Guides
Plain-English guides on VINs, vehicle history, salvage titles, and buying a used car with confidence.
How to Check a Used Car for Flood Damage
Learn how to spot a flood damaged car, the physical signs to inspect, and how to check title brands and history by VIN before you buy.
Free VIN Check: What You Can See for Free
A free VIN check confirms the year, make, and model and shows whether vehicle-history records exist. See what is free versus what a paid report adds.
How to Read a VIN: Decode All 17 Characters
Learn how to read a VIN by decoding all 17 characters, from the WMI and vehicle descriptor to the check digit, model year, plant, and serial number.
How to Spot an Odometer Rollback
Learn the warning signs of odometer fraud and how a vehicle history report's odometer timeline exposes a rolled-back mileage reading before you buy.
How Vehicle History Reports Work
Learn how vehicle history reports work, where the data comes from, and why combining many national record sources catches more than any single check.
Is a Vehicle History Report Worth It?
Yes, when buying a used car. A vehicle history report flags salvage, flood, lemon, and odometer fraud for a small fraction of the car's price.
Lemon Law Buyback Titles Explained
A lemon law buyback means a manufacturer repurchased a defective car. Learn what the title brand means and how a history report flags it before you buy.
Title Brands Explained: Salvage, Flood, Junk, Rebuilt and More
Title brands are permanent legal flags on a car's title. Learn what salvage, flood, junk, rebuilt, lemon and other brands mean before you buy.
The Used Car Buying Checklist
A step-by-step used car buying checklist covering budget, inspection, test drive, and pulling a VIN history report before you pay or sign anything.
VIN Not Found? What It Means and What to Do
A VIN not found result usually means no records exist yet, not that the car is hidden. Learn the common causes, what to do next, and why no data is free.
What Is a Salvage Title? How to Check Before You Buy
A salvage title means a car was declared a total loss by an insurer. Learn the risks, how it happens, and how to check any VIN before you buy.