How To Use Free Vehicle Lookup by VIN

Checking a vehicle’s VIN is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself when buying a used car. Getting the full history of any vehicle you’re considering buying is crucial to making an informed purchase decision. So if you’re wondering how to use a free vehicle lookup by VIN, you’ve come to the right place.

There are a few different ways you can look up the past history of a vehicle using the VIN in Canada. But you can save yourself some time and some money by using our free VIN check tool. This will give you the most comprehensive possible report without costing you a penny.

Why Check A Vehicle’s VIN?

You wouldn’t buy a house without inspecting it fully and learning everything you can about its past history. For that matter, you shouldn’t buy a pair of jeans without at least trying them on to see if there are any issues. So when it comes to buying a car, you need to take all the steps you can to protect yourself from making a mistake.

A VIN is a Vehicle Identification Number that is unique to every vehicle and allows you to look up the history of that particular vehicle. A VIN can give you a lot of information about a car, including its history of past owners and any accidents it may have been in. This can help you make a much more informed decision about what a car is really worth and whether you want to buy it or not.

A VIN check is one of the best and easiest ways to protect yourself when buying a used vehicle. It only takes a minute and it needn’t cost you anything, so there’s really no reason not to check a VIN before making a purchase decision.

How To Use Free Vehicle Lookup by VIN

There are a few different ways to check a VIN, some of them better than others. First, you’ll need to obtain the car’s VIN. You can ask the seller before you even see the car, or you can note down the VIN when you go to check the car out for yourself. You’ll see it from outside the car on the dashboard. You’ll also find it in the driver-side door jamb and on registration documents.

Here’s a quick rundown of the different ways you can look up a vehicle by VIN:

Different Types of VIN Check

Canada National Police Check

The Canadian government, in conjunction with the RCMP, operate their own VIN check service. This allows you to check the VIN of any vehicle to see if it has been reported stolen at any point. The service is completely free and works on every car in Canada.

However, the information you’ll get from this tool is very limited. If your car has never been reported stolen, you won’t get any information at all. The service is only concerned with car theft, and won’t tell you anything about the history of a vehicle that hasn’t been stolen.

Insurance Bureau of Canada

This company allows you to check VINs for free. However, like the government tool, the results you will get back are limited. In this case, you’ll learn only about any accident claims on the vehicle’s insurance in the past. It won’t tell you about theft, previous owners, previous registrations, or any other useful information.

Vehiclecheck.ca

This is hands-down the best way to use free vehicle lookup by VIN. Vehiclecheck.ca reports offer more information than any other provider, including Carfax. Your report will include the full ownership history of the car, records of any airbag deployments, any accidents, notification of any odometer rollbacks, any recalls on the make and model of car, information about any liens on the car, and the full available service history.

Using this free vehicle lookup by VIN tool will tell you everything about a car’s history you could possibly need to know. And unlike the options above, it’s completely free. Therefore, it’s easy to decide on the best way to lookup a car’s VIN before you buy it.

Carfax

Carfax is perhaps the best-known name in the VIN check business. They can give you a vehicle history report that will tell you how many owners the car has had, any accidents it has been involved in, any recalls issued for that make and model of car, and the registration history of the car.

Unfortunately, this service is not free. It costs $43.95 for a vehicle history report. And if you want that report to show any liens that may be on the car, it will cost you $60.95.

AutoCheck

One of the biggest competitors to Carfax is AutoCheck. This company will tell you about any accidents a car has been involved in, along with any safety recalls or odometer problems. They cost less than Carfax, charging $24.99 for a single report. This makes them a good alternative to Carfax, but they still don’t offer a free vehicle lookup service.

What a VIN check can tell you

You can learn a lot about a vehicle’s history from a VIN check, but only if you use the right tool. What you’ll learn from a VIN check depends on where you get it from.

A VIN check from the RCMP will only tell you if a car has been stolen in the past. The Insurance Bureau of Canada will only tell you about any insurance claims.

Carfax and AutoCheck can tell you about any accidents the car has been in, its last province of registration, and its service history. But only our VIN check tool gives you all this important information:

1. Structural damage and frame damage

This tells you right up front about any serious damage to the car that may compromise its structural integrity.

2. Last reported mileage

This will tell you what the mileage was on the car when the last report was pulled. This can help you get a more accurate picture of the mileage and alert you to any tampering with the odometer.

3. Salvage Status

If a car has ever been declared a total loss by an insurance company, it will be marked as a salvage vehicle.

4. Service History

You can see when and where the car was serviced, as well as any repairs that were done.

5. Lien Status

This will tell you if there are any liens on the car, and who holds them. That way, you can either make sure the lien is paid off before buying the car or negotiate the cost of clearing it off the price.

6. Insurance Claims

This will tell you if the car has ever been involved in an insurance claim. This can alert you to any possible damage that may not be visible but could be costly to repair.

7. Lease, Personal, Lease, or Taxi Use

This will tell you if the car was used for commercial purposes. Commercial use can cause more wear and tear on a vehicle, which affects its value.

8. Total Loss

This will tell you if the car has ever been declared a total loss by an insurance company. It’s important to know this, as it will affect the car’s value.

9. Stolen Vehicle

Finding out if the car has ever been stolen is essential. Knowing this will help you avoid buying a car that was illegally obtained or stolen.

10. Flood and Hail Damage

This will tell you if the car was involved in any floods or hail storms. This could indicate unseen damage, so it’s a useful thing to know.

11. Airbag Deployment

This will tell you if the airbag has ever been deployed. This is important to know for safety reasons, as it could indicate the car has been in an accident.

12. Warranty Information

You can find out if the car is still under warranty by using a VIN check. This can save you money on potential repairs in the future.

13. Previous Owners

This will tell you how many owners the car has had in the past. A large number of previous owners could indicate a problem with the car.

14. Recall Information

This will tell you if the make and model of the car has been recalled for any reason. This can alert you to potential safety risks or any work you may have to get done to keep the car safe.

Always get a free VIN check before buying a car!

There’s a lot you can learn about a car that isn’t always obvious just from looking at it. Knowing how to use a free vehicle lookup by VIN can give you a clearer picture of the car’s history and help you make a more informed purchase decision. Take advantage of our free VIN check tool below, next time you’re thinking of buying a car to make sure you get the full picture.

FAQs

Is free VIN check reliable?

Yes, our free VIN check tool above is reliable and accurate. It provides detailed information about the car’s history that can help you make an informed purchase decision.

Will a free VIN check tell me about any accidents?

Yes, our free VIN check will tell you if the car has been involved in any accidents. It will also provide information about previous owners and service history of the vehicle.

Can I use a free VIN check to find out if a car is stolen?

Yes, our free VIN check tool will tell you if the car has ever been reported as stolen. Knowing this information can help you avoid buying a stolen vehicle.

What can you see with a VIN number?

A VIN number can give you a wealth of information about a car. This includes the year and model of the car, the make and model, any recalls or accidents involving the vehicle, salvage status, lien status, service history, previous owners, flood and hail damage, airbag deployment status, warranty information, and more.

Using a free VIN check is an essential step in researching a vehicle before making an informed purchase decision. With so much useful information at your fingertips, it’s well worth taking the time to get your free VIN check today!