How To Get a Free Carfax Report By VIN Number

Purchasing a vehicle is one of the biggest financial transactions most of us ever do. So when you’re buying a car, it’s important to know the history of the vehicle, especially if you’re buying used. Carfax reports are a popular way to get some information on a vehicle’s history. And it’s possible to get a free Carfax report by VIN number.

A Carfax report will tell you all kinds of useful information to know about any car you’re thinking about buying. It can tell you about any accidents the car has been involved in, its service history, and any recalls that have been issued for that make and model of vehicle. However, Carfax reports aren’t free. It costs $43.95 for a Carfax vehicle history report and $60.95 if you also want to check for any liens on the vehicle. If you’re interested in more than one used vehicle, it’s not hard to see that these costs can quickly add up.

Luckily, it’s possible to get a free vehicle history report that is even more comprehensive than Carfax. Use our free VIN checker tool below, and you can find out everything a Carfax report will tell you, including any liens on the vehicle, plus a lot more, for substantially less cost than Carfax. Our reports also offer warranty information, previous owner history, information about any odometer rollbacks, and everything else you need to protect yourself when buying a used car.

How to Get a Free Carfax Report

If you don’t want to pay to get a Carfax report, there are ways of getting one for free. Here are some options that may work for you.

Check the Vehicle Listing

Sometimes, motivated sellers may include a Carfax report in the vehicle listing. Several online vehicle marketplaces like autotrader.ca and Kijiji allow sellers to include the Carfax report with the listing so that you can check it out before you even go to look at the vehicle.

Visit a Registered Dealer

Used car dealers often include a Carfax report as standard. In fact, many dealers have registered with Carfax, and all of these dealers will provide a free Carfax report with any vehicle you’re interested in buying. Carfax has a Dealer Locator tool so you can find dealers in your area to offer this service.

Ask the Seller

When buying from a private seller, it’s never a bad idea to ask them to pull the Carfax report for you. Usually, honest sellers won’t have a problem doing this, since even if you don’t buy the car, they can use it for anyone else that might be interested in buying. Alternatively, you could negotiate the price of the Carfax report off the price of the car so that you don’t actually lose any money by checking the vehicle’s history.

Free Vehicle Checks Using VIN

Carfax may be one of the most recognized brands in the vehicle history business. But they are not the only game in town. You can get some information on any car you want to purchase without paying anything using these resources:

RCMP Vehicle Check

If you have the VIN of the car you’re interested in, make sure to run it through be free VIN check at https://www.cpic-cipc.ca/sve-rve-eng.htm. This allows you to check RCMP databases across Canada to make sure the vehicle is stolen. However, it won’t give you any other information on the vehicle’s history, but at least it helps you know that you’re purchasing the vehicle legally.

Provincial Licensing Authority

Make sure to check with your provincial licensing authority to see if they offer free VIN checks. For instance, SGI, the Saskatchewan vehicle licensing office, allows you to check a vehicle’s VIN for free, but it will only give you the Saskatchewan history of the vehicle. Similar services are offered by the Government of Ontario. Vehicle registries in Alberta can perform a similar VIN check, but there is a charge for this service. The same applies in Columbia, where ICBC will perform a vehicle check for $20, making it cheaper than Carfax, but it doesn’t provide as much information as a Carfax report does.

Not even Carfax provides as much information as you’ll get from our free VIN checker tool. And since it’s totally free to use and provides a detailed report straightaway, it’s the best option if you want to get a more in-depth picture of a vehicle’s history.

Carfax vs Autocheck

Another alternative to Carfax is their competitor Autocheck. Autocheck is cheaper, costing only $24.99 for a single report. But it doesn’t have as many features as Carfax. For instance, Autocheck only provides information on accidents that have been reported to them, whereas Carfax gets its information from a variety of sources, including insurance companies, police reports, and Service Canada.

In terms of accuracy, both Carfax and Autocheck are pretty good. But there have been some complaints about both companies. In 2014, the CBC did an investigation into Carfax and found that their reports were sometimes inaccurate. Being a big brand name unfortunately doesn’t always guarantee reliability.

The best way to check a vehicle for previous damage, owners, odometer tampering etc, is to use our free VIN check tool below.

Getting a Free Carfax Report by VIN Number

There are lots of ways to get at least some background information on any car you’re thinking of purchasing using a VIN. But not all of these methods are equal. Some of the free checks will only give you basic information, such as whether a vehicle has been stolen or not. 

Carfax may be the market leader, but they are not perfect either. The reports you receive aren’t always reliable, and that’s especially alarming given how much they cost. If you’re looking at multiple used vehicles at a time, as you probably are, pulling a Carfax report for every one will soon add up. And even then, you still won’t be getting all of the information you might need.

That’s why our VIN checker tool offers the best possible option for getting information on a car you’re thinking of buying. We offer the most comprehensive reports out there, and we don’t charge a thing. You can run as many vehicles as you like and get a full picture of the accident history, service history, recalls, odometer rollbacks, and anything else you might want to know about the car.

Before making any vehicle purchase, it’s essential to inform yourself about the car’s history. Thankfully, that’s cheaper and easier than ever.

FAQs

How do I get a free Carfax report?

There are a few ways to get a Carfax report for free. You can check with your provincial licensing authority, as some of them offer this service. Or you can ask the seller for a report before agreeing to purchase a car from them.

Is Carfax always accurate?

No, Carfax is not always accurate. In 2014, the CBC did an investigation into Carfax and found that their reports were sometimes inaccurate. Being a big brand name unfortunately doesn’t always guarantee reliability.

Can I check Carfax for free?

Yes, you can check Carfax for free in some cases. You can check with your provincial licensing authority, as some of them offer this service. Another option is to use our free VIN checker tool. We offer the most comprehensive reports out there, and we don’t charge a thing.

How do I know if a car has been in an accident?

There are a few ways to tell if a car has been in an accident. One way is to look for physical damage, such as dents or scratches. Another way is to run a background check on the vehicle using its VIN number. This will give you information on accidents, thefts, and more.

Is there a cheaper alternative to Carfax?

Autocheck offers reports for less than Carfax charges, although they often provide less detail. You can also check with your provincial licensing authority to see you they offer free VIN checks or provide them at lower cost than Carfax does, like ICBC in British Columbia.

The best way to check a vehicle for previous damage, owners, odometer tampering etc, is to use our free VIN check tool below: