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Used car buyers are always searching for a free vehicle history report...but does it really exist? Well, yes and no. You can get free history reports from some dealers online and off, but you can't just enter the VIN of a vehicle you have found on your own and expect to get a full report of that particular vehicle...for that you're going to have to pay. The confusion lies in the fact that there is a "free" element to the research process. If you have the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, there are a few sites where you can enter that number and learn some information about the car for free. Each letter and number stands for something, and what is often advertised as a free car history report is actually a VIN decoder. The decoder will usually tell you the make, model, year, type of restraint system, body style, engine and the assembly plant. This information is useful, as it provides important information about the vehicle. As an example, the seller might tell you that it's a 2004 Ford Taurus. But the VIN check might tell you that it is in fact a 2003 model. So you'll know right away that this is not a deal you should proceed with, as the seller is not being truthful about the vehicle. If they are not being honest about the model itself, you can bet they won't be revealing any hidden problems. So the free vehicle history report is in essence the free decoding of the VIN to tell you exactly what type of car you are considering. If you want to find out more information, as most buyers do, such as hidden mechanical issues, odometer problems, mileage, fire damage, etc. then you need to order a complete report. After your free car history check, you are given the option to purchase one complete vehicle history report or unlimited reports. If you just want to research one car, then you should opt for the single. If, like most buyers, you are looking at a number of different vehicles, you should opt for the unlimited reports, which in most cases allow you to research as many autos as you want within a certain period of time, usually 60 days. The cost of these reports varies, but it is usually around $19.99 and $24.99 for the single and unlimited options, respectively. Although they are not free vehicle history reports, it is a small price to pay for peace of mind. If you think about it, paying $20 to avoid a vehicle that would have ended up costing you thousands of dollars in mechanical issues is definitely worth it in our opinion. Oftentimes a seller won't tell you about a serious underlying problem, or he or she may not be aware of it. Even after test driving the car, you may not pick up on something...even trained mechanics miss things now and then. That's why a car history report is so important. So we learned that the free vehicle history report is not really free, at least the full report isn't. But at only $20 to learn about the vehicle from the time it was first registered up until the last DMV transaction, it is well worth it. So if you're in the used cars market make sure you get a history report before you buy...you'll be glad you did! Why A VIN Number Is ImportantA VIN number, or Vehicle Identification Number, is a unique "fingerprint" assigned to a vehicle to allow it to be identified. All vehicles currently made in quantities over 500 are required to have a VIN number assigned to them. VIN numbers have taken a variety of shapes over the years. In early cars a VIN was simply a serial number, recording what sequential number a vehicle was in the production run. The identification number was inconsistent and overlapped across manufacturers. This caused endless confusion when people wanted to identify a particular car. Then manufacturers started encoding other information into the VIN, such as manufacturer code, year, even model number. This made it easier for people to associate vehicles to a unique identifier. The VIN became a more important tool to both manufacturers and owners. But still unfortunately the system was flawed. Since no one oversaw how VIN numbers were created and assigned there was still a great chance that there would be overlap between manufacturers. It also prevented anyone from looking at a vehicle identification number solely and be able to positively identify a car just by that number. Modern-day Vehicle Identification Number systems are based on two related standards, originally issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1979 and 1980; ISO 3779 and ISO 3780, respectively. Compatible but somewhat different implementations of these ISO standards have been adopted by the European Union and the United States of America. This standardization of VIN numbers meant that a unique series of digits could finally be assigned to only one vehicle, without the possibility of overlap. The 17-character VIN was born. Everyone from parts manufacturers to law enforcement use VIN numbers to trace, track, and positively identify vehicles. Each modern vehicle has the VIN number printed in several places on he vehicle, including on the frame. This allows identification even in the case of severe damage from accident or fire. It's a good idea to be aware of your VIN number. It's not necessary to keep it secret, as every car has it clearly printed on it in plain sight. But it's a good idea to have this number handy (such as on a copy of your registration) in case of theft or catostrophic damage.
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