Best VIN Check Options

• Carfax is our pick for the best overall VIN check service, but it’s also the most expensive. AutoCheck is another solid paid option.
• Free options, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are often great for basic information, such as the vehicle’s model year and where it was manufactured.
• For accident histories, the National Insurance Crime Bureau is a useful free service.

Carfax

Price: $44.99 per check
In addition to reliably decoding basic VIN information, Carfax has a highly regarded proprietary serial number database. Third parties often report that Carfax’s searches are the most comprehensive of all the paid services. However, Carfax is also the most expensive, at $44.99 per check. AutoCheck, in comparison, charges $29.99 per check. Still, if you are looking for the best available VIN check, Carfax is hard to beat.

Pros

• Highly regarded, proprietary database with comprehensive information
• Frequently considered the most thorough and reliable paid VIN check
• Trusted by third parties and industry professionals

Cons

• Most expensive option at $44.99 per check
• Not ideal for shoppers comparing multiple vehicles on a tight budget

AutoCheck

Price: $29.99 per check
Another option for those looking for a paid VIN check is AutoCheck. One unique aspect of AutoCheck is that it provides each vehicle a numerical rating akin to a credit score (such as those offered by AutoCheck’s parent company, Experian). If you’re looking for a quick means of comparing multiple vehicles, this score might be helpful. Moreover, AutoCheck’s VIN check service ($29.99) is less expensive than Carfax’s ($44.99). However, the used-car shopping website Edmunds reports that AutoCheck’s report was less up-to-date than Carfax’s¹ — Carfax had reported damage from the previous month, but AutoCheck didn’t seem to have information about that incident yet.

Pros

• More affordable than Carfax at $29.99 per check
• Unique numerical vehicle score makes comparing cars easier
• Owned by Experian, a trusted name in data reporting

Cons

• Reports may not be as up-to-date as Carfax’s
• Might miss recent incidents that competitors catch

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

If you’re just looking to decode the basic information contained in your VIN, the federal government’s free service is the simplest way to go. The NHTSA’s VIN search utility has a straightforward interface that provides quick, reliable results. However, if you’re looking for a more extensive history of a given car, you might want to consider a paid service, as the NHTSA does not access a database like Carfax’s or AutoCheck’s.

National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)

The NICB is an insurance trade association that compiles information about automotive crime and theft. As a result, the NICB’s VIN check service is great for finding basic damage and theft histories. If you’re looking for only this information, you probably don’t need to spend money on a paid VIN check service. For more than the basics, however, it might be worth looking into Carfax or AutoCheck.

Pros

• Free to use
• Good for checking basic damage and theft histories
• Reliable source for identifying stolen or salvaged vehicles

Cons

• Limited scope — focuses only on theft and basic damage records
• Lacks detailed ownership history and service records
• Not suitable for buyers wanting a comprehensive vehicle history

Here’s what the report we pulled from the NICB looked like:

iSeeCars

Another option for a free VIN check can be found at the used auto sales website iSeeCars. Like Carfax, iSeeCars conveniently integrates a marketplace and a VIN check service, which might make it useful for consumers. However, iSeeCars’ service is less detailed than Carfax’s; it lacks information such as ownership histories and complaint records. As far as free VIN checks go, our experience indicates that iSeeCars is roughly on a par with free competitors.

Pros

• Free VIN check service
• Convenient integration with a used car marketplace
• Provides more information than some other free services

Cons

• Less detailed than paid services like Carfax
• Missing key details such as ownership history and complaint records
• Similar in depth to other free VIN check tools

Below, you can see the iSeeCars vin check is more detailed than the NICB’s, though some information requires payment.

If you’re looking to do a quick check to ensure a car wasn’t stolen or totaled at any point, or you’re just looking to confirm basic information, a free VIN check will suit your purposes. If you want a more detailed rundown of a car’s history, however, a paid service is probably your best bet.

• If you’re looking for the most basic information about a vehicle — its brand, model and place of manufacture — pretty much any VIN check service will suffice.
• Similarly, if you just want the basic outlines of a car’s theft and damage history, the NICB website might meet your needs. If, on the other hand, you want to check the detailed history of a car before making a purchase, it might be worth spending money on a paid check.
• Make sure to ask your used-car dealer if they will pay for a Carfax or AutoCheck VIN check, as many offer that service to prospective buyers.

Each car has a unique, 17-digit vehicle identification number, or VIN. VINs are created according to an internationally standardized format; no matter where your vehicle has been manufactured, it has a VIN assigned to it.

There are two kinds of information a VIN can give. Thanks to the standardized format, the first 11 characters of each VIN encode information in a way that any service can decrypt. This information includes a given car’s make and model, the year and location of manufacture, and what kind of engine it originally contained. Any reliable VIN check, including free checks, shouldn’t have a problem giving you this information. (You could even decode it manually, though this is probably too complicated to be worth it.)

The last six characters of a VIN constitute a given vehicle’s unique serial number. This serial number can be used to track down details about the car’s history — including, importantly, whether it has been stolen. However, this information requires access to a database, and the quality of the search depends on the quality of the database you are using. The main reason you might want to spring for a paid VIN check service is to get the most complete picture possible, including details like any odometer rollback or sales history. By running a VIN check, you can receive a report with all of this information.

A number of online free and paid tools can help you track down the information associated with your VIN. Both paid and free VIN checks can decode general information about your car, including the model number, where it was manufactured, and other information.

Paid (and some free) VIN check tools don’t just decode this general information. They check the serial number against a proprietary database that contains more detailed histories of specific vehicles, including information that can’t be obtained directly from the number itself. These details include collision and damage records, odometer rollbacks, airbag deployments and more.

Free VIN Checks

What you get: Basic info, like the make, model, year and manufacturing country. Although free tools are useful for finding the basics about a given vehicle, they are often inconsistent when it comes to these detailed histories.

Pros

• They’re free.
• They’re good for quick, general lookups.

Cons

• There’s inconsistent detail on accident history, mileage rollbacks or recalls.
• They can miss red flags.
• The data is often pulled from public, rather than proprietary, sources.

Paid VIN Checks

What you get: Everything a free VIN check offers, plus details about the vehicle’s history, like:

• Collisions and damage
• Odometer rollbacks
• Airbag deployments

Pros

• They’re more comprehensive and reliable.
• They use proprietary databases with deeper insights.
• They’re ideal for buying a used car.

Cons

• They typically cost $10 to $40 per check.
• Some overlap with free tools.

The level of detail and accuracy depends on the VIN check service you employ.

A VIN check is a smart first step when you’re considering a used car, but it’s only part of the process if you want to avoid headaches down the road. Here are a few additional steps we recommend before you finalize any purchase:

1. Get a Professional Inspection

Even the most detailed VIN report won’t tell you everything about a car’s current condition. A trusted, independent mechanic can spot hidden issues — like frame damage, poor repairs, or upcoming maintenance needs — that might not appear on a vehicle history report. A pre-purchase inspection usually costs around $100 to $200, but it can save you thousands in unexpected repairs.

2. Shop for Auto Insurance Early

Before you buy, it’s wise to get a sense of how much you’ll pay to insure the vehicle. Compare quotes from multiple providers to get the best deal. If you have the car’s VIN, you can get an estimated quote from most providers. You can start with our guides to the Best Auto Insurance Companies and Best Cheap Auto Insurance to find top-rated options for coverage and affordability.

3. Be Cautious with Private Sales

Private sellers often list cars on platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or OfferUp. These deals can be great, but they also come with more risk than buying from a dealer. Scams, hidden issues, and unclear ownership history are all more common in these spaces. Our guide on How to Buy a Car on Facebook Marketplace can help you spot red flags and navigate these transactions safely.

4. Confirm Title and Registration Details

Make sure the seller has a clean, valid title in their name — and verify there are no liens or salvage branding. Any issues with the title can delay or even prevent you from registering the car in your name. Your state’s DMV or a VIN check service can help verify this information.

With a well-regarded proprietary database and a straightforward website, Carfax is our pick for the best overall VIN check service. At $44.99 per check, it’s the priciest option on our list, but it will give you a much more detailed rundown of your car’s history than free services can provide. For peace of mind, Carfax is difficult to beat.