BUYER GUIDE

How to Check a Used Car's History Before You Buy

A car's past is written in its VIN. Here's how to read it, and the red flags that should stop a sale.

Start With the VIN

Every check begins with the 17-character VIN, found on the dashboard, the driver’s door jamb, and the title and registration. See our VIN decoder for what each character means.

What to Check

Title status: clean vs. branded (salvage, rebuilt, flood, lemon).
Accident history: reported collisions and damage.
Odometer: consistent mileage with no rollback signs.
Ownership: number of owners and use (personal, fleet, rental).
Recalls: any open safety recalls not yet fixed.

See our full vehicle history report guide.

Red Flags That Should Stop You

A branded title the seller did not disclose.
Mileage that does not match service records.
Gaps or inconsistencies in the history.
Open safety recalls on a critical system.

Verify It on the Page

The best dealers make this easy by showing verified history highlights right on the vehicle detail page, no third-party report required. That is exactly what our AI-Enhanced VDP tool does.

Dealers: Answer Every Buyer Question on the Page

Our AI-Enhanced VDP tool puts history, valuation, ownership cost and buyer answers on every VDP. See a live demo on your own inventory.