VIN check: vehicle history report by VIN
A VIN check lists the records reported for one vehicle: title brands, accidents, theft, liens, odometer readings, auctions and more, where available. Enter the VIN for a free preview of the vehicle and the records we found, then buy the full report if you need it.
Records a VIN check can include
One report covers every record type below. Each section shows what was found for this VIN; a section can be empty while others have records. Open a record type to see what it shows in detail.
Title brands
Salvage, rebuilt, flood, lemon and other brands recorded on the vehicle's titles, and the states they come from.
Salvage and rebuilt
Flood, fire and hail
Lemon and manufacturer buyback
Junk and scrapped
Accidents
Reported accidents in date order, with the state and the details each record gives, such as an insurance loss.
Date and state of each report
Insurance loss records
Minor or major damage, where recorded
Damage records
Damage reported by insurers, auctions and damage reports, including total losses and salvage auctions.
Total-loss and insurance-loss events
Damage noted at salvage auctions
Fire, hail and flood damage
Auctions and sales
Past auction and sale listings, with photos where they exist. Auction photos often show damage before a repair.
Sale date and price
Photos, where they exist
Damage noted at the sale
Mileage at the sale
Show all record types
Odometer readings
Mileage recorded at title transfers, inspections and services, in date order, so a reading lower than an earlier one stands out.
Readings in date order
A check for readings lower than earlier ones
Mileage at each sale or auction
Owners on record
How many owners are on record, for how long, and in which states the vehicle was registered. Never names or addresses.
Number of owners
Years each owner kept it
State of registration
How the vehicle was used
Whether a record shows the vehicle as a personal, lease, rental, taxi, fleet, commercial, police or government vehicle.
Lease and rental
Taxi, fleet and commercial
Police and government
Recalls
Safety recalls on record for the vehicle as of the report date.
Open recalls as of the report date
Recall date and number
More records in the same report
Service records
Read more: Service recordsService and maintenance visits reported by the shops that share their records.
VIN checks by vehicle type
The same report works for every type below, but the records that exist differ. Motorcycles, trailers and ATVs usually have fewer records than cars, and classics fewer still.
How to read your results
A report lists what was recorded, not what is true about the vehicle today. Use this table before you decide anything from a report.
| Result | What it means | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Records found | The sources we searched hold these records for this VIN, as of the report date. | That the list is complete, or that nothing has happened since. |
| No records found | The sources we searched returned nothing of that type for this VIN. | That the event never happened. Unreported accidents and private repairs leave no record. |
| Some sections empty | Records exist for some types and not others. That is normal: coverage differs by vehicle, year, state and source. | That the report failed. |
| Records disagree | Two sources recorded different facts, such as different mileage on close dates. | That the newer one is right. Ask the seller or the title office. |
| "We couldn't load this vehicle" | Our records service did not answer. Try again. | That no records exist. A failed lookup is never shown as "no records". |
Where the records come from
A report brings together records from several kinds of sources: title and registration records, insurance and loss records, auction and sale listings, recall records and service records. Each section of the report can come from a different source, which is why one section can have records while another has none.
We do not name our data providers. We are not a government agency or a title office, and a report does not replace a title search.
Our records cover vehicles from the United States and Canada. Some European data exists, but it is incomplete.
What a VIN check cannot tell you
The vehicle's condition today
Only an inspection by a mechanic shows that, and whether past repairs were done well.
Who owns it and whether a loan is open
The state title office and the lender hold the current status.
The true mileage
Readings show the mileage on certain dates, not the distance driven between them.
Whether the VIN belongs to this car
Compare the VIN on the dashboard, the door frame label and the title before you rely on any report.
See a sample report first
See each section of a report and what it means before you buy one.
VIN check prices and plans
One report, a pack, or the Unlimited VIN Check plan. Every option starts with a free preview of the vehicle. You pay by card or PayPal, and prices are in US dollars.
One report
The full history of one VIN as a downloadable PDF, usually ready within minutes. You can add the window sticker for the same VIN at checkout.
Packs of 5 or 10 reports
A lower price per report. Use the reports on different vehicles, whenever you need them. Suits dealers and buyers comparing several cars.
Unlimited VIN Check
As many basic reports as you need each month, 50% off full reports, and free VIN decoding and recall checks. Billed monthly, cancel anytime.
VIN check questions
What is a VIN check?
A VIN check looks up the records reported for one vehicle by its Vehicle Identification Number. The result is a vehicle history report: title brands, accidents, theft, liens, odometer readings, auctions, recalls and service visits, where records exist.
Is the VIN check free?
The preview is free: the vehicle's year, make, model, trim and engine, and how many records we found of each type. The full report, which shows what each record says, is paid.
How long does the report take?
After payment the report is ready online as a downloadable PDF, usually within minutes.
Does "no records found" mean the car is clean?
No. It means the sources we searched hold no record of that type for this VIN. Many accidents and repairs are never reported. Treat the report as one check among several, with an inspection and the seller's paperwork.
Can I check a car built before 1981?
Yes. The form accepts pre-1981 VINs of 5 to 17 characters. Fewer record types exist for older vehicles, so a classic's report is usually thinner. See the classic car VIN check.
Will the report show the owner's name?
No. A report shows how many owners are on record and how the vehicle was used, never names, addresses or contact details.
What if the report is wrong or does not arrive?
Contact us with the VIN and your order details. We check the report, fix a delivery or display fault, and refund the cases listed in the terms and conditions.
Also check
What was it built with?
A history report shows what happened to the vehicle since it was built. Its window sticker data shows what it was built as: factory options, packages, colors and MSRP.
