Free VIN check
Enter any 17-character VIN and get the factory build data, every NHTSA recall campaign for that model year, owner complaint counts and crash-test ratings, straight from the US government databases. Any VIN works, on a new car or a used one. The check runs in your browser and the results come back in a few seconds.
It shows
- Year, make, model, trim, body style
- Engine, drivetrain, fuel, assembly plant
- NHTSA recall campaigns for this model year
- Owner complaints and crash-test ratings
It does not show
- Accident and damage history
- Odometer readings and rollback evidence
- Title brands (salvage, flood, lemon), liens, theft records
- Whether recalls were actually repaired on this car
Everything it shows describes the model and the model year. Nothing it shows describes what happened to this particular car after it left the factory; that is what the lookups below and a paid report are for.
Resources
The official databases, lookups and complaint channels behind every check on this site, in four groups. Each entry on the Resources page has one line on what it shows and what it leaves out. None of them pays us.
Check a vehicle
NHTSA’s VIN decoder, its recall lookup by VIN and its 5-Star safety ratings; NICB VINCheck for theft and total-loss records; the Justice Department’s list of approved NMVTIS providers and its glossary of title brands; and the free state title lookups that exist, added as each state guide is published. The order that works: NICB VINCheck first, then the free check above, then the recall lookup for the exact VIN.
Rules and rights
The FTC’s guides to buying a used car from a dealer, to financing or leasing a car, and to warranties and service contracts, and NHTSA’s page on odometer fraud.
Report a problem
The FTC’s fraud report form, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center for online listings and wire payments, and your state’s consumer protection office.
On this site
The free VIN check, the used car glossary, the state guides and our editorial standards.
Paid vehicle history report
Everything above describes the model or answers one question about the car. What happened to this particular car over its life sits in insurance, auction, title and service records, and only a paid vehicle history report pulls those together. A full report typically adds:
- Reported accidents, damage severity and airbag deployments
- Odometer readings over time, which is how rollbacks get caught
- Title brands: salvage, rebuilt, flood, lemon, junk
- Theft records, liens and the number of owners
- Auction and import history
A report is worth the money for a car you are serious about, not for every listing you glance at. Our guide explains when to buy one. Any provider on the Justice Department’s NMVTIS list carries the title brands, the latest odometer reading on record and the total-loss history from the states and the insurers.
From carVertical, an NMVTIS-approved provider. 20% off through our link, or the code VINVEST later. We earn a commission; it costs you nothing extra.