If you purchase a vehicle at a buy here pay here lot and they don't view your credit to get this vehicle can they report a repossession on your credit report years after the vehicle was taken back?

Yes of course they can and they will.

viewing your credit does not have anything to do with their ability to report. ( plus I bet they do look, just don't use it to make their decision.

I am a member of the credit bureaus and from what I've learned, most buy here pay here lots are not trade line reporters to the credit bureaus.

... but this does not really make things better, because if they repo the car and send the balance to a collection agency, then you still end up with an entry showing it.

... so it's really just about WHO ends up reporting it to the agency.

Maybe nit-picking, I know... but just thought I'd add it.

Bottom line: If you have a car repo'd, you CAN expect credit damage no matter who you purchased the car from.