How to check used car history records by the VIN number

Damaged vehicle

Sample fragment of a real CARFAX® Vehicle History Report™. Click for larger image

Look at the picture I made at a collision repair shop yard. Why do you think they keep that rear piece of the car? Because when they find the same vehicle with rear-end damage, they will just weld two pieces together into one car, paint it nicely and sell it through the auction somewhere in a different state or province. Soon it may appear in a used car dealer lot as "Immaculate condition with low mileage" vehicle. The car may look clean and shiny, but if you check the car history report, you may find that the vehicle was salvaged.

Another example: I received a message from the person who bought privately a "low mileage" car. He even had it inspected by a dealer and had been told that the car is OK. Few days later, he checked the used car history report and found out that previous reported mileage was a lot higher - very unfortunate situation.
By the way, when you bring a used car to a mechanic or a dealer for an inspection, have a look at items covered in the inspection checklist - usually it does not include things like previous accident check or odometer fraud check.

For these reasons, when buying a used car, it is worth to check the used car history as a first step and then have a car inspected by a mechanic of your choice.

VIN number

All you need to order a history report is the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) of the car you are going to buy. You can find this number in the vehicle title or under the car windshield (look at the picture). For a used car history reports we have partnered with CARFAX®.
A single Vehicle History Report™ at CARFAX will cost you $34.99 (US dollars). You can order 5 reports for $44.99.
You can pay them online; they accept VISA, MasterCard and American Express. CARFAX® works in Canada as well.
The CARFAX® Vehicle History Report™ also includes Safety and Reliability Ratings, Warranty Information and Consumer Ratings and Comments for a model you order the report.