How to Find Vehicle History

A vehicle history report will include many essential details about a used car or truck. A vehicle history will likely include ownership details, reported mileage, accidents, routine scheduled maintenance events and titling issues. If considering buying a used car, it's always in the buyer's best interest to find the vehicle history before the sale is completed.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Get the VIN of the vehicle in question. A VIN or vehicle identification number is a 17 digit alphanumerical serial code that is assigned to each manufactured car for identifying purposes. A vehicle history report cannot be generated without it.

2. Use an online website in order to find a vehicle history. CarFax and Experian are both providers of vehicle history reports. While a reporting fee will be required for complete histories, a basic history can be obtained at no cost. Enter the VIN number into the database to generate the history.

3. Another option is to purchase an unlimited vehicle history access fee. CarFax and Experian offer a one-time fee for complete access to multiple vehicle histories. This is an ideal option for used car dealers who wish to provide history reports as an incentive to customers.

4. Find a vehicle history through the auto dealer. Many dealers and sellers will include a copy of the vehicle history as part of the sale. For example, many dealers advertising on the car classified site AutoTrader.com will include a link to a free CarFax vehicle history report.

Tips & Warnings

• Many of the vehicle history reporting agencies offer an insurance option. If a car is purchased that has a problem not included in the vehicle history report, the purchaser may be eligible for reimbursement from the agency.

References

• CarFax
• Experian

Resources

• AutoTrader