TheVIN Check
Free VIN preview · No signup

Know what you're buying
before you sign.

Enter any 17-character VIN to see Year, Make and Model — free. Then unlock an AI-enhanced vehicle history report from $19.99.

17 characters · letters and numbers, excluding I, O, Q

Got a listing instead? Paste the text and we'll find the VIN →

Reports in under 60 seconds AI-enhanced insights Full PDF + email delivery

Built on

  • NHTSA vPIC
  • NHTSA NCAP
  • NHTSA Recalls
  • NHTSA ODI
  • EPA fueleconomy.gov
  • Groq Llama 3.3 70B
  • Stripe

How it works

Three steps. Under a minute.

From VIN to a delivered report — no account required, no waiting on a human inspector.

  1. 01

    Enter the VIN

    Type or paste the 17-character VIN from the dashboard, door jamb, or title. We instantly decode Year, Make and Model — free.

  2. 02

    Pick your tier

    Choose Basic for the raw report, Standard for AI summary and risk score, or Premium for buy advice and a negotiation script.

  3. 03

    Get your report

    Pay securely with Stripe. Within 60 seconds we email you the full PDF and a private web link with your charts and AI insights.

Don’t know where your VIN is?

A VIN is 17 characters long, letters and numbers only (no I, O, or Q). You’ll find it in one of four places on most vehicles.

Driver's side dashboard1Driver's side door jamb2Front of engine block3Front of the frame4
  1. Driver's side dashboard

    Viewable through the windshield from outside

  2. Driver's side door jamb

    Sticker visible when the door is open

  3. Front of engine block

    Stamped on the metal under the hood

  4. Front of the frame

    Older cars — stamped near the front cross-member

Pricing

One report, three depths.

Pay once per VIN. No subscriptions. Reports delivered as PDF and a private web link.

Basic

NHTSA safety + recall + complaint signals on a single page.

$19.99one-time

Web report + PDF

  • Full vehicle decode (Year, Make, Model, Trim, engine, plant)
  • VIN character breakdown
  • Open NHTSA recall lookup with timeline chart
  • NCAP crash-test star ratings + sub-score chart
  • Consumer complaint summary
  • Cost-of-ownership estimates (fuel + maintenance)
  • QR-verified PDF
Choose Basic
Most popular

Standard

Everything in Basic plus AI risk read + visual charts.

$29.99one-time

Web report + PDF

  • Everything in Basic
  • AI condition summary + risk score 0–100
  • Equipment diagram (visible factory features)
  • 5-year cost-of-ownership pie chart
  • Reliability gauge + complaint donut
  • Reported-problem zone diagram
  • Federal EV / plug-in tax credit eligibility
Choose Standard

Premium

Deep buy advice, mechanic kit, and ownership intelligence.

$34.99one-time

Web report + PDF

  • Everything in Standard
  • AI buy recommendation + negotiation script
  • 5-year cost projection + depreciation curve
  • Mechanic inspection checklist
  • Buyer questions for the seller
  • Factory build DNA + rarity radar
  • DIY maintenance reference + salvage value
  • Regional demand index + state EV rebates
Choose Premium

All tiers use the same US federal open data — NHTSA (vPIC, NCAP, recalls, complaints) plus EPA fuel-economy. We do not have NMVTIS title-history or commercial accident-database access; this is a vehicle-intelligence brief, not a title-and-accident history. Owner identifiers are excluded per the Driver's Privacy Protection Act.

Inside the report

Built for buyers, not insurers.

Every report is structured around the question that actually matters: should you buy this specific car, at this specific price?

All tiers

Title & brand history

Salvage, flood, lemon-law and rebuild brands flagged automatically across all 50 states via NMVTIS.

Standard +

Accident & damage timeline

Every reported incident plotted on a horizontal timeline with severity and repair estimate when available.

Standard +

Odometer trend line

Detect rollbacks and breaks in mileage progression — a classic red flag — visually, in seconds.

Standard +

AI condition summary

GPT-4o-mini reads the full data and returns a 2–3 sentence plain-English assessment plus a 0–100 risk score.

Premium

Buy recommendation & negotiation script

Premium adds a buy/walk-away score, a script for negotiating the price, and a 5-year cost projection.

Premium

Mechanic inspection checklist

Premium ships with a printable pre-purchase checklist tailored to the specific year, make, and model.

View full sample reportFree preview · no signup required

By manufacturer

Browse VIN checks by make.

Pick your manufacturer for tailored guidance on what to verify before buying.

Frequently asked

Questions buyers ask first.

Where does the data come from?

All vehicle data comes from public-domain U.S. government sources: NHTSA vPIC (VIN decode and specs), NHTSA NCAP (5-Star Safety Ratings), the NHTSA recalls database, the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (consumer complaints), and EPA fueleconomy.gov. AI analysis (Llama 3.3 70B via Groq) synthesizes these public records into a readable, actionable brief.

Will I see the previous owner's name or address?

No. The Driver's Privacy Protection Act prohibits sharing personally identifying information from motor vehicle records. Reports include vehicle history only — never owner identifiers.

How fast is the report?

Reports are typically delivered within 60 seconds of payment. You'll receive both an email with the PDF attached and a private web link to view it in the browser.

What if the data is incomplete or unavailable?

If our licensed source returns no records for the VIN, the order is automatically refunded in full. You're only ever charged for a report that has data behind it.

Can I get a refund if I'm not satisfied?

Reports are non-refundable once delivered (see Refund Policy). However, if delivery fails, the data is empty, or the report is not as described, contact us and we'll make it right.

Do I need to create an account?

No. The free VIN preview requires nothing. Paid reports only ask for an email address so we can send you the PDF.

Is this a substitute for a mechanic's inspection?

No. The report covers public-record vehicle data — specs, safety ratings, recalls, common-issue patterns from consumer complaints. It cannot tell you whether the engine has a knock or the tires are worn. Always combine a vehicle intelligence report with a hands-on pre-purchase inspection.

Do you include title brand, accident, or odometer history?

No. We do not access NMVTIS (the federal title database) or accident insurance feeds. Our reports focus on what the vehicle's year, make, and model are like — known recalls, common defect patterns from consumer complaints, safety ratings, and fuel/cost intelligence. For specific accident or title history on a single VIN, consult an NMVTIS Approved Data Provider directly.

Ready to check that VIN?

Free preview in 5 seconds. Full report in under a minute.