Odometer Rollback - If a more recent odometer reading
is less than an older reading, then the odometer may have been "rolled
back."
Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title - A Rebuilt/Reconstructed vehicle is a salvage
vehicle that has been repaired and restored to operation. These vehicles
are often severely damaged before they are rebuilt and refurbished parts
are typically used during reconstruction.
Rental - Vehicle was registered by a rental agency.
Taxi - Vehicle was registered as a taxi or "for hire" vehicle.
Manufacturer Recall - Automobile manufacturers issue recall notices to inform
owners of car defects that have come to the manufacturer's attention.
Loss Due To Fire Title - The vehicle sustained major damage due to fire.
Hail Damage Title - The vehicle sustained major damage due to hail. |
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Buying a used car can be risky. How do you know what you're getting?
- hidden accident damage?
- false odometer readings?
- flood damage?
- lemon?
Truth is, all you need to avoid these risks is a VIN number check. A car's
unique Vehicle Identification Number is the key to unlocking its history.
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| A Junk Title is issued on a vehicle damaged to the
extent that the cost of repairing the vehicle for safe operation exceeds
its fair market value; or a vehicle that has been declared a Total Loss
by an insurer or other state or jurisdiction. Some states treat Junk titles
the same as Salvage but the majority use this title to indicate that a vehicle
is not road worthy and cannot be titled again in that state. |
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Common questions and answers about
vin numbers and vin checks
What are VIN Numbers?
Where can I find VIN Numbers?
How do I read a VIN numbers report?
What type of information
does the VIN numbers report provide?
What type of information
does a VIN numbers report NOT provide?
Where does VIN numbers reports'
history information come from?
Why doesn't my Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN) work?
What if the VIN Number is not
17 characters long?
What about pre-1981 vehicles?
What does "no history found"
indicate?
VIN numbers report questions
What are VIN numbers?
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is a unique number (consisting
of numerals and letters) assigned to a vehicle by the manufacturer primarily
for registration and identification purposes. Every vehicle manufactured
since 1981 has a 17 character VIN. When decoded, each character of the
VIN identifies specifics about that particular vehicle. For example, make,
model, year, body style, engine size, etc.
Where can I find VIN Numbers?
The VIN can be found by looking at the dashboard on the driver side of
the vehicle. If the VIN cannot be found, open the driver side door and
look at the door post (where the door latches when it is closed). It is
likely that the VIN will also be displayed in this location.
How do I read a VIN numbers report?
The VIN numbers report is separated into five sections:
- Vehicle Snapshot - This section identifies the vehicle
associated with the vehicle identification number submitted. It includes
attributes such as: year, make, model, body style, engine type and country
of manufacturer.
- Vehicle History Checklist - This section reports
on potential problems associated with the vehicle title. Some of the
problems we check include abandoned, damaged, fire damage, gray market,
hail damage, insurance loss, junk, odometer problem, rebuilt/rebuildable,
salvage, and water damage.
- Vehicle Information - This section reports additional
vehicle information, including accident data, corrected title, duplicated
title, emission/safety inspection, fleet, lease, rental, livery use,
government use, police use and taxi use.
- Vehicle History Records- This section reports the
complete vehicle history in chronological order. Any problem or discrepancy
event is highlighted for alert.
- Vehicle Information - This section contains information
that generally applies to all of the models of the same year, make and
model. It is not, however, specific to a particular vehicle. For more
editorial information on the vehicle you are interested in buying, please
see our used car guide.
What type of information does
the VIN numbers report provide?
The VIN numbers report provides information pertaining to a vehicle's
title, registration and usage history. obtains this information from Experian
Automotive Information Services, Inc. Each report displays the results
of our comprehensive search for: major accident damage; salvage or junk
vehicles; damage from hail, flood or fire; mileage discrepancies or odometer
rollback; gray market vehicles (vehicles manufactured for non-U.S. markets
that may not comply with emission and/or safety standards - does not include
imports originally made for the U.S. market.); lemon vehicles; vehicles
designated as rentals, taxis or fleet usage; abandoned or forfeited vehicles;
records of theft; liens that represent ownership interests or unpaid judgments.
What type of information does The
VIN numbers report NOT provide?
The VIN numbers report does not provide the names of or information pertaining
to a vehicle's previous owner(s). The federal Driver's Privacy Protection
Act (DPPA) prohibits the release of such information for non-permitted
uses. The VIN numbers report may not provide information on every accident
a vehicle has been in. At this time, The VIN numbers report does not provide
service record data on the VIN numbers report.
Where does The VIN numbers reports'
History information come from?
Information provided in a VIN numbers report comes from more than 175
data sources. These include: State Departments of Motor Vehicles, Auto
Auctions, Canadian Motor Vehicle Departments, Consumer Protection Agencies,
Insurance Claims Administrators, Auto Dealers and Other State Agencies.
All data acquired from these sources meets either the federally mandated
Drivers Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) or industry guidelines. licenses
this information from Experian Automotive Information Services, Inc.
Why doesn't my Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN) work?
Here are the most common reasons that a VIN might be reported as invalid.
- VIN Number is less than 17 digits: most cars sold in North America
after 1981 have a standardized 17-digit VIN. Our data provider does
not offer reports for cars sold before 1981.
- Entering the letters I or O instead of the numbers 1 or 0: when entering
your VIN make sure that you enter 1 and 0. The letters I and O are not
valid in a VIN. Try using 1 or 0 in place of these if your VIN Number
isn't working and contains and I or 0.
What if the VIN Number is not 17 characters
long?
If the VIN Number is not 17 characters long, please double-check to make
sure that you have copied it down correctly. If the result of a second look
is that the VIN Number is still less than 17 characters long, the VIN Number
is most likely from a pre-1981 vehicle.
What
about pre-1981 vehicles?
Prior to 1981, VINs varied in length from 11 to 17 characters. Presently,
The VIN numbers report can only report on vehicles that use a 17 character
VIN. Therefore, information on vehicles manufactured before 1981 is limited.
What does "no history
found" indicate?
"No History Found" indicates that the VIN
numbers report found no information in that category at that particular
point in time. This could mean that we have not yet received that data or
it could be an indication of a problem free condition.
>> Vin Numbers
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