Free Vehicle History Report

Why Do You Need a Free Vehicle History Report?

A free vehicle report is a handy piece that makes any vehicle buyer getting a used car make an informed decision about their purchase. Asides the basics of helping you know the car model, manufacturer date and specifications, it may also help you:

• Avoid buying poorly serviced vehicles. This is possible since the history report gives you a breakdown of its maintenance and repair requirements, recurrent faults and the entire maintenance history.
• Against the craftiness of fraudulent dealers. It helps you identify from a distance, dishonest dealers, since you can cross-check what they claim with what the history reports.
• Steer clear of stolen or salvaged vehicles. A VIN history report highlights all red flags pertaining to car ownership.

Other Free Vehicle Information Sources

VINPit gives you access to free vehicle information and history based on the car's VIN. It may also expose you to logged faults the vehicle may have had in the past.

National insurance crime bureau (NICB) is a North American non-profit organization that partners with insurance companies and law enforcement to combat insurance, fraud and vehicle theft. The organization website has a free VIN check service provided to the public to assist in determining if a vehicle is a stolen automobile or has been reported as a salvage vehicle.

National highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) is an agency of the US Federal government established to help reduce the number of deaths, injuries and economic losses resulting from automobile crashes and also help regulate auto industry safety standards. The agency provides a report of an extensive and in-depth overview of fatalities, injuries, speeding, alcohol related incidents, airbag deployment etc. Visit their website to check your vehicle safety rating.

Insurance institute for highway safety (IIHS), an independent non profit scientific and educational organization was established to reduce the number of vehicle crashes, and property damages to a bare minimum. The NGO mostly funded by two insurance companies, does everything possible with the resources available to it to promote road safety. To evaluate a vehicle rating, the IIHS would usually conduct its comprehensive testing program.

Kelly blue book (KBB) is a California based vehicle valuation and automotive research company. The company's website is a popular website and one of the most trusted guides for vehicle pricing. Visit their website for more information.

Free CARFAX flood check has made its flood damage database available to the public for free. Visit their page and input your VIN for further information. You can also get a CARFAX report here >>.

What Should I Look for in a Vehicle History Report?

A vehicle history report covers everything from the vehicle specifications to market value, title brand checks and everything in between. For the sake of clarity, the information provided in a vehicle history report can be divided into:

Vehicle specifications: This is the most basic information contained in it. It includes the vehicle’s technical specifications, interior and exterior colors, year it was built, list of optional equipment installed, oil capacity, max hp and torque among others.

Safety ratings: This is the result of the comprehensive test program carried out by the IIHS. It gives a clue about the vehicle’s crashworthiness.

Market value: It gives valuable insights about the amount people within your geographical area are willing to pay to have it in their garage.

Title records: This includes the name of the state where it was registered and the number of times it has been registered.

Fuel efficiency: This defines how cost-efficient the vehicle is as far as fuelling is concerned.

Theft records: Highlights if there has been any reports of theft and theft recoveries in the past, logged with the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).

Accident or salvage records: A comprehensive report of all the minor and major accidents – reported to the police – that the vehicle has been involved in.

Sales records: Very importantly, it shows if a private party or car dealers has listed it for sale.

What Should I Do After Reading The Vehicle History Report?

Once you have extracted a vehicle history report, the actual task begins now. Depending on the vehicle history report, you will have to decide whether it is worth purchasing the vehicle or not. However, before anything else, it should be noted that a vehicle history report can never be a substitute for getting the vehicle inspected by a mechanic. The inspection can help in detecting damage and other problems that the vehicle history report won’t mention.

Here are some of the things to do after reading the vehicle history report:

• Check what the report mentions with the present owner of the car. (If the owner denies what the report claims, this will make sure the deal can be problematic)
• Go on the test drive
• Ask the owner for the maintenance records
• Know the market value of the car before negotiating the price of the car.
• Do proper research on the maintenance and repair costs reports (this will ensure if the used vehicle would demand high maintenance costs too)

How Can I Get a Vehicle History Report?

Going by all that you can get from a VIN check, it is safe to say that getting a vehicle history report is a must for making informed decisions in the used car market. You can get a comprehensive free vehicle history report from providers like VinPit. Using reliable resources like the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), service stations and insurance companies, VinPit familiarizes you with all important details related to the vehicle and helpful in making wise purchases.

Vehicle History Report vs. VIN Check - What’s the difference?

VIN check and vehicle history reports are two terms commonly used interchangeably in this industry. However, they aren't exactly the same.

A VIN check should turn up only basic information like the vehicle’s make, model, year of manufacture, where its parts were assembled, and the engine and drivetrain.

A vehicle history report, on the other hand, highlights even more. This, of course includes service records, ownership changes, odometer discrepancies, change of ownership history, among other things.

Essentially, a vehicle history report is more comprehensive and detailed than a VIN check.