VIN check reports with market value

Looking for Free VIN check with recalls? We have some tips for you and also some suggestions. Buying a used car can save you lots of cash compared to a brand new. Whether you’re after a cheap runaround or a dream machine you’ve lots of choice on the second-hand market. But with murky histories and hard-nosed salesmen, it can be a minefield. This guide is filled with top tips and checklists (we’ve created printable versions so you can bring them with you) to minimise the chance of any nasty surprises.

For a quiet time, try to avoid weekends, or the start of the month, just after payday. A dealership crammed with wannabe buyers isn’t a good place to bargain hard. If you’re buying privately, it’s also worth picking your time when other potential buyers might be away. This could be over Christmas, or deep into the summer holidays. Think about the style of car too. Summer is when drivers dream of buying convertibles, making winter a good time to haggle for a deal on one.

A vehicle identification number, or VIN, identifies your car. It’s made up of individual numbers and letters with special significance, and provides information about your vehicle. Each VIN is unique to the vehicle. Decode the meaning of the first number or letter. The first character in a VIN may be either a letter or number and tells you the geographic area of origin. This is where the car was actually made, and it may be different from where the manufacturer is located. See extra info at Free VIN check.

Unless you’re buying the car from a close friend or family member who can vouch for its history, plan to get a vehicle history report. This is an essential early step. If the car you’re looking at has a bad history report, the sooner you know the better.VINdecoded and Carfax are the two best-known sources for vehicle history reports, which can reveal vital information about the car, including whether the odometer has been rolled back or if it has a salvage title, which means it has been declared a total loss by the insurance company. You’ll use the car’s vehicle identification number (VIN) to get this information, and in some cases, all you need is the license plate number.