How To Get a Vehicle History Report
A vehicle history report (or VIN check) is an invaluable tool if you are planning on buying or selling a vehicle. As a buyer, you can use a vehicle history report to give you peace of mind that the vehicle you are thinking of purchasing is in good condition. On the other hand, if you are selling a vehicle then a clean history report can help entice potential buyers.
How to Obtain a Vehicle History Report
You can obtain both free and paid VIN lookups. Free vehicle records will typically include less information than paid ones, but they may be sufficient depending on what information you need. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) offers a free VinCheck. As with a complete vehicle history report, you will need to provide your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) when using VinCheck. You can also only make up to five searches within a 24-hour period and certain vehicle records may take up to six months to be updated with VinCheck.
Alternatively, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) offers a more limited history report. The NHTSA’s search tool is useful mainly if you want to see if your vehicle or any of its parts have been recalled.
Third-party databases, including SearchQuarry.com, also offer both free and paid VIN lookups. The paid records offered through third-party companies tend to be the most complete. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System provides a list of approved providers of vehicle information and history data. Note that some approved providers will only provide records to car dealers and not directly to consumers.
What is Included in a Vehicle History Report
Not all vehicle history reports will include the same information, but in general you can expect your VIN report to include some or all of the following:
- Accident history
- Previous owners
- Liens held against the vehicle
- Recalls
- Flood damage
- Title checks
- History of airbag deployments
- Maintenance record
- Problems with the odometer
- Records of theft
Note that not all VIN checks will include the same type of information. A record from the NICB, for example, is designed to prevent the exchange of stolen vehicles, so it’s great if you want to make sure that the car in question wasn’t reported stolen. On the other hand, it won’t include much information about that vehicle’s maintenance history.
Vehicle Records from the DMV
Most DMV’s don’t provide vehicle history records. However, many do provide vehicle registration and title abstracts, which contain much of the same information that you would find in a history report. In New York, for example, the registration abstract includes some useful history information, such as parking fines and insurance lapses. A title record abstract, meanwhile, will include information about previous owners of the vehicle.
License Plate and VIN Search
In many cases, looking up a car’s VIN is simply about peace of mind. Every car built after 1980 has its own VIN, which is unique to that vehicle. You can find the VIN on the dashboard on the driver’s side and next to the latch in the driver’s door frame. Remember that the VIN, unlike a license plate, does not change even if you change the car’s registration from one state to another. That’s why conducting a VIN search can typically provide more information than a simple license plate search will provide. However, searching for a license plate number is also a useful way for finding out the VIN associated with a particular plate number.
Can I lookup a vehicle history report online?
Yes, there are a multitude of motor vehicle website where you can lookup a vehicle's history. You will need the entire 17 digit VIN to run a vehicle history report, each vehicle has a unique VIN. The report should include the entire vehicle history, vehicle specs, accidents, recalls and safety warnings.
Leave Reply - See responses below:
Responses to “Vehicle History Report”
Delbert, since this is a vintage car you’ll have difficulties looking up information on it with most online vehicle record resources. That said, you might want to reach out to the DMV directly about your inquiry, there may be a precedence for your situation.
Reply
i got this old car from a privet onder but he said he don’t know wher the title is i have cont 3 onders none of them knows wher the title is
Reply
why is it saying I have the wrong vin number
Reply
I’m looking for a car that was registered originally in 1969 Dodge Charger RT special edition registered to Michael D Gillian 1976
Reply
Babatunde, can you please expand on your request and how this is relevant to your vehicle history report? We are happy to help if you can give us some more information
(Video) Free CarFax AutoCheck Vehicle History ReportReply
Driver’s license number and identification
Reply
looking for mileages on title
Reply
i’m looking for my childhood car my dad amd mom owned 1976 4door sedan Chevrolet Nova owned from New 1976 till 1986 license plate California 951-FTP traded into dodge dealership for – 1986 dodge minivan Green with Rally Wheels tan brown interior 305 v8 if the car is still on the road i want to buy it back what a long shot car was last seen on a commerial in Yuba city 1986 for sell a real cream puff one owner used car comercial
See Also13 Best Free VIN Checkers To Get Your Car’s Complete History10 Best Free VIN Check Services to Get a Vehicle History Report for Free100% Free Vehicle History | With Official Government Data!The 4 Best Free VIN Check SitesReply
You can see if the vehicle has a salvaged title, which is part of the vehicle history report, but it might not reveal an accident that did not total the car
Reply
I’m having a popping sound on the front of my car on the outside and my air conditioner does not cool good I\’ve had it checked several times I have heard that somebody said that it was in a wreck how do I find out if it was
Reply
Tiffany, we are happy to assist you with running a vehicle history report or vehicle title search however if your vehicle was stolen then you will need to contact the police directly about this incident
Reply
Hello there My Cadillac Escalade Is Missing I have ownership and the Title, I need help locating my vehicle, I have the 17 digit vin number as well.
Reply
Barb, you will want to contact the DMV office in the state you previously lived in and verify what name is on the vehicle title. As far as the paperwork goes to prove that you were credited the $10k, it would be helpful for you to find the bill of sale paperwork so that you have evidence of your claim. If you feel foul play is at hand, you might want to contact your local police department and file a police report and/or contact an attorney for advise
Reply
We traded in a car at a dealership for $10,000.00 and also put $1,000.00 down. on a leased car. now the dealership says they have no record of us trading it in. so the balance of our leased car is &10,000 more then it should be. We have moved since we leased the new car from the dealership and have 2 Hugh storage spaces to go through to find the original paperwork. I can see that the put our old car up for sale the very next day. how can I prove that the took our car and did not credit us the 10,000 dollars
Reply
James, we only have vehicle records for street legal vehicles. It’s fairly difficult to obtain a vehicle history report on a dirt bike or any off-road vehicle as they are not registered the same with the DMV as street legal vehicles
Reply
I purchased a dirt bike/ motorcycle that I am needing to titled. When I bought it the owner said he had no title. How can I gain title to this bike?
Reply
Karen, unfortunately our vehicle history reports do not cover RV trailers, boats or aircraft
Reply
Is it possible to check if a used RV Trailer has been in an accident or disaster . If purchasing thru an RV dealer.
(Video) How To Read A Vehicle History Report (CARFAX, AutoCheck)Reply
Edward, to obtain a copy of your Tennessee vehicle title you will need to reach out to the Tennessee DOR directly
Reply
I’m trying to find out where my title is after paying off the car. The Car Store in Piney Flats Tennessee, last ones that had it. They said that they mailed it, but where did they mail it to???? It was totalled in an accident. Only thing wrong was the side swiped passenger side and the right rear shock was broke. Still a great running car.
Reply
Brandon, unfortunately this vehicle history report is not accessible with our vehicle record resources. You can contact your local DMV to inquire about running a vehicle history report on this older vehicle. Sometimes it is difficult to obtain information on older vehicles if their vehicle history was not entered into a centralized database
Reply
I’m looking for a vehicle history report on a 1976 Honda CB550F there is no 17digit vin or plates how do I go about getting a history report for it?
Reply
Alicia, you will need to contact the DMV directly. During COVID there are typically longer wait times than normal to get someone on the phone. We are a public record website that has not affiliation to the motor vehicle department to request changes to your vehicle titles.
Reply
I am needing to speak to someone regarding trying to get some titles corrected. It seems their were some typos that the DMV have made. I have been calling 304-558-3900 and have been unsuccessful on reaching a live person.
Reply
Victoria, if you plug your VIN into our search, you will have the option to purchase a vehicle history report. This report will also have the vehicle title information included which will tell you if the vehicle title is clean
Reply
I am looking for a title search for said VIN
Reply
Richard, you might want to contact the DMV about this. Most VIN lookup resources can only lookup vehicles in the last 30-40 years, those that have VINs with 17digits. Before then there were mostly paper records for vehicles and most of them did not get uploaded into the current vehicle databases.
Reply
We have a Kit built Classis that has a unique VIN. Only 7 characters long. How do we get a Vehicle History report?
Reply
Zachary, it sounds like this was an intentionally unlawful act your friend pulled on you. If this is the case you might consider calling the police and filing a police report and then contacting the DMV with all the information you have on the vehicle and exactly what happened. Unfortunately this is a new one for us and we don’t have any recommendations we can offer you from our experience. Best of luck and please reach out if we can assist you with any future public record or vehicle record resources
Reply
I let a so called friend borrow my car and they went and did a abandoned title on it I\’ve got the bill of sale where i just bought it why in the world would I abandon it ? What steps do I need to do to recover it back before they destroy it
Reply
(Video) Get a FREE VIN CHECK Auto Report for ANY Car Better than CarfaxAnita, typically vehicle history reports will have limited information about the owners of a vehicle. First however, you must go through our search and read and agree to the terms of the DPPA before receiving information about any vehicle. The other option is to make your inquiry directly with the DMV in your state
Reply
Can I find out the current owners of the vehicle
Reply
You will need to contact the Connecticut DMV directly to obtain a copy of your vehicle history report as well when you cancelled your license plate for that vehicle. You can visit the CT motor vehicle website for more information on how to go about obtain the information you’ve inquired about.
Reply
I had owned a 2012 Hyundai Elantra from 2012-2017 and do not have plate or Vin or reg info. I need to check the Conn state records to see when I cancelled the plates. The Lien was held by Santander – and I lived in the City of NEw London Ct at the time.
Reply
Unfortunately our vehicle history report will only work for cars, truck, SUVs and motorcycles. Your best option would be to visit the DMV in person and provide them with your registration, bill of sale or any other documentation you have on the moped, as well as your driver’s license. The DMV will be able to do a VIN search for you with and instruct you on what to do in order to obtain a license plate for your moped.
Reply
Would like to know how I can get a plate number for a moped scooter so I can get a plate made. It doesn\’t have a plate and the person I got it from claims he doesn\’t have it. Please get back to me asap
Reply
That is correct. We can only run vehicle history reports by VIN that have a 17 digit alpha-numeric code
Reply
Your system does not work for vehicles that was made before the new vin system came out. Older have a shorter vin number than new cars.
Reply
Our vehicle report resources will only work for vehicle with 17 digits. You might consider contacting your local DMV office about this matter. A Vehicle History Report can reveal a lot about a vehicle. There is probably a long vehicle history for the Cadillac you mentioned since it’s over 50 years old.
Reply
How can I find out info on a 1964 Cadillac with only 9 digit VIN?
Reply
Typically a vehicle history report will not include mileage reports unless there is a previous transfer of title. That is the only time we notice the mileage records being recorded. You can use our VIN Decoder below and see what information is available. If you don’t find what you’re looking for then you’ll want to check with the DMV for that specific vehicle history report information.
Vehicle VIN Decoder – Click Here To Get a Vehicle History Report Online
Reply
Does your vehicle history reports include mileage records with title information?
Reply
(Video) Free Online Vehicle Reports. Don't pay for a Carfax! Title, accident, flood, salvage reports.Our database resources only offer current vehicle owner information. We do have a Free VIN Check where you can obtain a vehicle history report.
Reply
Does your reports offer previous vehicle history that includes owner information with the title check?
Reply
That’s an unfortunate turn of events and we’re sorry to hear that a friend has taken advantage of you. Check out our VIN Decoder where you can get a vehicle history report online. This should give you the vehicle history information you’re looking for.
Reply
Former army freind lied about not possesing my mustang. I was serving overseas upon my return I flew to Ohio to get it. Her husband & her made story about it. Found out recently online she still has it. Would like history of my 1968 mustang.
Reply
You might check the fuel filter and battery and alternator to start. There are many possibilities as to why your vehicle quits on you but unfortunately it is not our expertise. This is really a question for a mechanic as we only provide vehicle history records and not maintenance records.
Reply
My 2004 expedition Eddie Bauer.. 5.4 it run for 50 miles and then it quits. It stop running while driving. I can figure out what the problem is. Can you help?
Reply
What information are you looking for that you did not find in the vehicle history report? Please let us know how we can further assist you
Reply
How do I search a 1966 Chevelle I sold in 1986? I have a VIN from my old 1984 registration card. Thanks
Reply
Typically a title lien means that a bank or other financial institution has a lien on the vehicle and there might have been a loan taken out on the vehicle that hasn’t been paid back. This is unfortunately something we cannot lookup for you. Your best bet is to contact the DMV in your area and inquire about the potential Vehicle Title Lien.
That being said if you have the title to the Volkswagen and there is no lien holder listed then you might be in the clear. You might still want to follow up with the DMV in case a secondary loan was taken out on the equity on the vehicle.
Reply
We do appreciate the time that you take to read this and respond to us at your earliest convenience it is a really big concern for both me and my wife thank you.
Reply
Both I and my wife had bought a car some lashes Volkswagen. Year 2013 Volkswagen Jetta SE and we see that there was something mentioned about. Possible Title Liens Reported. We don’t quite understand exactly what that means but it seems a little shaky to us would like to know more information about this car if you could please help us thank you!
Reply
Author: squarryadministrator
Last Updated: 2017-07-25
FAQs
How accurate is vehicle history report? ›
While the information on vehicle reports is usually accurate, there may be occasional errors. With so many reporting sources — insurance agencies, vehicle registries, dealership service centers, mechanics, etc.
What is the most accurate vehicle history report? ›The Carfax report is the benchmark for all other vehicle history reports. If a vehicle has had multiple owners, it is clearly labeled and organized in different sections. Carfax also has more detailed maintenance records. This information can serve as a guide to what issues the vehicle might have had.
Can a CARFAX report be wrong? ›Unfortunately, not all accidents are reported on the Carfax report in a timely manner. If the dealer does not give you the most current report, you are less likely to receive accurate information. The dealer may alter the Carfax report to make the vehicle's title appear clean.
What are red flags on a CARFAX report? ›Another related red flag, especially in older cars, is the lack of repairs. It could mean that the repairs weren't reported to CARFAX or that the owner didn't get regular repairs done. If there are multiple ownership changes in a short period, it means that the car has a major or an expensive repair issue.
Is Vehicle History as good as Carfax? ›Carfax reports are more comprehensive than AutoCheck — unlike AutoCheck, they include information on any maintenance or service that was reported. But all of this information comes at a cost — Carfax reports are pricier than AutoCheck reports. For example, the cost for six Carfax reports is $99.99.
Is there a better report than Carfax? ›AutoCheck Provides More Value Over Carfax
Even if you already have access to a vehicle history report from a provider, AutoCheck has its own set of exclusive data that may uncover further information about a vehicle you're considering.
VINcheck.info promotes its vehicle history reports as no-cost alternatives to reports from Carfax and its competitors. AutoCheck offers only a free two- or three-digit vehicle history score, which grades a car's history.
Is CARFAX 100 accurate? ›While CarFax usually provides useful information, it's not 100% reliable. Many issues can either be overlooked or skewed by a vehicle history report.
What are the top 5 items that you believe are important when examining a vehicle history report before buying a used car? ›- 1) Junk, Salvage, and Loss Events. This one is a major red flag. ...
- 2) Other Damage. The vehicle history report will clue you in on more than just major accidents. ...
- 3) Odometer. The difference between a car with 10,000 and 100,000 miles is thousands of dollars. ...
- 4) Title Information. ...
- 5) Recalls.
Carfax says that for every 10,000 reports they receive, six are updated or corrected based on information from consumers. You can dispute their vehicle history by contacting the Carfax product support team here. If you have a consumer problem you can't resolve, submit your information at this form.
Should I worry about minor damage on Carfax? ›
The damage could be from incidents such as backing into a pole, having a tree limb fall on the car, or other events. When considering a damage report, it's important to remember that minor damage may be only cosmetic; it may be noted that way in the Carfax report.
Does a Carfax report show everything? ›CARFAX does not have the complete history of every vehicle. A CARFAX Vehicle History Report is based only on information supplied to CARFAX. Other information about the vehicle, including problems, may not have been reported to CARFAX.
Can accidents be hidden from CARFAX? ›CARFAX receives accident information from thousands of sources, but not every accident or damage event is reported and not all reported are provided to CARFAX.
What should I be looking for in CARFAX report? ›A CARFAX report is a detailed accounting of a car's history. CARFAX reports on a vehicle's title, mileage, previous ownership, accidents, and how it was used. A “clean” report means CARFAX hasn't found any significant issues, but the report is dependent on information being a matter of record so CARFAX can find it.
What should I watch on CARFAX report? ›Beware frequent changes in ownership
If you look at the bottom of a Carfax report and see that multiple owners have bought and sold the car within a short span of time, you're dealing with what's known in the industry as a "hot potato." A hot potato almost always has some type of expensive or challenging repair issue.
How can I learn a vehicle's history? Visit the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) website, vehiclehistory.gov, to get a vehicle history report with title, insurance loss, and salvage information. This site lists NMVTIS-approved providers of vehicle history reports.
What is the best free vehicle history report? ›VehicleHistory.com has the most free information available, providing useful data including recalls, safety ratings, original specifications, warranty, and more.
Does Kelley Blue Book used Carfax? ›CARFAX is a subsidiary of IHS Markit, a London-based information provider. CARFAX is not affiliated with Kelley Blue Book or Cox Automotive.
Is Edmunds or Kelley Blue Book more accurate? ›Many experts believe Edmunds' values are more accurate than KBB's.
How to get a free full vehicle history report by VIN number? ›Here's Where To Get a Completely Free VIN Check!
You can get a free VIN check at the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), VehicleHistory.com or iSeeCars.com/VIN. Just pop in your car's digits and these sites will do the VIN lookup and give you information on the vehicle.
How can I check my car history for free? ›
One free way to get some of a car's history is through the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). By inputting the car's vehicle identification number (VIN), you'll be able to access data that shows whether the car has a salvage title or if someone reported it as stolen.
Is VIN history Go reliable? ›SCAM! Website advertises $1/vin history report, only for you to type in your card details and realise later it is a SCAM. First they take only $1 from your account and straight after that another $20-30.
Is VIN history accurate? ›This 17-digit number acts like a blueprint of a car's track record. Vehicle history reports rely heavily on VINs to provide consumers with accurate information. What's even more useful about these reports is it gives car buyers the ability to see if a car has a 'title brand' attached to it.
Is VIN check info accurate? ›VINCheck does not query law enforcement records or records of insurance companies that elect not to participate in VINCheck. While VINCheck is a useful free tool, it is not a comprehensive vehicle history report and should not be relied upon when purchasing a vehicle.
Is AutoCheck more accurate than Carfax? ›The database that AutoCheck uses is also not as comprehensive as Carfax's. It does not include maintenance records, service history, or any information on regular emissions inspections. Its database is simply not as large as Carfax's so the report is not going to be as accurate as it could be with a different option.
Can a VIN be wrong? ›A VIN mismatch on a car title often stems from a transcription mistake during the registration process. If the VIN is off by more than one digit, your local DMV may require additional paperwork to fix the issue. If the VINs on the car and the title are completely different you may have encountered fraud.
How can I get a free Carfax? ›A free CARFAX report is also available through many dealer websites. As you browse a dealer's used car inventory, look for links to free CARFAX Reports. If a link is unavailable, contact the dealer and ask them for the CARFAX Report. Free CARFAX Reports are available at many car dealerships in your area.
Is there a way to check vehicle history for free? ›Carfax says every car listed for sale on its website comes with a free Carfax report. Websites like autotrader.com and cars.com also might include free Carfax reports with their listings. If a used-car listing lacks a link to a free Carfax report, Carfax suggests requesting one from the seller.
How can I check my car history online for free? ›NICB: NICB (National Insurance Crime Bureau) can alert you if a used car you are considering buying has a record of an insurance theft claim or if it has been reported as salvage. They offer a free VIN check to users and are known to be the most popular among all the sites.