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For Buyers

What a DDD Report shows that a history report doesn't

Vehicle history reports are a great tool. They show what was reported to a database about a car's past: title brands, reported accidents, some service visits and mileage readings. We include history checks in every DDD Report too.

Don't buy a $60K-and-up car with only a history report.

But when you're buying a $60K-and-up car, the past is only part of the story. You also want to know what the car looks like today, and where every fact comes from.

So we put our sample DDD Report for a 2017 Porsche 911 next to what a standard vehicle history report covers. Here's what we found.

Shared ground

What both include

Title brand checks.
Theft and total loss checks.
Reported mileage readings.
Reported service history.
Open recalls.

The difference

What a DDD Report adds

The shop's inspection of the car today, using our 34-point DDD Shop Checklist, including the underside on a lift.
One continuous, unedited video with required shots: the VIN, a cold start, the odometer running, tires, the underside and more.
Paint thickness readings and a damage map.
The documents themselves, listed with their dates and who issued them.
A signed seller statement, including how the car was used and where it was kept.
Red-flag checks for mileage rollback, title washing and open recalls.
Open questions, listed clearly, so you know exactly what to ask the seller.
What the inspection didn't cover, stated plainly.
Who paid for the report.
The date of the report, and whether it's still current.

Source labels

Every fact is labeled

In a DDD Report, every fact shows where it came from:

Document-supported: backed by a document we reviewed.
Third-party inspection: found by the seller's shop.
Seller-provided: the seller's own words.
Needs clarification: something that doesn't match yet.
Not verified: something we couldn't check.

You never have to guess what's backed by evidence and what isn't.

From the sample

An example from our sample report

In our sample 911, the shop found rear rotors near their replacement limit and light oil seepage near the rear main seal. These are the kinds of things a database usually can't show, because they haven't been repaired or reported yet. In a DDD Report, they're right at the top, under "Top things to know."

Complementary

Better together

A vehicle history report tells you a car's reported past. A DDD Report adds what the car looks like today and the evidence behind every claim. Many buyers use both.