To help its dealers provide greater transparency and stimulate used-car buyer confidence — and thus, hopefully, generate sales — FordDirect revealed Tuesday that its website and the roughly 3,500 dealer sites built via its DealerConnection program now offer AutoCheck vehicle history reports from Experian Automotive on all used models for sale.

 

This program is an extension of the partnership Ford and AutoCheck already have. AutoCheck provides vehicle history information for Ford’s certified pre-owned operations as well as its Extended Service Plan program.

 

Explaining this deal in more detail, basically, when consumers browse used models on www.forddirect.com or on DealerConnection sites and check out listings of used units, they can easily access the report to find such pertinent information as whether the vehicle has been in an accident, any problems with the odometer, title brands, or frame-damage indications, among other details. This type of information can help foster confidence, and thus increase the likelihood of a sale.

 

Officials indicated that Ford’s dealer body generates more than 55,000 leads each month through DealerConnection websites, which combine to hit traffic of 2.5 million unique visitors on a monthly basis.

 

“We’re excited to provide our FordDirect dealers with another free enhancement to their DealerConnection websites,” shared Valerie Fuller, FordDirect executive vice president of operations. “By integrating vehicle history reports, we will help drive more pre-owned vehicle sales opportunities to our dealers.”

 

Continuing on, officials noted that Ford dealers who have current, unlimited AutoCheck accounts will have all of their used listings include a vehicle history report for free.

 

Free reports are also provided for all certified pre-owned models.

 

If a Ford dealer is not signed up with AutoCheck, he can post the AutoCheck link to the site and offer customers the option to buy a history report.

 

"Having ready access to a vehicle’s history information is critical to remaining competitive in today’s growing online vehicle marketplace," said Scott Waldron, president of Experican Automotive. "Combining the industry-recognized reliability of FordDirect and AutoCheck brings dealers an added advantage in providing car shoppers with new levels of confidence in the vehicle they intend to buy."