Questions about vehicle history reports

It collects records tied to a vehicle’s ID number: title brands such as salvage or flood, odometer readings, reported damage, theft and lien records, and recalls. It tells you what was recorded in the past.

No. A history report reads records. It cannot tell you the vehicle’s condition today. Pay a mechanic, or a marine surveyor for a boat, to inspect the vehicle in person before you buy.

Not yet. The lookup on this site is free and reads public vehicle data. Full history reports open once our record sources are connected. Email us and we will tell you the day they open.

Pricing is not published yet. We will show the full price before you pay, with no account needed to see it.

Yes. Damage that was never reported to an insurer, a police department or a repair shop will not appear in any report. A clean report lowers risk. It does not remove it.

Clear means no record of that problem was found. Review means a record exists that you should understand before you pay. Ask the seller to explain it and to show repair paperwork.

A brand is a permanent note on a title that says something serious happened. Salvage means an insurer declared the vehicle a total loss. Rebuilt means a salvage vehicle was repaired and re-registered. Flood and junk brands work the same way.

It is when someone turns the mileage back to make a vehicle look less used. A report shows mileage recorded at different dates. A reading that goes down between two dates is a warning sign.

A lien means a lender still has a claim on the vehicle. If you buy it without the lien being paid off, the lender can still claim it. Pay off the lien at the lender’s office or through an escrow service, not in a parking lot.

Check that the VIN on the vehicle matches the title and the report. Ask for service records. Have a mechanic inspect it. Confirm the title with your state’s motor vehicle agency before you hand over money.

Look at the base of the windshield on the driver side, or on the sticker inside the driver door. It is also printed on the registration and insurance card.

Look on the steering neck at the front of the frame. Some bikes also have it stamped on the engine case. Check that the numbers match the title.

It is the identifier the federal government gives to a company that moves passengers or cargo across state lines. It sits on the side of the vehicle. Federal safety records are kept against that number.

Look on the upper right side of the transom, the flat panel at the back of the boat. Boats built since 1972 carry one.

No. Your browser sends the VIN straight to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to read the make, model and year. We never receive it.