About CarHistory
CarHistory is an independent vehicle history service built for people buying or selling a used car. You enter a 17-character VIN, we check what history records exist, and you decide whether to unlock the full report. Our goal is simple: give you a clear, honest picture of a car's past before money changes hands.
We are not a dealership, a lender, or an insurance company. We do not sell cars and we have no stake in whether you buy one. We exist to put the same kind of history data the trade relies on into your hands, in plain English, so you can make a confident decision.
Where our report data comes from
A CarHistory report is compiled from insurance, salvage, title, auction, service, and motor-vehicle records collected across multiple national databases in the United States. These databases gather reported events from thousands of sources, including state title and registration agencies, insurance and salvage data, auto auctions, service and repair facilities, and manufacturer recall notices.
These databases are maintained by different organizations, and each one captures different records. A title brand or accident that shows up in one database sometimes does not appear in another. By drawing on many of them at once, we aim to surface history that any single source alone might miss. CarHistory is an independent service; we describe these record types only to explain the data behind your report.
How a CarHistory report is generated
When you order a report, we pull the available records for that VIN from multiple national databases, then combine them into a single timeline. Because different databases often log the same underlying event, we de-duplicate overlapping records so you are not reading the same accident, owner change, or odometer reading twice. The result is one combined, easier-to-scan history instead of several separate documents you have to cross-check yourself.
Accuracy and limitations
A vehicle history report is only as complete as the events that get reported. Not every accident, repair, or owner change makes it into the data. Minor damage fixed privately, work done at a shop that does not report, or an event in a jurisdiction that reports slowly may never appear in any history database. A clean report means no problems were reported to our sources, not a guarantee that none ever occurred.
For that reason, a CarHistory report is a research tool, not a substitute for a hands-on inspection. Before you buy, we still recommend a test drive and an inspection by a qualified, independent mechanic. Use your report to know what questions to ask and what to look for, and let the inspection confirm the car's real condition today.
No data, no charge
We only want you to pay for a report that actually tells you something. If we cannot return any history for a VIN, your credit is automatically refunded. You are never charged for an empty report.
The free VIN check happens before any of that. It shows you the year, make, and model and whether history records exist for the VIN across our databases, with no account and no payment required, so you can see whether a full report is worth unlocking before you spend a credit.