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There are more ways than ever to get a free VIN check on a car you’re thinking about buying. You can even get one on your current ride if you’re just curious about vehicle history before you owned it.

1. Vehicle Identification Number Database Search
2. Vehicle Identification Number Database Free

Free VIN checks typically list any accidents where an insurance claim has been made, in addition to the registrations by state and the type of title the car has.

RELATED: Best and worst auto insurance companies

To perform a search, a vehicle identification number (VIN) is required. A maximum of five searches can be conducted within a 24-hour period per IP address. Look Up a VIN.

Here’s where to get a VIN check for free!

The next time you’re buying a used car, there are a variety of services you can use for a completely free VIN (vehicle identification number) check. Getting a VIN check is especially important if you’re buying a car through Craigslist or eBay and there’s no dealership to provide free access to a CARFAX, Autocheck or autoDNA.com, all of which are pay sites.

But there are a number of other competitors out there in the world of free vehicle history reports. Have you heard of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), VehicleHistory.com or iSeeCars.com/VIN?

Just pop in your car’s digits and these sites will do the VIN lookup and give you info on the vehicle.

How to do a VIN search for free: Table of contents

NICB

The National Insurance Crime Bureau keeps it simple with their VIN check search tool at NICB.org. They’ll highlight if your vehicle has been reported as lost or stolen; if it’s been salvaged; or if it’s been declared a total loss by insurers after an accident.

This is the most basic of free VIN checks you can do.

Note that you can only do a maximum of five searches within a 24-hour period per IP address with NICB.

VehicleHistory

For a more complete VIN lookup, VehicleHistory is one free option that will provide other data like fuel economy, cost to own, price analysis, selling history and predictions about the best time to buy that particular make and model, among other things.

You can also get current recall info and a detailed list of the expiration of manufacturer warranties, which is helpful to know.

iSeeCars

iSeeCars offers another robust free VIN check experience. Culling 200 data points, your free car history report from iSeeCars includes price analysis, price history, projected depreciation and the best times to buy and sell, among other things.

How to decode your VIN

VINs come in two flavors — in lengths of either 17 characters or 11 characters. Every motor vehicle that’s on the road today has a unique VIN associated with it.

While a VIN may seem like a meaningless string of numbers, there are a few keys to understanding the method behind the madness.

• The first character of your VIN indicates country of origin.
• The second and third characters tell you manufacturer and division.
• The fourth through eighth characters indicate vehicle description, safety and engine.
• The ninth character is the manufacturer security code.
• The 10th character in a VIN tells you model year.
• The 11th character is the assembly plant identifier.
• Characters 12 through 17 are the plant sequential number/vehicle serial number.

Clark’s key rules of used-car buying

If you’re searching for a free VIN report, chances are you’re looking to buy a used car. Buying used can be a smart move for your wallet, but it does comes with some possible pitfalls you’ve got to watch out for.

Here’s what you need to know after you pull a free vehicle history report but before you go ahead and buy that used automobile…

Have a mechanic check the vehicle before purchase

It is possible that a VIN report — whether you pay for one or get one free off the Internet — could come back clean with no accidents, yet the car has clearly had major repairs.

This would be likely if a repair was self-paid, rather than having been run through insurance. Thus the takeaway is use these services as a tool, but don’t rely on the information to be 100% accurate.

For real peace of mind when you’re buying a used vehicle, you’ve got to hire an independent mechanic to take a look at the vehicle before you agree to buy it.

The reality is that all used cars are sold “as is,” whether by a private seller or a licensed dealer — unless they come with a written warranty. Worse yet, the seller is not required by law to be honest about the condition of the vehicle. Whatever representations they make about the car can be false.

So one of money expert Clark Howard’s key rules of used car buying is have the car inspected by a certified diagnostic mechanic of your choosing as a condition of purchase. You can leave a deposit if you wish, but specify in writing that the money must be returned to you if the car doesn’t check out. You’ll eliminate nine out of 10 used car buying disasters this way.

When looking for an independent mechanic, you want to see ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification. Garages that participate in what’s called the Blue Seal program typically feature the most highly trained ASE-certified mechanics. Visit ASE.com to find one near you.

Watch out for hidden flood damage

In the aftermath of any major hurricane or widespread flooding, you have to worry about flood cars entering the used car market. Following Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of thousands of vehicles were rebuilt and had their titles “washed.”

That’s when dishonest people take flooded vehicles into certain states where they can easily wash the titles. That action removes any evidence that the vehicle was ever in a flood. Cars with washed titles can then be sold to any dealership across the country that either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that they’re buying a flood vehicle.

These cars often end up in the hands of “curb stoners,” which are illegal dealers who run ads in the paper. They pretend they’re selling their sister’s car or their mother’s car and they hope you don’t know what they know. About 20% of these cars go to unsuspecting people overseas. The other 80% stay right here at home.

To the naked eye, there’s no telling that anything is amiss with these cars. But you’ll know you’ve got a flood car when you encounter failed electrical systems throughout the vehicle.

Again, it all comes back to the need for a good diagnostic mechanic to thoroughly look the car over before you buy it!

Final thought

Getting a free VIN check from the sites listed here is a great first step to take when you’re thinking about buying a used vehicle. In fact, you may want to run the VIN through all three and see what comes back.

All the data you get back on your free VIN report should match up across provider. If it doesn’t, that’s a potential sign that you could be about to buy a vehicle that’s undergone VIN forgery and should give you pause before moving ahead with the purchase.

See what additional steps you must take to protect yourself here.

More auto stories on Clark.com:

Assigned by automakers, a vehicle identification number (VIN) is a combination of 17 characters (numbers and letters) assigned to a car or truck during production. Like a Social Security number for your car, a vehicle's VIN number provides important information, such as the location of its original build and the type of engine. As of 1981 all vehicles have a VIN with 17 characters.

A VIN can normally be found:

• Beneath the windshield on the driver's side of the vehicle.
• In the engine bay on the firewall.
• On a sticker or metal plate on the driver's side doorjamb.

If you are still unable to locate your VIN number, there are other locations on the interior and exterior of a vehicle that you should be able to locate.

Breaking Down a VIN

Each of a VIN's 17 characters designates unique information about your vehicle. Here's what the numbers and letters will tell you:

Understanding a VIN Check's Value

Aside from revealing basic information such as the make and model of a vehicle, a VIN lookup is helpful for a couple different reasons and scenarios:

• A vehicle identification number check is commonly used by law enforcement to identify vehicle theft or fraud.
• For consumers, a VIN check helps reveal additional information on a vehicle's history when you're shopping for a used car.
  This is also referred to as a vehicle history report.

Ordering a vehicle history report will provide information concerning:

• The number of owners a vehicle has had.
• Odometer readings and rollback alerts.
• Liens placed on a vehicle.
• Title and accident history, such as flooded or salvaged titles.
• “Lemon' determination.

This information found on a VIN number lookup can be used to determine if you a purchasing vehicle from an honest seller and if a used car is worth the listing price.

How to Avoid VIN Fraud

One way that dishonest or unethical sellers can get around information provided by a VIN check or VIN lookup is to alter a vehicle's VIN number. The most common method is through VIN cloning, which involves taking license plates or VIN numbers from registered vehicles and placing them on stolen property. The stolen VINs can be used to change or forge title documents and alter the car's actual history before sale.

Fortunately, there are measures you can take to avoid fraud or other scams. These include:

• Buying from a dealership with a good reputation.
• Searching used car listings that:
  Have buy-back guarantees.List only pre-checked vehicles.
• Checking the VINs on the car to make sure each number matches the vehicle title.
• Making sure to examine each VIN carefully for signs of tampering.
• Getting a vehicle history report, which provides clone alerts for suspect vehicles.

Whether you're buying a used vehicle for yourself or a loved one, a vehicle history report is a valuable way to peer into your potential automobile's past and prevent the purchase of an unsafe or unsavory vehicle. Till the end ynw melly.

If you're not familiar with the term, a vehicle history report, also known as a VIN check or VIN lookup, is a summary of valuable details that include:

• Title information.
• Accident history.
• Fire or flood damage.
• Other potential hidden problems.

By using your the unique vehicle identification number (VIN) associated with that automobile, you can access vital car history details on a VIN number lookup.

How VIN Check Information Is Collected

Vehicle history reports are a compilation of public- and private-record information. VIN lookup vendors access data from a number of sources, including:

• State motor vehicle title agencies.
• Car manufacturers.
• Repair shops.
• Junk or salvage yards.
• Auto recyclers.
• Insurance companies.

The bulk of information collected by VIN check vendors typically comes directly from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) operated by the U.S. Department of Justice. The businesses and organizations mentioned above report their information to the NMVTIS.

Details on a VIN Lookup[1]

You can expect NMVTIS-approved VIN number lookup to include the following:

• Title information, including:Current state of title/registration.Previous title history.This information sheds light on a car's ownership and protects consumers from purchasing a stolen vehicle.
• Odometer reading.This helps prevent fraud and protects customers from buying a car for more than it's actually worth.
• Brand history.These descriptive labels relate to the status of a car (i.e. junk, salvage, flood damaged, etc.) and are applied by state motor vehicle titling agencies.
• Total loss historyThis term is usually given to a car after severe damage. Knowing the total loss history can protect you from a vehicle that may be unsafe.
• Salvage history.This indicates the car was repaired after severe damage, which can also prevent the purchase of a potentially unsafe vehicle.

While the NMVTIS reports are thorough, a more detailed car history report from another vendor may include:

• Vehicle repair and maintenance history.
• Open recalls.
• Information on multiple owners.

The Cost of a VIN Check

It's important to keep in mind that VIN number checks are not issued by any government agency, so they can range in both price and details.

Some VIN lookup vendors offer basic information on free VIN checks, or free vehicle history reports, that could be useful before you dive deep into the specifics of your potential vehicle—such as a free “lemon' check to find out if there were any manufacturer buybacks or lemon records on the car.

For recalls, lemon information, and other broad car history details about a particular make or model, you can always search online or check car manufacturers' websites.

Initiated by an automaker or required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a recall is issued when a vehicle:

• Is found to have a safety-related defect.
  OR
• Doesn't meet federal safety standards any longer.

When a recall occurs, it will be associated with the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) of all affected registered vehicles. You can use your VIN to find out whether your car or other vehicle falls under the recall, and what your next steps are to have the problem repaired.

VIN Recall Information

While most registered car owners will receive recall information by mail, this may not always be the case. If you hear a report of a recall for your vehicle's make and model, you should be proactive and run a VIN search.

By running a VIN search on your vehicle, you will be made aware of:

• Current recalls issued for your vehicle.
• All safety recalls for your vehicle over the past 15 years.
• Any recalls that are incomplete.

Note that a VIN search may NOT include information for your car such as:

• Non-safety related recalls.
• Recalls on international vehicles.
• Recently announced recalls.
• Recalls older than 15 years.

Running a VIN Search

Whether you want more information regarding a recent vehicle recall, or you just want to check if a recall on your car exists, conducting a VIN search will get you up to date. The NHTSA provides a VIN lookup service to help you find relevant recall information.

Other options to search recall information with your VIN include:

• Visiting your manufacturer's website.
• Get the NHTSA mobile app with the recall VIN alert.
• Sign up for NHTSA e-mail alerts.
• Obtain a vehicle history report (VHR) on your vehicle or a vehicle you're interested in purchasing.

Getting Your Vehicle Repaired

Any dealership that sells your vehicle make and model can make necessary repairs due to a recall. Be sure to call the dealership ahead of time and have your VIN number ready. You should not be charged for any repairs made because of a safety recall.

Be prepared to wait. It may take several weeks to receive the parts needed for your vehicle's maintenance, due to the volume of other drivers getting the same repairs.

Footnotes

[1] What a VIN Check Reveals Online VIN Lookup DMV.ORG

There are quite a few reasonably-priced options when it comes to vehicle history reports. These include VinAudit - Official Site, and VinCheck Pro to name a few.

Free

A free report can be obtained from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. However, I’d only recommend using this resource to determine if the car you’re interested in has been stolen or salvaged. It definitely doesn’t give the complete history but it’s a good starting point and a reliable free resource.

Another free governmental resource is the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). The NMVTIS is run by the Federal Department of Justice and contains title information from all insurance carriers, auto recyclers, junkyards, and salvage yards in the US. Rather than a vehicle history report, the NMVTIS website provides a list of certified third-party companies that provide free and inexpensive vehicle history reports.

VinCheck

The best free vehicle history report can be obtained from VinCheck(full disclosure, I work for the company). We’re new to the vehicle history industry and pride ourselves on offering the most comprehensive free VIN report for almost any car, truck, or motorcycle in the US. Like many of our paid competitors, we use the NMVTIS as well as information from countless Law Enforcement Agencies, junkyards, insurance companies, salvage yards, and more to build our comprehensive reports.

A typical report will include everything you need to know about your prospective vehicle, such as:

• Basic info: year, make, model, mileage, etc.
• Odometer Records
• Previous Vehicle Uses and Incidents
• Junk / Salvage / Insurance Records
• Theft Records
• Lien / Impound / Export Records
• Salvage Auction Records
• Sales Records
• Accident Records
• Title Records (including information on flood, fire, and hail damage, etc.)

While CarFax and other competitors offer reports for a substantial cost, VinCheck’s reports are 100% free and unlimited. Buying a car is already expensive enough, so why spend more than you need to on a quality VIN report.

Additional Steps

It’s important to note that no vehicle history report is completely comprehensive (not even the most expensive options). Running a VIN check is a vital step in the purchasing process along with a test drive and a vehicle inspection. For example, if repair work from an accident has been self-financed rather than run through insurance, it will likely not show on a VIN report. The best way to get a comprehensive view of the state of your prospective vehicle is to use both a VIN reporting service, as well as hiring an independent mechanic to examine it before you purchase the car.

When shopping for your next vehicle, you naturally want to discover everything you can about its history. While the dealership or individual in possession of the car or truck you're considering can provide much of the information you need, such as what type of maintenance or repairs have been done throughout the years, you can't be completely assured of the accuracy of what they provide. Also, in the case of a vehicle with multiple previous owners, the last person to drive it may not even be able to answer all of the questions you have.

This doesn't mean you should simply accept limited information at face value or give up on discovering any unknowns about your potential purchase. The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of that car or truck is the key to unlocking a wealth of information from police reports to specifications. While it's true that many investigative searches by the VIN come with a price tag attached, you may be surprised at how much you can discover absolutely free.

Part 1 of 5: How to read a VIN

Part of the reason the VIN can reveal so much information about a vehicle is because it’s the unique identifier of that particular car or truck. This ensures there is no mistake that what the number reveals applies solely to that vehicle and no other.

What a lot of people don't realize, however, is that the number itself is quite revealing about specific details. Each number and letter of the VIN corresponds to a particular piece of information that may be helpful in making a purchase decision.

The types of data on the VIN include where the vehicle was built and assembled, its model year, and the size of its engine. Refer to the chart below for a detailed breakdown of what each of a VIN's parts means.

There are four main ways you can get a free VIN check, and each method targets a slightly different kind of information. Consequently, we suggest you use all four instead of a single means. You can make the best purchasing decisions when armed with the most knowledge about the vehicle you're interesting in buying.

Ask the dealer or individual owner to write down the VIN on a piece of paper and conduct your research online before making any commitments. Don't let anyone pressure you into a purchase before you’re ready because there are plenty of other vehicles on the market. Take the time you need to feel sure about such a major decision, and don't hesitate to contact one of our technicians for advice.

Part 2 of 5: Get Informed on vehicle specifications

Remember how every number and letter on the VIN corresponds with a particular piece of background about that vehicle? Since you can't be expected to remember what every little bit means, there is a free website that breaks all of that information down for you.

Step 1: Go to the Vin Checker website in your browser.

Step 2: Fill out the necessary information. Enter the VIN number of the vehicle you are researching and your zip code into the designated text boxes.

Step 3: Review the report. Push the “Check Your VIN” button to reveal the vehicle's specifications, including fuel efficiency, NHTSA, and IIHS crash test ratings. Although there will be an option to purchase a more detailed report, the information you gain from this free search can be quite useful in making a purchase decision.

Part 3 of 5: Ensure the title is free and clear

The last thing you want to do is get involved in purchasing stolen property or the complicated title history of a vehicle, especially when there is no shortage of cars and trucks with clean titles for sale. That's why it’s a good idea to rule out any chance that your potential purchase is less than on the up-and-up.

Step 1: Visit the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) website. The National Insurance Crime (NICB) is a non-profit organization committed to combating insurance fraud and related crime. It partners with various law enforcement agencies and casualty insurance companies to achieve this purpose.

Step 2: Use VINCheck on the vehicle. Select the VINCheck option under the Theft and Fraud Awareness menu.

Step 3: Examine the vehicle's report. Enter the VIN, check the box to agree to the NICB's terms of use, and enter the displayed verification code, then push the Search button. This reveals if the vehicle in question has a current theft report or outstanding title brand.

• Warning: The NICB does not reveal if there is an outstanding lien, but you can check for that information with your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Part 4 of 5: Make sure the vehicle isn’t part of a recall

Few people consider the possibility that the vehicle that has caught their eye may have had a serious issue that resulted in a safety recall from the manufacturer. While most issues that merit a recall are quickly located and fixed, a few vehicles slip under the radar due to the changing of hands or locations.

If you're like most people, you probably think a vehicle identification number (VIN) is just a series of random characters. Actually, each characters in this highly structured code has its own meaning. In fact, deciphering these codes is a hobby for some car enthusiasts, including collectors who want to own one of the first or last cars to come off an assembly line.

When you're considering purchasing a pre-owned vehicle, it's always a good idea to obtain a vehicle history report (VHR) or VIN check. Knowing how to read the VIN could help you make an informed decision before you buy.

Decoding a Sample VIN

The infographic below provides a simplified look at a sample VIN. Keep in mind that vehicles manufactured before 1981 might have fewer characters than today's standard VIN of 17 characters

Model Year & Country Codes

Model Year Character Codes

As shown above, the 10th character of the VIN indicates its model year.

• A: 1980 or 2010
• B: 1981 or 2011
• C: 1982 or 2012
• D: 1983 or 2013
• E: 1984 or 2014
• F: 1985 or 2015
• G: 1986 or 2016
• H: 1987 or 2017
• J: 1988
• K: 1989
• L: 1990
• M: 1991
• N: 1992
• P: 1993
• R: 1994
• S: 1995
• T: 1996
• V: 1997
• W: 1998
• X: 1999
• Y: 2000
• 1: 2001
• 2: 2002
• 3: 2003
• 4: 2004
• 5: 2005
• 6: 2006
• 7: 2007
• 8: 2008
• 9: 2009

Country of Origin Character Codes

The 1st character in a car's vehicle identification number indicates the country in which it was manufactured.

Some of the country codes include:

• 1, 4, 5: United States
• 2: Canada
• 3A-37: Mexico
• J: Japan
• VF-VR: France
• 9: Brazil
• WA-W0: West Germany
• S: Great Britain

Ok. That's all and good luck to you!

A completely fee VIN check report lists title changes, theft and now flood damage on a used car. This is helpful in deciding whether or not to purchase a car. It is really free, and there is no credit card require. It is helpful in doing an initial screen on any used car, before you purchase a used car history report.

Vehicle Identification Number Database Search

I recommend you this site VIN Check or VinLOOKUP that is a good alternative to Carfax, and is one of the best sites to get a complete and detailed vehicle history report online.

The information comes from a database that is collated by the NICB. The information in this database comes from insurance companies who report thefts, flood damage and other claims that relate to the information in your final report

The decoder will usually tell you the make, model, year, type of restraint system, body style, engine and the assembly plant. This information is useful, as it provides important information about the vehicle. As an example, the seller might tell you that it's a 2004 Ford Taurus. But the VIN check might tell you that it is in fact a 2003 model. So you'll know right away that this is not a deal you should proceed with, as the seller is not being truthful about the vehicle. If they are not being honest about the model itself, you can bet they won't be revealing any hidden problems.

So the free vehicle history report (VinLOOKUP) is in essence the free decoding of the VIN to tell you exactly what type of car you are considering. If you want to find out more information, as most buyers do, such as hidden mechanical issues, odometer problems, mileage, fire damage, etc. then you need to order a complete report.

Vehicle Identification Number Database Free

Carfax alternatives are useful tools for anyone in the business of buying a car; they give you history reports including other reports which help ensure that you are getting value for the amount of money you have to spend. This service ensures that you do not get a sour deal as you can know everything about your vehicle up front. The services are free excepting if you require a more detailed report or you are not buying from a car dealership.

Where to find the VIN:

A VIN decoder report from VIN Check Pro provides an entire database of information regarding your prospective car from government sources, including the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, state DMV, police records, and more than 40 million junk, salvage, and insurance records, including:

• Accident history records
• Junk, salvage, and total loss titles
• Structural damage history
• Any commercial taxi use
• Ownership and lease history
• Any police use or records
• Theft history check
• Vehicle specifications
• More than 60 vehicle problem categories
• Environmental friendliness score
• Odometer estimates
• Recalls
• Safety ratings

Accurate and More Affordable

While Carfax reports are $39.99 for one report or $59.99 for five reports, VIN Check Pro is a much more affordable and accurate option at only $9.95 for one report and $15.95 for five reports.

If you need a VIN lookup, VIN Check Pro is a smart stop in your research and for your pocketbook. Click here to visit the official website.

While everyone else lists all these other services I’ll just cut to the chase for you- You cant be guaranteed youll ever know a cars history. The most sure fire method for me to date is to physically inspect the vehicle yourself (If you are a professional) or hire a professional. You will know more about the vehicle after that inspection than from any history report.

Remember this key differentiation: A history report shows you whats been reported, an inspector tells you what they find. Carfax doesn’t look for anything, they just pump out what comes in.

Google for local vehicle inspectors before you buy anything used. You WILL spend more, but you will get the truth about the vehicle as it is today which could actually save you much much more in the end.

I will be writing more on the car buying process at Autohitch shortly. Oddly as big of a problem as this is much of the content on it is outdated and the stuff that isnt is skewed by people hitting you with a contact form.

According to my understanding, CarFax and similar services rely on information provided to them by third parties including insurance companies, service, and repair shop, etc. However, neither CarFax nor any similar service can guarantee the completeness of their databases for many reasons, including:
• accidents handled without insurance,
• deliberate distortion of data on the part of the owner/seller

I believe that this is not the fault of CarFax, other similar companies or data providers but an inevitable drawback of any reporting system which can be manipulated on the part of people submitting the reports.

Thus my idea is to use CarFax report as a useful tool to have a preliminary outline on a vehicle as a part of your due diligence -especially to get the information on number of previous owners, liens, flood-damage, etc. and other major issues - but in no case I would rely on it (or any of its competitors) as a single source of information.

For the moment I am not aware that any other companies are in any respect better than CarFax or provide more comprehensive reports so I can not answer directly to your question.

If by public, you mean free, then no. Experian owns a competitor to Carfax called Autocheck. The auto finance company where I work uses both Carfax and Autocheck. As others have mentioned, if you want basic information like whether or not a title is branded as salvage or flood damaged, then there are free sites provided by the government. Experian and Autocheck, on the other hand, are database aggregators. They compile their information from several sources including DMVs, insurance companies, police agencies, and even repair shops. You're not going to find anyone doing what they do, for free; which is why auto dealers and finance companies subscribe to their services.

If its India you can take the car owner and go to the nearest authorized service station of that model.

They have online records of all their cars. At least the service histories from day 1.

If this is not available, then the car is a stolen one.

This report is critical as it shows what the service engineer has recommended to be done on that car. Example, replace brake shoes. Then look at the work done receipt. (same place). If the brake shoes are not replaced within 2 services, then the car has been badly maintained.

Obviously a true car enthusiast will not have anything to do with service stations. He will get it serviced and repaired independently. This is good. As long as he can produce all bills and receipts of the preceding years.

You don’t want to buy a used car without checking out its history, which can let you know if it’s been in an accident or suffered major damage. Often, the vehicle history report can even give you important clues about how well it was maintained. I once made the mistake of forgoing a vehicle history when buying a cheap truck from a neighbor and wound up with a rebuilt rust bucket that ran for just 3000 miles before dying.

CarFax is the gold standard for vehicle history reports, and while almost every dealership will give you a copy for free, it can get expensive if you have to pay for the reports—as much as $39.99 each! (You can also buy three reports for $79.99 or five for $99.99.) That’s money well spent before making a big investment, but it’s a lot to pay if you’re just trying to weed out bad cars before you waste much time with them. Experian’s AutoCheck is significantly cheaper than CarFax at $24.99 for a single report or $49.99 for 25 reports, but Edmunds reports that CarFax is worth the extra money.

I recently replaced our SUV, and I found a few free vehicle history tools that saved me a small fortune in CarFax fees by letting me eliminate lemons before I got too far into the process. There are a lot of scammy Web sites that claim to help with car buying, but here are three that are legitimate and useful.

Free Vehicle History Services

First, to use any of these services, you must know the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN). Unfortunately, there is no single standard for this, but in the United States, it’s a 17-digit number found on the driver-side dash near the windshield. Auto dealers should provide the VIN in the vehicle’s online listing (and offer a free CarFax or AutoCheck report as well). If a private listing doesn’t feature the VIN, ask the seller.

I’ll start with the most basic: the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s free VINCheck, which is limited to telling you if the vehicle is stolen or has a salvage title, which implies that it was in an accident so severe that it’s not worth repairing. Simply enter the VIN to receive the simple report.

A more full-featured vehicle report comes from iSeeCars, which focuses on pricing information—enter the VIN, and it’ll figure out the make, model, and year. At the top of the report, it shows the estimated market value of the car and how long vehicles like it take to sell. Scroll down to see comparisons with similar vehicles for sale, depreciation, and even the best times to buy.

My favorite of these free services is Vehicle History because it’s the most like CarFax and AutoCheck. You have to click through a few screens before receiving results, but the results are quite detailed. For instance, Vehicle History was able to tell me that a minivan I was looking at had been in a minor accident. I didn’t end up buying that minivan, but the report helped me lower the price (not enough, though).

However, after comparing Vehicle History’s reports to those produced by CarFax, I’ve found that Vehicle History’s reports have a lot of gaps. For instance, the above report doesn’t include buyer history, which I’ve found to be valuable. As much as Vehicle History’s reports are useful for weeding out obvious lemons, you’ll want to use CarFax for cars that pass these early tests.

How to Shop for Used Cars Online

If you or someone you know needs to buy a used car, here’s my suggested workflow for sorting them out online:

1. Pick a handful of models in the category that you want. I wanted a reliable family hauler, so I winnowed my search down to a handful of models: the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna minivans and the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander SUVs. There’s nothing wrong with being particular, but the more flexible you are, the more likely that you’ll find a good deal.
2. Search for vehicles on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Cars.com. We ended up finding our car through a Facebook group—most areas have local trading groups on Facebook, which can be a great resource.
3. Gather a number of potential vehicles. An orderly approach would involve a spreadsheet or an app like DEVONthink, but I’ll confess to just having a browser window full of tabs.
4. Look over the pictures and details carefully, and eliminate any that seem substandard. When you look at a bunch at a time, you get a good feel for the market prices in your area, but you can always check Kelley Blue Book if you’re unsure.
5. Once you narrow your list of candidates, it’s time to start looking at vehicle histories. I usually start with Vehicle History, and if that all looks good, I’ll look at VINCheck to make sure it’s not stolen, and then iSeeCars to see how well it’s priced.
6. Finally, it’s time to move on to CarFax.

When to pay for a CarFax report is a tricky question. If the car is being sold by a dealer that offers a free CarFax or AutoCheck report on their Web site, I’ll look at that at the same time as the others. Private sellers often don’t offer such amenities, so you have to choose whether to pay for a report before or after you take a test drive. I prefer to hold off until after, because I want time to mull it over anyway, and I often find deal-breakers when I inspect a car in person that no amount of Internet research could reveal, like damaged upholstery, bad smells, and rust.

Doing this, I found that one report can often reveal something not shown in others, so it’s worth checking all of them before you take the plunge.

What to Look For in Vehicle History Reports

I’m not a mechanic, nor do I play one on TV, and there are no hard and fast rules here, but here are a few things I always look for in these reports:

• Accidents, obviously. An accident won’t necessarily be a deal-killer, but it’s definitely a negotiating tool.
• Salvage or rebuilt titles (a rebuilt title denotes a car that was totaled and then repaired). I avoid both, but some people swear by salvage title cars.
• Number of previous owners. Some people will tell you to pass on any car with more than two owners. I tend to focus instead on the length of ownership. If the car has had four owners, and the last two each owned it for less than a year, that’s a sign that there’s something seriously wrong with the car.
• Cross-country moves. In the north, older cars tend to have rust problems, but in hotter southern parts of the country, rubber gaskets and seals may have dried out. Neither is necessarily an issue, but both are worth checking if the car has moved from a different part of the country.

Tred suggests a few more things to look for, but you shouldn’t be overly reliant on any vehicle history report, since they don’t reveal all the problems that an experienced mechanic can spot.

But keep in mind that every used car comes with a set of trade-offs, and you need to be honest with yourself about what you’re willing to put up with. And never forget that entropy is real. There will always be some existing problems—our car needed new dome lights, a cabin filter, floor mats, and some headrests—but there are almost always more expenditures around the corner.

Thanks to this process, we skipped a lot of potential headaches and wound up with a reasonably priced Honda Pilot with a single owner and a thorough service history. I quickly fixed all the minor problems, and we’ve had several thousand trouble-free miles since.

Thanks