Check a used car before you buy
A used car can look perfect and still have a washed title, a rolled-back odometer, or flood damage. Start with its VIN, the 17-character ID every car has.
Last reviewed: October 1, 2026. How we review this guidance. Rules and fees can vary by state, lender, dealer, and vehicle.
Enter the VIN
Confirm what car the VIN belongs to, see its safety recalls, and check its title history before you pay.
The free lookups go straight from your browser to NHTSA; we don't store your VIN. Privacy. Prefer VINsmart's own site? Open VINsmart ($9.95 per report).
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What each check tells you
No single check covers everything. Together they catch most of the problems sellers don't mention.
- VIN matchFree, above
- Confirms the year, make, and model. If it doesn't match the listing, the VIN is mistyped or the car isn't what the seller says.
- Safety recallsFree, NHTSA
- Shows recalls that were never repaired on this exact car. Recall repairs are usually free at a dealer for that brand.
- Title history$9.95, VINsmart
- Salvage, rebuilt, flood, and junk titles, insurance total losses, odometer readings, and liens, from the federal NMVTIS title database.
- Theft and insurance recordsFree, NICB
- Stolen-and-not-recovered, salvage, and flood reports from participating insurers.
- InspectionA mechanic you choose
- The car's actual condition today: leaks, rust, worn parts, and signs of accident repairs. No database shows this.
Problems a title check can catch
Washed title
A car branded salvage or flood in one state gets re-titled in another state that doesn't carry the brand over, so the new title looks clean. A title history across states shows the old brand.
Flood car
After hurricanes and floods, water-damaged cars are cleaned up and sold far from where they flooded. Insurers often report them as total losses, and those records follow the VIN.
Rolled-back odometer
NHTSA estimates more than 450,000 cars are sold each year with false odometer readings, and digital odometers are even harder to check by eye. A reading lower than an earlier recorded one is a red flag.
Cloned VIN
Thieves put a legitimate car's VIN on a stolen car of the same model. Check that the VIN on the dashboard, the driver's door label, and the title all match exactly.
Lien still on the title
If the seller still owes money on the car, the lender may hold the title. Make sure the loan is paid off and the title is released before you pay, especially in a private sale.
A clean report is not a clean car
Accidents that never went through insurance, and repairs a seller paid for in cash, usually never reach any database. That's why the last step is always an independent inspection by a mechanic you choose, before you pay.
Sources & Further Reading
- U.S. Department of Justice: Understanding an NMVTIS vehicle history report
- U.S. Department of Justice: Approved NMVTIS data providers
- NHTSA: Check for recalls
- NHTSA: Odometer fraud
- NHTSA: VIN decoder (vPIC)
- NICB: VINCheck
- FTC: Buying a used car from a dealer
These sources explain general rules. Check current requirements in your state and the terms in your own paperwork.