side. However, this information is obviously insufficient if cart is older than 2 years.