Every VIN is unique to every vehicle to which it is assigned. Checking this 17-character code reveals a lot of information about the vehicle’s history, including accidents, title history, recalls, warranty, vehicle specifications, fuel efficiency, odometer check, and so much more.
Before purchasing a used car, it’s essential to conduct a VIN check to verify its history and identify any potential issues. Services such as Free VIN Check allow you to access reliable and comprehensive information. Part of the reason is that most of its information mainly comes from insurance companies, auto repairs, junk yards, and even manufacturers.
Free VIN checks are a convenient and cost-effective way to get this information. Navigate here for the most comprehensive reports for free. However, there are a few things to know before relying on a free VIN check to make an informed buying decision. This article will provide an overview of what to expect when using a free VIN check service.
Are Free VIN Checks Accurate?
Most VIN online checks promise 100% accuracy with their results. But is this the case? Most of these vehicle data are verified by the sources and updated regularly to ensure accuracy. However, you can still find a few details missing in the reports because they were not reported in their data reports, making it impossible to access all the information.
Note that some accidents may never be reported to the police, or the owner may take to repair the car out of pocket without filing an insurance claim. Such details may never show up on the report. Therefore it is wise to check the vehicle with a professional mechanic even after performing a VIN check. Therefore no report is perfect, but by checking via Free VIN Check, you get a better sense of the car’s history.
Sites such as Free VIN Check collect their data from state-level departments and other relevant sources, including salvage auctions, towing companies, scrap yards, and insurance companies. And this only gives you an accurate and comprehensive vehicle history. This accuracy is not 100% guaranteed, but in most cases, you can rely on them for detailed car reports based on currently used vehicle data.
While it may sound impossible to know a used car’s complete history, Free VIN Check reports can help you avoid surprises and possibly expensive repairs later.
Why Do VIN Checks Cost Money
A free VIN check will give you the major red flags, for example a rebuilt title, but to view extra details, including how many owners a car has ever had, you may have to pay. Paying for a VIN check gives you nearly complete information on a vehicle’s past, which shouldn’t sound like a loss because it saves you a bundle on repairs later.
Private sellers usually charge a cost for a vehicle history report because they also incur extra costs to acquire such information. Public records are typically not free because government agencies often charge to let anyone access this information. It also takes time to gather such information; that is why most VIN checkers wouldn’t want to work at a loss- this means they will pass on some of the costs to you at a fee.
However, you may find that some dealerships and online retailers offer a free vehicle history report with every second-hand vehicle you purchase from them. That ensures transparency.
Either way, the best option to get 99% complete information on a car’s past is to pay for its VIN check. This way, you can get a ton of comprehensive and reliable information on the vehicle’s accident history. It makes it easier to access other granular data, such as whether the car was leased or if there is proof of a rolled-back odometer.
Free VIN Check vs. Free Vehicle History Report: What Is the Difference?
The two terms are often used interchangeably, but do they mean the same thing? A VIN check gives you basic information about a vehicle when you submit its 17-digit VIN. This information usually includes the year, make and model, engine and drivetrain, and where the car was assembled. It may sound like a basic tool, but it is usually a valuable tool to verify that a vehicle is what the seller says it is, which lets you avoid deception and fraud.
A VIN check also forms the basis for a vehicle history report which includes the same information as a VIN check and other information. This information includes title status, service records, major claims and accidents, recall campaigns, odometer discrepancies, the number of owners it has had, import records, and much more. A vehicle history report requires a deeper dive and is much more comprehensive than a VIN check, which is why it generally comes at a cost.
Remember that a VIN check is imperative in performing a vehicle history report. A vehicle history report uses the vehicle’s VIN to find the information reported to insurance companies, government agencies, vehicle auctions, and other third parties with whom the history report provider has contracted. The report can then tell whether one of these groups has reported a flood or accident damage on a car. It can also tell you whether the vehicle was totaled.
How to Get a Free VIN Check
One way to get a completely free VIN check is through The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). This site allows you to determine whether the vehicle was reported stolen or damaged to the point of being issued a salvage title. However, there is no further information beyond the theft and total loss of records information.
NICB provides up to five free VIN checks within 24 hours, relying on data provided by car insurance companies. The data they retrieve may not be completely up-to-date. However, this site recommends sites such as Free VIN Check, where you can get free VIN and some vehicle history checks.
Free VIN Check charges you nothing for using their services to decode a VIN and get a vehicle history report. Therefore, to get a free VIN check simply head to the Free VIN Check website and enter your car’s VIN. A car report or VIN check from this site gives you a comprehensive view of a car’s history, including flood damage, past ownerships, selling history, fault odometer settings or odometer rollbacks, vehicle maintenance, title history, and much more. They also offer extra details, which you may need to pay to be able to view it. Better yet, most of its information is available for free.
Conclusion
There are so many services out there that offer VIN checks and vehicle history reports. But which one should you rely on for accurate results? With Free VIN Check, you can get free access to some of the most thorough and reliable reports. These are the kind of reports you’d have to pay for to access them on other platforms. Visit Free VIN Check today for instant VIN check reports.
