VIN tools
Check any VIN yourself, at the source.
We could show you our own summary. Instead these link straight to the government and industry databases, so you are reading the record rather than our description of it.
It stays in your browser. We do not send it anywhere, log it, or store it.
Free public lookups
All free- Free
VIN decoder
NHTSA
Decodes any VIN into year, make, model, trim, engine, plant, and body class. Confirms the listing matches the actual vehicle.
Open NHTSA tool - Free
Open recall check
NHTSA
Shows unrepaired safety recalls for a VIN. Open recalls are repaired free at any franchised dealer, regardless of who owns the car.
Open NHTSA tool - Free
VINCheck
NICB
Checks a VIN against insurance records for reported theft and total-loss salvage. Limited to five lookups per day per user.
Human lookup only. NICB does not publish an API, so we cannot run this for you automatically.
Open NICB tool - Free
Title history (NMVTIS)
US Dept. of Justice
The federal title database. Lists approved providers that report brands such as junk, salvage, flood, and odometer rollback.
The lookup portal is free; approved report providers charge a small fee.
Open US Dept. of Justice tool - Free
Safety ratings
NHTSA
Crash-test star ratings by year, make, and model, plus rollover resistance.
Open NHTSA tool - Free
Fuel economy
US DOE / EPA
Official MPG figures and estimated annual fuel cost, so you can compare running costs rather than sticker prices.
Open US DOE / EPA tool - Free
Complaints and investigations
NHTSA
Owner-filed complaints and open defect investigations for a model. Useful for spotting a pattern before you buy.
Open NHTSA tool
Paid reports and valuations
These are independent commercial services. We are not affiliated with any of them and earn nothing if you use them. They are listed because a second opinion on price and history is worth the money on a car you are serious about.