## These Are the Best Sites for a Free Vin Check

Buying a used car can be quite the process, especially if you're unfamiliar with what to look for or expect. Typically, a dealership can help process DMV fees and sort out any potential trade-in details. Still, any used vehicle may be hiding things under its shiny sheet metal.

That is where a vehicle identification number (VIN) check and vehicle history reports come in. Providers such as Carfax and AutoCheck offer vehicle history reports at a cost to you or the dealership. Still, some resources allow buyers to run a free VIN check on a used vehicle.

Though many of these sites will not provide as much detailed information on a car’s history as a paid resource, a free VIN lookup is a good place to start, and can supplement paid resources. There are, of course, reputable websites that provide basic information without trying to scam anybody, but not every site is so reputable. For the best websites for a free VIN lookup, check out our list below.

## What is a VIN?

“VIN” stands for vehicle identification number and is a unique identifier that sets your vehicle apart from others on the road. Since 1981, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standardized vehicle identification numbers, each car sold in the United States has been assigned with a 17-character VIN.

If you don't know your vehicle’s VIN, you can find it in various places on a passenger car or a light truck, such as your vehicle title, insurance card, the driver’s side door jamb, and the base of your vehicle’s windshield. Depending on the vehicle manufacturer, your car’s VIN could also be stamped on various parts of the vehicle, within the engine compartment, or in other locations throughout the car.

VINs are a long string of characters that do not mean anything, but each one represents vehicle information specific to your car. Its characters represent the country where the vehicle was made or where its manufacturer is based, its model year, its sequence of production, several different vehicle specifications, and even the specific plant where it was assembled.

## The Sites

There are several reputable free VIN check websites out there that provide enough vehicle information to give used car buyers peace of mind. Even though none of the free vehicle history reports will include full ownership history, service history, or personal information, such as credit card history and social security numbers of previous owners, it can provide enough basic vehicle information to flag up a potential scam.

__[NHTSA VIN Decoder](https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/vin-decoding):__
Since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was the entity that standardized the VINs we have today, it is only fitting that its free VIN detector be available to perform a VIN report check on any vehicle. However, unlike other websites on our list, NHTSA’s VIN Decoder does not show a vehicle’s history. Instead, it displays a particular vehicle’s specifications based on the VIN entered.

That may not be as useful to as many people as a more extensive vehicle history. Still, it can be helpful when providing the necessary information to dealerships when considering trading your vehicle or preparing to sell it yourself.

__[iSeeCars](https://www.iseecars.com):__
Not only does iSeeCars provide statistics and data concerning vehicle longevity, projected maintenance costs, and car buying, but it also features a free VIN check feature that provides more information than several other VIN check sites.

Typical VIN search results include basic title information, current odometer readings, and potential recall information. Going further, iSeeCars provides extra information such as theft records, safety ratings, market value analysis, vehicle-to-vehicle comparisons, potential ownership cost analysis, and fuel economy. It does not provide a detailed record of a vehicle’s ownership history, nor does it provide service history records.

__[National Insurance Crime Bureau VINCheck Lookup](https://www.nicb.org/vincheck):__
As you might expect with the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s VINCheck lookup, its VIN search results are tailored to those looking for information on theft history, whether or not a vehicle was ever declared a total loss by an insurance company, and other insurance fraud-related items.

The NICB’s VINCheck does not offer as much information as iSeeCars. Still, it can be used with other VIN search sites to provide a more comprehensive picture of a vehicle history without paying for a Carfax report or something similar.

__[JD Power VIN Lookup & Decoder](https://www.jdpower.com/cars/vin-lookup-and-decoder):__
JD Power is known for providing car buyers with reliability and quality data. Still, its free VIN lookup and VIN decoder services offer a nice middle ground between entities like the NHTSA and iSeeCars.

Searching for a vehicle’s VIN via JD Power will provide a buyer with vehicle specifications such as fuel economy, engine power, vehicle color, transmission type, included features, and factory options present at the time of sale from the dealership.

This information may not be what everyone is looking for. It does exclude some key pieces of information that could help identify a vehicle as a total loss, as having a theft history, as having a troubled ownership history, or as having a less-than-ideal service history. Still, this information could be beneficial in determining the true market value of your vehicle if you're looking to sell it.

JD Power’s VIN decoder will also help to fill in any gaps left by the information unavailable via its VIN lookup results.

__[VinCheckPro](https://www.vincheckpro.com/):__
VinCheckPro is a handy, free VIN search tool that does not include extensive ownership history results or service history results. It does include a bunch of other helpful information, such as accident history, salvage auction history, sales records, and any theft history that might be present.

Similar to JD Power and iSeeCars, other vehicle specifications and tools such as make, model, fuel economy, safety ratings, and market value analysis can be particularly helpful when preparing to sell your car or buy a used vehicle. Knowing what you should pay or what you should expect to be paid is important for getting the most bang for your buck, and being able to see these details for free should alleviate some of the stress.

Free VIN check capability is an excellent tool if you're looking for a used car, selling your car, or just keen to learn more about your current vehicle. Despite this, free VIN lookup websites only go so far when trying to truly understand where a car has been and what its current condition is. Carfax and AutoCheck offer a deeper look into a vehicle’s ownership history by checking for things like service records, odometer rollback events, full accident history, and other events that not every free VIN check will provide.

Even though paying for a full report from Carfax or AutoCheck may seem like a pain, it's the best way to dive into a vehicle’s past, resulting in better peace of mind and an understanding of your future purchase. Still, if an AutoCheck or Carfax report is not in the cards, using several free VIN check sites is best. They will give you at least a glimpse into the past and help you be better prepared to purchase or sell your car when it comes time.

Checking a VIN (vehicle identification number) is a top tip when buying a used car to make sure you avoid scammers and learn the full history of the car you're interested in. This guide walks you through the best sites to use to check a car's VIN. 

These Are the Best Sites for a Free Vin Check

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