Buying a car on American online auctions can be safely called the #1 trend among those who decide to become the owner of a reliable, well-equipped car. The security of such a purchase is to a certain extent ensured by the auction organizer himself, but far from all the information provided by the seller is reliable. How to check the history of American cars? Let’s figure it out together.

Almost all cars are put up for auction after traffic accidents or with damage caused by natural disasters, vandalism. In this case, it is important to find out the true cause and nature of the damage. The desire to sell the car more expensive pushes sellers to fraud with the odometer. Thus, one of the main factors in assessing the technical condition of the machine can lead to incorrect conclusions.

Buying a car online allows you to reduce material costs and for many has become the same familiar transaction as buying goods in an online store. However, the buyer does not have the opportunity to evaluate the appearance of the machine, its technical condition. Very often, legal restrictions for the operation of the vehicle are hidden.

To get all the missing information, services were created to check a car by VIN code. Using a unique identifier, the system user gets access to reports containing comprehensive information about the vehicle. After analyzing it, you can draw conclusions about the appropriateness of the purchase.

What information should be considered when buying a used car

When buying a used car, consider the following information:

odometer readings for a specific date;
data on registrations (where, when the car was registered, how many owners the vehicle had);
specifications;
factory equipment (changes in equipment during operation);
car status (hijacking, bail, arrest);
information about maintenance, repairs;
features of transport operation (taxi, cargo transportation, etc.).

All this data can be obtained by the VIN code on one of the number verification services. Such a check has become a mandatory step when buying a car and has significantly reduced the likelihood of a failed transaction.

Where to check the car by VIN

Consider the most popular online systems where you can check the car by VIN code:

Carfax
Autocheck
Window Sticker
Checkcar.vin

Each of them has its own disadvantages and advantages, which we will discuss in more detail.

Carfax

A popular VIN verification system based on millions of vehicles registered in the US, Canada and dozens of European countries. It was established in 1984 and the first reports were received by clients by fax, hence the name of the company.

The founders of the service managed to make the purchase process extremely transparent, and the service started working in full force in 1986. Among the shortcomings of Carfax, users note the lack of evaluation of the system of data provided, i.e. the user himself must do the analysis and conclusions.

Autocheck

The service generates reports that include data from several sections, namely:

damage, sale of cars on the gray market, loss of insurance, reviews by manufacturers, interference with devices, etc.;
mileage data for a specific date;
operating conditions of the vehicle;
complete operating history.

Checking with AutoCheck, unlike Carfax, allows you to use the rating system. An analysis of the data generated in the report is performed and marks are given on a 100-point system. The service compares with other cars that are also registered in the system.

Window Sticker

Window Sticker (WinSticker) are window stickers found on all new vehicles. On them you can read information about the type of vehicle, body color, year of manufacture, retail price. The stickers indicate the main technical characteristics, fuel economy ratings, equipment. Information can be used as additional information, but it is impossible to make a decision to buy or refuse it only on the basis of this data.

Checkcar.vin

A young but very popular service is Checkcar.vin, which provides services on a paid and free basis. The free report contains basic information, which in many cases is enough to make a decision. Despite this, we recommend using the advanced paid report.

The main difference between this service and those described above is the amount of data in the report. The latter contains data that is in all three systems: Carfax, Autocheck, Window Sticker.

The free report contains the following data:

the country where the car was produced;
model;
registration information;
car status.

Using the paid option, you will get access to the following data:

technical characteristics of the car, database of components;
facts of participation in road accidents;
insured events; registration data;
car status (pledge, theft, scrapping, etc.);
data on maintenance in authorized centers, repairs, changes in equipment.

Let’s dwell on the main advantages of the Checkcar.vin service:

you do not need to collect information from different sources – get a complete report in one place in just a few seconds;
the amount of information that is not available in any online system for checking VIN codes;
the opportunity to receive a free report;
various types of payment.

Instead of a conclusion or why you still need to check the VIN code Let’s sum up and define the main arguments in favor of checking the car by VIN-identifier before buying:

reduce to a minimum the likelihood of suffering from scammers;
eliminate serious problems with the technical condition of the car;
guarantee the legal security of the transaction;
receive data on the degree of wear of the car based on the conditions of its operation;
get access to the database of components.