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I know I sound like a tightwad, but is there any free way of checking out a carfax report on a vin of a vehicle I want to purchase from a private party? It seems that the official carfax report is just 35 bucks I don’t want to spend, but perhaps it’s worth it in the long run… Thanks for any tips!
Any free means of running a carfax report on a used vehicle?
Posted by admin on May 30th, 2010
Posted in Used Vehicle 
Other than the information (vehicle summary), which is free from http://www.autocheck.com/ and/or http://www.carfax.com ….There is no FREE "Full" history reports.
Carfax has changed their pricing and policies due to the fact that so many users were reselling/distributing the information. (<-which is , in fact, THEFT) They are concentrating their sales to; dealers, auctions, and private party buyers_&_sellers.
In some instances, If a VIN is entered into the "Carfax" site, and it is a vehicle that is for sale at a dealer that has signed on to Carfax.. the dealer website/information and the report should pull up, because the dealer has already paid for the report.
Carfax is a registered trademark name for a company that provides "Vehicle History reports"
So while I CANNOT provide you with cheaper "Carfax" reports, I can suggest another company that offers Unlimited Vehicle History Reports for 60 Days ($44.99 ) "Autocheck" is the other company and they collect data much the same as "Carfax". Autocheck is owned by Experian.. another data-collecting-company.
Autocheck prices:
Unlimited Reports $44.99
Single Report + 1 FREE! $29.99
Unlimited Reports + TitleGuard $59.99
Carfax prices:
1 CARFAX Report for $34.99
5 CARFAX Reports for $44.99
(above prices current as of April 25, 2010)
There is a lot "data" that you can collect on your own though… without spending a dime.
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Free data source #1
Check the dealers website
If a reputable dealer is signed on (paid subscriptions) to Carfax or Autocheck, the dealers own website can publish the reports to potential buyers. This info is free to the buyers because the sellers have already paid for it.
NOTE!!!
If you click on a link to "view the report" from a dealer site, and it redirects you to a site that AGAIN asks you to PAY for the report, then that particular dealer is NOT a paid subscriber, BUT that dealer MAY receive a referral fee when YOU pay for the report.
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Free data source #2
Ask the private owner/seller to show you the report
Private sellers often purchase a vehicle history report and can show it to potential buyers too. That should be considered the cost of doing business and the seller can absorb the fee.
(^^BEST PRACTICE for reputable sellers)
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Free data source #3
National Insurance Crime Bureau site offers up to 5 free inquiries (VINs)a day. They collect data about vehicles reported as stolen and about vehicles reported as "total loss" (due to flood, fire, accident/collision )or "salvaged" (rebuilt/reconstructed).
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Free data source #4
Carfax
Yes Carfax! At the bottom of the Carfax home page, there are several FREE SERVICES: Lemon Check® | Record Check™ | Recall Check™ | Problem Car Check™ |
The information that will be provided will be very basic and will STILL encourage you to PURCHASE their services.
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Free data source #5
Manufacturer sites.
The original manufacturer of the vehicles often has an "Owner Resource Center" website that can give you a plethora of information ..such as; owners manuals, maintenance requirements, recall information, etc.
For example, Ford has a section where you can enter any Ford VIN and it will tell you if there are any recalls on that vehicle
( http://www.ford.com/owner-services/customer-support/recall-information )
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Free data source #6
Internet Search Engines
You might be surprised at how much information you will find by "googling" a vehicle identification number (VIN). For instance, if you find the SAME vehicle is listed "for sale" at more that one "dealer"…. One of them could be a scam site that has "scraped" the other (legitimate) site and is trying to scam buyers.
(if you have posted a VIN at Y!Answers, you will probably see the question in the google-search results)<–that’s one of the ways that Carfax & AutoCheck can see who is violating their terms.
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Free data source #7
NHTSA-odi
(National Highway Transportation Safety Administration-office of defects investigation)
At this website consumers can look up ; recalls, technical service bulletins, consumer complaints, and defect investigations. There could be inherent problems with particular years/makes/models (vehicles).
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***FINALLY
After researching the free data, you should be able to narrow down your choices of vehicles that you are seriously considering for purchase.
That would be the time for you to actually get out the checkbook and spend some of your money on an actual physical inspection of the vehicles that made it to the "short list".
Before you purchase ANY vehicle, it would be very wise to pay a skilled/trained/certified technician/mechanic to inspect the vehicle in person.
I hope this helps.
No. And you really don’t learn a lot from a car fax, just a collection of those things in the public domain already. Was the vehicle used commercially, how many owners did it have, has it been a write off (which you would know by looking at the title), that type of thing. Save your money for the inspection you are going to do with your own mechanic before you buy.
Your lender might do it if you are financing the vehicle.
Otherwise, not going to be free.
If you are buying it from a private party, the smart thing to do is forget the carfax and take it to a certified, independent mechanic for a full inspection. Should cost between $50-$80.
An inspection will tell you if this is a car worth buying. Remember, you don’t care about the past of the vehicle. You care about how it will serve you in the future.
Pay for the Carfax report only after you’ve made up your mind to make an offer on the car. If the car fax changes your mind it’s money well spend. If it confirms your opinion than you can rest assured that you’ve made a good decision.
But a Carfax report does not take the place of a good inspection by a qualified mechanic. A step that is absolutely a requirement when purchasing a used car. IF you think the $35 Carfax is a waste of money the $120 you pay for the inspection is going to break you down. But it’s money well spend. Would you rather spend $150 now to determine the condition fo the car or pay thousands of dollars for the car and two months later figure out it was wrecked and poorly repaired. These fees are just part of doing business with a used car. Expect it.
Don’t waste your money running carfax reports on every car you might like. That is a total waste of money. Wait until you’ve made up your mind then base your final decision on the inspection and Carfax report.