Buy a VIN Report — from $5

1. Find the VIN — locate the 17-character VIN on the dashboard, door jamb, or title. Where to find a VIN →
2. Choose your report — CARFAX ($5), AutoCheck ($6), or both ($9.99)
3. Get instant delivery — your report arrives immediately via email

Not sure which report to choose? Our CARFAX vs AutoCheck comparison breaks down every difference. For auction vehicles, see our auction VIN reports guide.

A VIN report reveals what the seller might not tell you, but it is most powerful as part of a systematic pre-purchase process:

1. Run a VIN report ($5) — check for accidents, title brands, odometer fraud, and open recalls
2. Verify the VIN matches — compare the VIN on the dashboard, door jamb, and title documents. Mismatches indicate potential fraud. Where to find a VIN →
3. Check the AutoCheck Score — if you bundle both reports ($9.99), the AutoCheck Score gives you an instant condition benchmark
4. Inspect in person — look for paint overspray, uneven panel gaps, and mismatched tires
5. Independent mechanic inspection — a pre-purchase inspection ($100-$200) catches mechanical issues a report cannot

Steps 2-5 are only worth doing if step 1 comes back clean. The VIN report is your first filter — and at $5, the most cost-effective one.

CARFAX and AutoCheck pull from different data sources. Each catches things the other misses. Here is a real-world example of why both matter:

A vehicle involved in a minor parking lot collision where the owner filed an insurance claim but no police report would likely appear on AutoCheck (Experian insurance data) but not on CARFAX. Conversely, a vehicle with extensive dealer service history would show detailed records on CARFAX but minimal information on AutoCheck.

Bundling both for $9.99 gives you overlapping coverage. For any vehicle over $10,000, the incremental $5 for a second report is negligible compared to the risk of missing critical history. See exactly where each report excels →