Colorado VIN Search

Colorado Vehicle Identification Number

The state of Colorado offers free VIN checks from the DMV or there is an online link to request this information. The VIN report that you would get from the state e is not the same as the ones that you would get from other sources, but rather a compilation of information from different sites, including NMVTIS and auction sites such as E-bay or Copart. The VIN report from Colorado should provide the consumer with information including:

• Basic information which includes records related to the decommissioning or disposal of cars;
• Any history of flood damage;
• Any history of accidents which resulted in the total loss of the vehicle;
• The history of the odometer reading;
• Any results of state inspections which showed harmful emission readings;
• Records about technical services;
• The use of the vehicle (taxi, rental, lease, etc.); and
• If there are currently any outstanding liens on the vehicle.

This report can also be obtained at your local Colorado DMV office, which can be found by searching the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles website.

Colorado VIN Search

Colorado DMV

Should you run additional VIN Checks in Colorado?

Yes. Although the state complies a list with a variety of sources, you can always get a free VIN check from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. NMVTIS is known for working with salvage yards and junk yards to obtain information and currently 40 states participate 100%. This system has helped to identify cars which were previously declared total losses in floods or have been reported stolen. The National Insurance Crime Bureau is particularly useful to check if a car has been reported stolen and not recovered. You don’t want to go to get your new title only to find out that you have purchased a stolen vehicle

NMVTIS

VINCheck

There are also private companies which will run VIN checks which may cost you some money. However, in the long run it would be worth it to spend the money on a VIN check which alerts you to any possible liens currently on the car, if the car is stolen, if the car has been previously declared a lemon, or has been in a flood or a car accident in which it was declared totaled.

Lemon Laws in Colorado

The Colorado Lemon Law covers only new self-problem vehicles and includes pickups and vans. It does not cover motor homes or motorcycles. It does not guarantee that a consumer will receive a new vehicle or that their money will be refunded, just that the dealer and/or manufacturer will be held to the terms of the warranty that the vehicle was sold. Much like other states, the car must have a substantial defect which both impairs the use of the car, making the car dangerous and likely to result in severe injuries or death if driven, AND it must reduce the market value to the car must be significantly. (It should be noted that rattles and squeaks do not substantially impair either the use or market value of a vehicle and are not covered.

Colorado Lemon Law

Under the Colorado Lemon Law there are specific definitions and specific numbers when trying to resolve a lemon law issue. First, your car must qualify as a lemon under the Colorado state law. To achieve this, your car must meet the following criteria:

• The car must have a substantial defect which both significantly impairs the use of the vehicle AND it significantly impairs with market value of the car within one year of the date of purchase;
• The consumer must give the car dealer at least four (4) or more attempts to fix the defect or the car must have been unusable for more than thirty (30) business days, which need not be consecutive, during the first year of ownership or the terms of the warranty, whichever comes first;
  • Defects which cause rattles or squeaks, but do not substantially impair either the use or the market value or the car are not covered under Colorado’s Lemon Law. Defects which are a result of neglect, abuse, or unauthorized modifications to a vehicle are also not covered.
• The consumer must inform the manufacturer in writing by certified mail after the fourth (4^th) attempt to fix the defect. The manufacturer then has one final attempt to repair the vehicle and go through the manufacturer’s informal dispute settlement procedure if one exists.

Consumers who feel that they have been victims of the lemon law are also encouraged to contact the Better Business Bureau Auto Line at 1-800-955-5100. The BBB also has an arbitration service or manufacturer’s warranty dispute program for many car manufacturers and can help give you information on what agency or organization would be the best to handle the complaint. The Colorado Attorney General has a Consumer Line at 303-222-4444 or 800-222-4444 and a website.

While many consumers handle vehicles that are lemons on their own, you have the right to hire an attorney to represent you. If you choose to retain an attorney, be sure and find one who is familiar with the lemon laws in the state of Colorado and has experience working with lemon law cases. You can always contact the Colorado Bar Association for a list of lawyers in your area.

Colorado Lemon Law

Colorado BBB Auto Line

Colorado Attorney General Consumer Line

Colorado Bar Association