VIN check by make

VIN check by make for US cars

Every make writes its VIN a little differently: its own manufacturer codes, its own plants, its own way of encoding the engine and trim. Pick the make of the car you are buying to see how to read its VIN, where it was built and which recalls and known issues to ask about. Then enter the VIN to decode that exact car and open its report.

Have only the plate? Look it up by license plate

One report is $9.99 (Carfax: $49.99). Records from all states.

Used car with crash damage: check the VIN before you buy

Choose the make

Ordered by how common each make is on US roads and used lots.

How a VIN check works

Find the 17-character VIN on the driver side of the dashboard, the driver door jamb, or the title.
Enter it above. We decode the year, make, model, engine and plant, so you can check the VIN matches the car.
If it is worth it, pay $9.99 once and read the full report right away. No account, no subscription.

What the report checks

Every report decodes the VIN and searches every record type below for that exact car, in all states. Records are included where available, and every section of the report says what it searched.

Specs and factory build
Model year, make, model, trim, engine, transmission, drivetrain, body and plant of manufacture, decoded from the VIN.
Every VIN
Recalls and owner complaints
Safety recalls and owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this model and model year.
Model-level, most US models
Odometer history
Dated odometer readings in miles from state safety and emissions inspections and auction sales, where available, so you can spot a rollback.
All states
Accident and crash records
Police-reported crashes involving this VIN, with the year, and damage recorded when the car was sold at auction, where available.
All states
Salvage and auction history, with photos
Insurance and salvage auction sales of this VIN, where available: sale date, damage type, title, odometer at sale and the auction photos.
All states
Title brands
Salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk title brands listed when the car was sold at a salvage or insurance auction, where available.
Theft and VIN checks
Stolen cars are often resold under a cloned VIN. The report decodes the VIN to its factory build so you can match it to the dashboard, the door jamb and the title, and its title, theft and ownership section says exactly what was searched.

Sample report · Pricing

Questions about checking a VIN by make

Does the make matter for a VIN check?

The report works the same way for every make, but each make encodes its VIN differently. The make pages explain the codes you will see on that brand, so you can tell, for example, a Mexican-built Silverado from an American-built one, or a real AMG from a badge.

Can I check a car whose make is not listed?

Yes. Any vehicle with a 17-character VIN (model year 1981 and later) can be checked from the box above. The list covers the makes US buyers check most often.

Is a VIN check the same as a vehicle history report?

A VIN decode tells you how the car left the factory. A vehicle history report adds what happened after: odometer readings, crashes, auction and salvage records and recalls, from all states, where available. Every section of the report says what it searched.

Are you an NMVTIS provider?

No. We are not an NMVTIS data provider. Our reports are built from state inspection records, police crash reports, salvage and insurance auction records and NHTSA data, from all states, where available.