Vehicle history report

A vehicle history report in the United States contains important information about a used vehicle’s past. These reports generally show title records from each state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), along with salvage and insurance total loss records and accident records. This information is useful for buyers when choosing among used vehicles, as it can indicate issues with the vehicle’s safety and value. Additional information in a vehicle history report are ownership changes, and vehicle details decoded from the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) such as year, make, model, and odometer history.

Vehicle history reports are typically available online from several sources. Vehicle history reports are available for automobiles including light trucks and SUVs, motorcycles, recreational vehicles (RVs) and pre-1981 classic cars.

Vehicle history reports

Before purchasing a used vehicle, potential buyers often consider the purchase of vehicle history and title reports and salvage check reports to understand a vehicle’s background history. Users are generally interested in whether a vehicle that is being considered for purchase has been in a severe accident, had its odometer rolled back or has lemon history. Sellers of vehicles also check the history of their vehicle prior to listing for sale so they are prepared to answer questions to the condition of the vehicle or history events. Individual buyers usually buy these reports from either CarFax.com, AutoFax.org, VinAudit.com, MotoSnoop.com, VehicleHistory.com, AutoCheck.com or VINCheckPro.com, MyNRMA.com.au.

Dealers often obtain these reports that provide a detailed background on the used vehicle to show their customers. Dealers also run reports prior to acquiring vehicles at auction or from trade-ins to help ensure they pay a fair market value. Vehicle prices may be adjusted due to history events on any particular vehicle.

A vehicle history report provides information and often detailed records associated with a vehicle’s unique serial number or VIN.

A salvage and VIN check report are abbreviated versions of a vehicle history and title report, which helps consumers understand the severity reported damage associated with a vehicle. It identifies the reported title brands such as salvage or junk, or whether the vehicle has been reported a total loss by an insurance company. These reports can be obtained for passenger cars and light trucks, as well as motorcycles, RVs, heavy trucks, and classic cars.

Vehicle History and Title Report data are gathered from multiple sources including State Departments of Motor Vehicles, automotive auctions, fire and police departments, salvage auctions, rental agencies, automotive recyclers, insurance companies, state inspection stations, manufacturers, and car dealerships.

To obtain a vehicle history and title report, a potential buyer can go online to a reporting service provider and purchase a full report. Some services also offer a lower cost option for a salvage and VIN check report, which has just the major damage history. Salvage and VIN check reports can be accessed online from a number of companies, at varying cost. Used car dealers often provide a report upon request for a specific vehicle as part of the selling process. Consumers can check the validity and date of these reports by running their own report and comparing the results. Old reports may not contain the latest history as the reports are time sensitive. Typically, a consumer is most interested in whether or not the vehicle has been in a severe accident or has been branded as salvage, junk or totalled.

National Motor Vehicle Title Information System

The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) is a program of the U.S. Department of Justice intended to keep and protect consumers from fraud and unsafe vehicles. AAMVA (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) operates the system now.^[1] Federal Law has mandated businesses and agencies such as Insurance Carriers, State Motor Vehicle Tilting Agencies, Auto Recyclers and Junk/Salvage Yards to regularly report to NMVTIS. NMVTIS refers the public to a list of approved private vendors who sell vehicle reports from the NMVTIS database.^[2]

NMVTIS contains title information from states as well as information from insurance carriers, auto recyclers and junk and salvage yards, including over 75 million salvage or total loss records. As of 2014, 96% of US DMV data is represented in the system. NMVTIS offers consumer access to vehicle history information such as a vehicle's current state of title and title issue dates, previous states of title, odometer readings recorded at the time of title issuance, as well as title brands and junk, salvage and total loss records.

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