Introduction
Running a VIN check helps you understand everything about a car’s history, including its functionality, condition, possible issues, mileage, insurance, and other critical information about its past.
This step is crucial when you’re buying used/second hand cars. A VIN search history is helpful when deciding whether to purchase a particular vehicle. It tells you if a car is worth the seller’s price and other secrets like past accidents, damage, and theft records.
You can even discover if the vehicle has a salvage/branded title which can give you an ownership headache after purchasing.
The best part is that most of this information is free by multiple VIN lookup tools/sites. This post reviews the most effective free VIN decoders you can use today.
10 Best VIN Decoders Offering Free VIN Lookup
Getting a vehicle history is quite simple due to the numerous VIN decoders available today. The options discussed below are the most competitive and efficient tools on the market. All these decoder services come with unique features and reliable reports from trusted sources.
#1. VinCheckFree
VinCheckFree is a one-stop shop for anyone needing VIN decoding, checks, vehicle history, and license plate lookup. The site can help retrieve massive data on a vehicle, including damage records, mileage accuracy, ownership history, car specifications, market value and more.
This decoder service can easily reveal a car’s history in various ways: depending on the vehicle brand, license plate number, and state. This feature gives a comprehensive option to find information about vehicles, even those that aren’t mentioned elsewhere.
VinCheckFree sources car details from trustworthy databases like insurance companies, service stations, and police records. Therefore, you can rest assured the reports you get from them are accurate and not altered or changed.
#2. VinPit
VinPit is another website that has quickly risen in popularity since its inception. Some factors making it a one-stop site for VIN search include its quality reports, easy-to-use platform, timely data, and excellent 24/7 customer support.
Like VinCheckFree, VinPit allows both VIN decoding and license plate lookup. Their reports feature details regarding VIN authenticity, recalls & bulletins from previous registrations, ownership history, assembly plant, and other critical information.
The decoder can also retrieve data on salvage & accidents, unreported damages, criminal records, lemons & buybacks, odometer readings, market value, and more. Vehicle reports from VinPit are 100% accurate, and their services are entirely free of charge.
#3. CARFAX
CARFAX is one of the most easily accessible VIN checking services on the market today. It has a user-friendly and simple-to-navigate platform that provides its consumers with comprehensive data to make the best decisions when buying a car.
The website boasts the most extensive cross-border database worldwide, having over 22 billion records. However, all their data only includes information on cars bought after 1981 from Canada and the US.
It claims to source its information from over 100 000 outlets from Canadian and US motor vehicle authorities. On the downside, its reports may not be as detailed since they restrict access to enlist unreported car damages. Also, information may not be 100% reliable as customers/dealerships can edit report facts.
#4. AutoDNA
AutoDNA is the best place to go if you want to check the histories of vehicles from Europe and the US. The decoder has an extensive database with over 4 trillion statistics for over half a billion vehicles, and all their data comes from the world’s biggest vehicle documentation outlets. Therefore, you can be sure that every report from AutoDNA is detailed and reliable.
It provides an Experian-based vehicle VIN search service and allows consumers to compare automobiles from different markets. However, some details on its vehicle reports come in varying pricey parts.
Still, their efficient platform, streamlined services, and detailed car histories make the site a competitive lookup decoder in the market.
#5. AutoCheck
Like AutoDNA, AutoCheck offers an Experian-based VIN decoding service with information on over 500 million cars from a National Vehicle Documentation Database. It helps potential car buyers select the best cars by comparing vehicle features on a side-by-side comparison scale of 1-100.
The website compares vehicles based on several factors, including their year of production, accident history, car type or model, mileage, lease, ownership history, CO2 emission, engine capacity, market value, and other essential vehicle specifications.
But one disadvantage of using AutoCheck is that it doesn’t provide information on car maintenance and service, which are highly crucial details for car buyers.
#6. Bumper
Bumper is another efficient online VIN check-up site offering detailed vehicle histories. Its vehicle data is always accurate as it’s sourced from credible databases, including scrap yards, insurance firms, towing agencies, and salvage auctions.
It also provides damaged vehicle history from departments of 22 states. Its vast database has regularly updated data on millions of used vehicles. The website boasts 4 trillion records and retrieves car details by running checks of a vast directory of over 29 million documents.
Critical information you can expect from a Bumper VIN decoding includes vehicle sale listing, market value, title, accident & salvage records, and more. Using the Bumper website is also easy and fun, serving consumers from Canada and the United States.
#7. CarVertical
CarVertical is also a competitive VIN decoder, particularly for preowned cars. It’s famous for its reliable, comprehensive vehicle reports for all types of cars. It has collaborated with multiple automotive organizations to ensure consumers always get what they want.
By collecting data directly from multiple global databases and vehicle markets, CarVertical car guarantees accurate and reliable reports. In addition, all the information they access on these databases isn’t limited to private and national registries, car auctions, insurance companies, and fire brigade records.
The website has an advanced feature that ensures tamper-free information. CarVertical included the feature through the use of blockchain, which verifies and ensures all reports are authentic.
#8. Cebia
You can rely on Cebia to get authentic, detailed vehicle histories. The website uses the Autotracer system to scan and produce vehicle information. It can show you if a vehicle has been involved in illegal activities or accidents and reveal other valuable details like its model data.
Cebia VIN lookup can also disclose other critical details like vehicle specifications, past owners, maintenance and service, and market value. Cebia has collaborated with trusted partners like car dealers, importers, suppliers, warranty, leasing, and insurance issuers to offer only accurate information.
Its multiple data sources explain Cebia’s extensive archive of over 1 billion documents of vehicle histories. It’s an ideal platform for consumers looking for info on vehicles from Slovakia and the Czech Republic since most of its data comes from the aforementioned states’ local automobile market.
#9. EpicVIN
EpicVin is among the most competitive VIN decoders providing real-time information on vehicles. Its archive has approximately 40 million automotive records sourced from multiple databases including NMVTIS, the biggest database in the US.
The platform’s main aim is to offer affordable detailed histories. Their reports show essential vehicle information such as its specifications, market value, type, title, engine brand, manufacturing details, model, accident records, and other crucial data.
#10. ClearVin
ClearVin has a user-friendly and all-inclusive platform you can use for quick VIN lookup. Its extensive information network ensures users get reliable and meticulous reports in no time. It collects data from NMVTIS and other credible outlets like state agencies, local government offices, and financial institutions.
VIN checks on ClearVin usually reveal details about the car’s specifications, past possessions, ownership status & history, insurance details, loan check, repair, burglary recall, and more. However, the main disadvantage of this platform is that it’s slow, and its data isn’t up-to-date like its competitors.
Winding-Up
VIN checks are crucial for car owners and buyers. They provide complete, precise reports on vehicles, revealing a lot about their current/past condition, build-up, maintenance, and worth. You can avoid buying a faulty or fraudulent car with an accurate VIN report.
The VIN decoders listed in this article are the best choices for you in the market today. However, comparing their benefits and features is essential before using one. Still, the number one choice is VinCheckFree since it always provides its users with accurate and detailed vehicle histories.
