Obtaining Service History Records From Dealer

Hi,

still somewhat new in the TDI world. Is there a way to run a VIN check and get the service history for a vehicle? I bought a carfax report but obviously no service. PO was no the original owner. I asked at the dealer and didn't get much.

I know in the GM world I can get a complete report with a friend's username/password to GM's vehicle information system over the internet... All service history, selling dealer, options, warranty info, etc. I haven't seen anyone requesting them here and what i have seen looks very very basic.

If this is posted in the wrong forum thanks in advance for moving it

Good luck with that. I bought my '05 with 20K original miles in the spring of '06 from a VW dealer who told me they couldn't get the info from the VW dealer (40 miles away) who'd sold it to the original owner eighteen months prior to my purchase... German company... no corporate records...? Nice cars, but terribly uncooperative service structure. Unless the owner hands you a binder with the service records you're not going to find anything.

The only thing available through VW's data base is warranty repairs and recalls. Maintenance is not tracked.

Same thing with GM, warranty history only. If you're getting more than that it's from an individual dealer's files, not the general's database.

warranty history is all i really care about. i don't care about oil changes, etc. i find it hard to believe a company like VW is so low-tech that info like that isn't track. what if you go from one dealer to another and have a problem. don't they look to see if there have been any warranty related stuff?

i basically want to see if it had a million warranty issues, etc.

Souzafone said:

Same thing with GM, warranty history only. If you're getting more than that it's from an individual dealer's files, not the general's database.

Click to expand...

Smart owners/buyers don't see the stealership more than once.

Welcome to the wild 'n' wooly world of self-sufficiency!!

ndamico said:

i find it hard to believe a company like VW is so low-tech that info like that isn't track.

Click to expand...

You shouldn't considering the fact the "mechanics" are still using SAE wrenches



Welcome aboard !!!!

Prophecy:

Doug Huffman said:

Smart owners/buyers don't see the stealership more than once.

Click to expand...

ndamico said:

I know in the GM world I can get a complete report with a friend's username/password to GM's vehicle information system over the internet... All service history, selling dealer, options, warranty info, etc.

Click to expand...

Yeah, same here. Normal car companies can instantly pull a "master iinquiry" in a matter of seconds. Can a VW dealer do it? I dunno.

I tell ya, my wholesalin' buddies taught me long ago that nobody should be buying a high-line car without full documentation of service, warranty claims, damage history, etc.

When I was looking at my '02 back in '06, I asked for whatever history that had in the system. The car was originally sold by a dealer in either PA or NJ, and I was buying from a dealer in MA. The salesman went out to the service department, and came back a few minutes later with a printout showing warranty and a recall item that had been done by yet a third dealer. They were't detailed invoices, more like a carfax type summary.

Why not try calling the dealer 40 miles away and asking them for the service history??

Xxxxxxxx

Xxxxxx

dieseldorf said:

I tell ya, my wholesalin' buddies taught me long ago that nobody should be buying a high-line car without full documentation of service, warranty claims, damage history, etc.

NO RECORDS = NO SALE ​

Click to expand...

Seems a bit incompatible with the "never visit the dealer more than once" fantasy, doesn't it?

Independent mechanics aren't putting their work into any national database.

just to show what i'm talking about, here is what i get out of GM. THe formatting didn't post quite right but you'll get the picture.

GM Vehicle Inquiry System​

Summary​

Home​

Warranty Block​

VIN :​

VEHICLE INFORMATION​

Merchandising Model :​

BARS Order Type :​

Delivering Dealer :​

Selling Source :​

Site Code :​

Business Associate Code :​

Service Contract :​

No Branded Title : No Warranty Block : No PDI Status : ​

REQUIRED FIELD ACTIONS​

Type Number Description Posted Date Status​

RC​

SERVICE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS​

Vehicle Has No Current Record Of Outstanding Service Information​

ON STAR AND XM SATELLITE RADIO INFORMATION​

Vehicle Has No Associated On Star or XM Radio Information.​

APPLICABLE WARRANTIES​

Description Effective​

Date
Effective
Odometer End Date End Odometer
​

36/36000 BUMPER TO BUMPER 01/31/2003 268 miles 01/31/2006 36268 miles
72/100000 SHEET METAL COVERAGE RUST THROUGH 01/31/2003 268 miles 01/31/2009 100268 miles
96/80000 FEDERAL EMISSION CATALYTIC CONV. AND PCM 01/31/2003 268 miles 01/31/2011 80268 miles
60/100000 FEDERAL EMISSION 01/31/2003 268 miles 01/31/2008 100268 miles
60/100000 GM DIESEL ENGINE IN LIGHT DUTY VEHICLE
WITH $100 DEDUCT AFTER BUMPER TO BUMPER 01/31/2003 268 miles 01/31/2008 100268 miles
​

CLAIM HISTORY​

R.O Date R.O​

Number Type Labor Operation Odometer
Reading
​

07/26/2006 244983 # V1380 - 05546 - REPLACE FUEL FILTER 146998 miles
09/28/2005 152027 # V1242 - 04007 - INSPECT AND REPLACE TAILGATE SUPPORT CABLES
INC. H 114828 miles
01/16/2004 211915 # J5650 - INJECTOR, FUEL - REPLACE 47992 miles
​

GM Vehicle Inquiry System - Summary Page 1 of 2
https://www.autopartners.net/apps/gmvis/gmvis/main/Summary 9/21/2006
​

© 1998-2005 General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.​

01/16/2004 211915 # Z5000 - DEALER/RETAILER TRADE(PART OBTAINED LOCALLY) 47992 miles
01/13/2004 234335 # J5955 - PUMP, FUEL INJECTION (DIESEL) - REPLACE 47276 miles
10/09/2003 207568 # C2540 - PANEL/PAD ASSEMBLY, INSTRUMENT PANEL - REPLACE 30926 miles
09/24/2003 153253 # B5751 - SUPPORT, TAILGATE CABLE - LEFT - REPLACE 28320 miles
05/29/2003 464391 # Z8012 - ROADSIDE SERVICE (LOCKOUT) 14100 miles
12/17/2002 A12989 I Z7000 - PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION - BASE TIME 0 miles
​

GM Vehicle Inquiry System - Summary Page 2 of 2​

https://www.autopartners.net/apps/gmvis/gmvis/main/Summary 9/21/2006