Buying a used car and Vehicle Inspections (Box 1, 2, 3 VI)
 

So, if I'm purchasing a used car how can I protect myself against buying a car that has a VI against it?

It seems that "due to privacy laws, ICBC cannot release further details to anyone other than the vehicle’s owner."

I have ordered a CarProof Verified BC report on the car and the car came back as "Normal" but this won't give information about if the car has an outstanding VI.

Furthermore, "What if I order a Vehicle Claims History Report after I have already purchased the vehicle and find out that the person or company who sold me the vehicle misrepresented its history? Do I have any recourse?

Because it is a "buyer beware" market in B.C., it is difficult to act against the seller after the vehicle has been sold. If you purchased the vehicle from a B.C. based licensed motor dealer, you may enquire with the Motor Vehicle Sales Authority of British Columbia regarding your options. If you purchased the vehicle privately, you may want to consider seeking legal advice."


It seems like you're basically screwed if you buy a car that has an outstanding VI on it...

Source: ICBC Vehicle Claims History Report - FAQ

Go to ICBC together with the seller. If you are insuring it, the rep will tell you you can't if there's a VI on it.

Since you are both there, they can release the information.

Best of luck.

My gf and I made a mistake of taking the transfer form ourselves to ICBC without the previous owner and there was a pending 8 year old box2 vi on it. What a waste of time that turned out.

What entrax said. Before handing money over, go to the insurance place to complete the transfer of ownership and put insurance on the vehicle. The agent will be able to tell you if there are outstanding N&Os on the vehicle.

If the vehicle history isn't as described/purported by the seller, there is small claims court. But you'd need to make sure that the vehicle is very well documented pre-purchase (3rd party inspections, photos, paperwork, etc) and any issues that you believe were known about/present and hidden by the seller are documented immediately.

Keep in mind that proving that the previous owner knew that the pistons were about to explode out of the engine block (for example) would be pretty hard if the engine ran fine and the vehicle went through and "passed" a 3rd party inspection prior to purchase.

I have to ask, why is having a VI on the vehicle a concern? Is it highly modified to the point you believe that there may be a VI?

This has never been a concern of mine when buying a vehicle simply because I never considered it.

It should only be a concern if you don't think it would pass a VI, and if you don't think it would pass why the hell are you trying to drive it on the roads?

I guess thats true.

I cant say I have ever purchased a vehicle that I would thing would ever need a VI.
I guess I buy boring vehicles :P

It's a valid concern that I've never considered but will in the future. I had a box1 on a civic many moons ago and it honestly wasn't worth the time and effort to return it to passing condition. I never thought to try and sell it off and let someone else deal with it haha. I just bought another one and started over. I didn't know you couldn't check VI history or outstanding VI's on a vehicle. Guess I learned something today.

Hypothetical, guy gets a Box1 for being too low or having wheels outside fender. When you get a box 1 they check EVERYTHING and if you have an older car that can be real hassle especially if you don't have your OEM parts kicking around. So guy sticks his OEM tires on and raises the car. It now appears "Normal" to look at and you might not think about it being in VI state.

Berz out.

A very valid concern indeed when buying a modified vehicle. One I have never considered and I usually think of everything when buying a car. After owning over 40 I assumed I had seen it all lol.

in our case, it was a 30 year old barn-yard find car that had been sitting for 8 years. after being told it had a box 2 vi from 2004 at insurance place, I looked it over and it had to have been the exhaust (straight pipe, rusted off areas).

since it was such a long time ago (beyond the 30 days for box 2), it unfortunately had to have a full box 1 inspection.

in all fairness, a box 2 is still the same level inspection, the only difference is you can still drive it. after 30 days, box 2 becomes box 1.

but this thread has made me nervous now lol. there should be a way to check.

pretty big oversight on ICBC's side.

Box 2 usually implies something that is not required for a full inspection. IE going to the precinct and showing the officer you removed your tint, removed any illegal lighting etc.

That has been my experience with it anyways.

Berz out.

^That's actually a box 3

Notice & Orders:

Box 1 = Immediately removed from the road, plates seized and returned to ICBC, and must pass a vehicle inspection at a designated facility before being re-insured. Box 1 Notice & Orders are sent to the OSMV and entered into the system which can be see by insurance agents until it has been complied with and removed

Box 2 = 30 days to pass a vehicle inspection at a designated facility. If you go past the 30 days, you can be subject to a $598 (I believe? I haven't been on a road for a couple of years now) fine for failing to comply with a Notice & Order and a Box 1 if stopped. (Box 2 Notice & Orders are sent to the OSMV and entered into the system which can be see by police and insurance agents until it has been complied with and removed)

Box 3 = Must bring the vehicle to a police station and have it inspected by a police officer to ensure the marked off deficiency or deficiencies have been corrected within a time specified by the issuing officer. If you fail to do so and the same officer stops you and remembers, you can be subject to a $598 (or other, see above) fine and a Notice & Order Box 1 or 2. (Box 3 Notice & Orders as a stand-alone issuance aren't entered into any accessible system)

Good to hear that I'm not the only one who's concerned about it. I mean, a cop can issue you a VI for anything, the car doesn't have to be "heavily modified."

I found this after re-reading ICBC's site.

3. What information will an ICBC Vehicle Claims History report provide?

A Vehicle Claims History Report shows whether a used vehicle has had any damage claims with ICBC. The report will also tell you:

-the type of claim (e.g., collision, vandalism)
-the date the damage occurred and the amount paid or the amount of the outstanding damage estimate, if available
-the location of the primary area of damage (available for most claims)
-whether a claim was made to ICBC for theft of the vehicle
-the vehicle’s status (the report also provides a definition of the status)
-if the vehicle may be required to pass a mechanical/safety inspection before it can be licensed (due to an outstanding Notice and Order). See FAQ #9 for a definition.
-if there may be certain restrictions (other than the requirement for a mechanical inspection) that may prevent you from licensing and insuring the vehicle. (Some examples: a Court Order which may prevent you from transferring the vehicle into your name and licensing it; the vehicle may have been reported as stolen, etc.)
-whether the vehicle has been imported from another jurisdiction (the report will state if the vehicle is a Canadian or foreign import, but the date the vehicle entered B.C. is not available). See FAQ #8.
This service can be used to complete more than one search if you have a few vehicles to research, but a search fee will be charged for each search completed. You can only search for one vehicle at a time.



The CarProof will tell you stuff the ICBC claims report won't and vice versa - what an absolute pain in the ass. I think the best idea is to take the car to the insurance broker with the seller. This will alleviate all concerns about a VI.