How to Check Vehicle History for Free

How to Check Vehicle History for Free

Are you thinking of buying a used car? Knowing the history of a vehicle up for sale can help with making an informed purchase decision. Here's how you can check the vehicle's history for free:

Step 1: Get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

The first step is to get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the car you're interested in. This is 17 digit alphanumeric code printed on the car's registration card and is usually also visible through the windshield.

Step 2: Gather and Check Information for Free Online

• Visit the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and enter the 17 character VIN of the vehicle you plan to buy. This will provide you with recall information, safety ratings, and other helpful data.
• Research the car on sites like the Kelley Blue Book and CarFax. Both sites offer free reports on the vehicles, with clickable links to go into greater detail.
• For additional information, search the year, make, and model of the car across the Internet. This can sometimes provide information not available in online databases.

Step 3: Consider Paid Services

If you're looking for more detailed information about the vehicle's history, you may want to look into paid services. You can get an extensive report on the vehicle, from when and where it was first registered to the location of current registration.

How to Check Vehicle History for Free

Checking the history of a vehicle you own or are interested in buying is an important step in determining the value and ensuring the vehicle is legitimate. Fortunately, there are a few different ways you can access a vehicle's history report for no cost.

Instructions

1. Run the vehicle's VIN (vehicle identification number) through the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) VINCheck website. This will provide information on the vehicle's potential history of major insurance claims.
2. Check the vehicle owner's manual for information about any warranty that may still be valid. If the time period is still within the warranty, the vehicle may be eligible for free maintenance and repairs.
3. Visit the DMV website in the state the vehicle is registered. Each state offers a varying amount of information, but it can include the model and year of the vehicle, the number of owners, as well as salvage or junk titles.
4. Enter the VIN number into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vin Lookup page. This will show any safety recalls for the respective vehicle along with consumer complaints.
5. Check the vehicle history on CarFax. While CarFax does usually require a fee, some car dealers include a free CarFax report with the purchase of a vehicle.
6. Check the vehicle's information on Kelley Blue Book. This will provide you with information on the car's estimated value, as well as ratings and reviews.