Are there free car history reports

The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, notes that since information in one report from one company might not be complete, you may want to consider getting a second report from another company. If a report is outdated or you think information might be missing or made up, the FTC suggests reaching out to the company that produced the report for clarification.

Once you get a vehicle history report, here are some questions some dealers recommend you ask. A vehicle history report from Carfax or another provider can help you decide whether to buy a car. This inspection can detect hidden damage and other problems. Read this post in Spanish. Image: Woman on cell phone looking up a free Carfax report. Best and Worst Years for the Porsche Best and Worst Years for the Porsche Macan.

Latest Articles. Our Commitment to You. Our writers and editors exclusively use reputable, data-driven sources such as articles from established vehicle publications, government reports, and other trusted vehicle associations. Hundreds of thousands of reviews from verified vehicle owners help you better understand how vehicles perform in the real world. Our team researches and road tests hundreds of vehicles each year, then works to distill down only the most important information, specifically for used vehicle buyers.

There are a variety of services you can use for a completely free VIN check before you buy a used car. But you should use more than one of these sites to get the full picture. Read on to find out why. The site will tell you if your vehicle has been:. This is the most basic of the completely free VIN checks you can get, and this site is limited to five searches within a hour period per IP address. Or you can search our database using the license plate number if you have it:.

Buying a used car is a great option to consider although the process can be stressful. Due to rampant scams associated with used car buying, knowing the vehicle history prior to purchase becomes essential. With the wealth of vehicle data now available, you can get a free report for the car you want from providers like Carfax and VinCheck.

There are some ways you might be able to get a free CarFax report which we have outlined below. This works if the car is currently listed on the Carfax site for sale.