Vehicle History Report — Everything You Need to Know

• Accident history — collisions reported by police, insurers, and body shops. Run an accident check →
• Title brands — salvage, rebuilt, flood, lemon, and junk designations. All brands explained →
• Odometer readings — historical mileage to detect rollback fraud
• Ownership history — number of owners and registration states
• Service records — dealer-reported maintenance and repairs
• Recall status — open NHTSA safety recalls
• Auction records — history from Copart, IAAI, and Manheim

Running a vehicle history report is the right move. But many buyers make mistakes that reduce the report's value:

Only running one report

CARFAX and AutoCheck use different data sources. Running only one gives you roughly 70-80% coverage. Running both closes the gap. Which report covers what →

Equating "clean" with "perfect"

A clean vehicle history report means no reported issues — not zero issues. Unreported cash repairs, minor accidents in parking lots, and mechanical wear are not captured by any report provider.

Ignoring the odometer pattern

Many buyers check for odometer rollbacks but miss inconsistent mileage patterns. A car that shows 30,000 miles in 2022 but 28,000 miles in 2023 has a problem, even if the current reading looks normal.

Not checking auction history

Vehicles that passed through salvage auctions often re-enter the retail market with clean-looking titles. A vehicle history report reveals whether the car went through Copart or IAAI before reaching the dealer lot.