How Do I Get a Free Vehicle History Report?
Key Points
- A vehicle history report details a used car’s history, including maintenance records, total mileage, past accidents and the number of previous owners.
- The most well-known providers of vehicle history reports are Carfax and AutoCheck.
- Shoppers can obtain a free vehicle history report via some used-car listings on Cars.com; by requesting one during a private-party purchase; or by using free, limited services such as VINCheck or VinCheck.info.
There are a lot of unknowns when buying a used car, but a vehicle history report can fill in some pieces of the puzzle. Using the car’s vehicle identification number, or VIN, you can find out a lot about a used car before you buy it by running a vehicle history report. These reports often list basic things such as the number of owners in a car’s history and total miles driven, as well as more detailed information like past accidents and prior records of maintenance, damages and repairs.
Carfax is one of the biggest names in vehicle history reports, but there are other providers, including AutoCheck, which is powered by Experian. A few ways you can get a free vehicle history report include:
- Cars.com’s used-car listings
- The vehicle’s owner in a private-party purchase
- Free online vehicle history report websites
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Cars.com’s Used-Car Listings
Many vehicles on Cars.com include a free AutoCheck vehicle history report that includes comprehensive information. To get the report, click the “Free AutoCheck Report” link on the listing. Consumers who create a free Cars.com account may be able to access additional free AutoCheck vehicle history reports.
Private-Party Purchase
If used-car shopping via a private sale, ask the car owner to provide you with a vehicle history report so you can make an informed decision using as much information on the history of the vehicle as possible.
Free Vehicle History Report Options
AutoCheck and Carfax aren’t the only providers of vehicle history reports. The National Insurance Crime Bureau provides a free service called VINCheck that allows consumers to check a VIN to see if an insurance company has reported the car as a total loss or stolen. This service provides less detail than an AutoCheck or Carfax report, however.
Alternatively, the site VinCheck.info also offers free vehicle history reports. It provides info like vehicle theft reports, mileage numbers and how many owners the car has had, but it doesn’t offer the level of detail that an AutoCheck or Carfax report does in terms of accident and maintenance histories.
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