How to Get a Free VIN Report

VIN is an abbreviation for Vehicle Identification Number. Each car has its own unique VIN just as every person who is born is given their very own social security number. If you purchase a brand new car, this number won't matter much to you. If, however, you are looking to purchase a used car, this number is extremely important. This number can be used to tell you about every previous owner and whether there was ever any damage to the car. You can then use this information to decide whether the used car you want is a good buy.

Instructions

1

Visit CarFax's website (see Resources section below). Type the VIN number in the specified box and click "Search." The report will come back with the car's details such as make, model and year built. It will also tell you how many reports there are on the car. If you want a copy of those reports you will have to pay. If there are no reports than you know there is no information on the car. Even if you pay, you won't get any more information.

2

Ask the car dealer to give you a CarFax report on the car. Most used car dealerships are now doing this free of charge. It is a great way to get the report you want for free.

3

Join a few used car discussion forums. Many individuals pay for the unlimited VIN reports. If you get friendly with them, they will get the report for you at no cost to you. It doesn't cost them any more money either because they paid for the service a long time ago.