All that glitters isn’t gold. Sometimes this applies to cars offered at car auctions, since there are plenty of dodgy sellers in the world. They try to hide the real technical condition and criminal history of the vehicle. To avoid such surprises during customs clearance, you need to learn how to check a car using its American VIN code. Such testing will help you avoid buying a completely destroyed car for a lot of money. But first, read up on how to select a used car from the USA. Having made your choice, proceed to a thorough study of the lot you like.
What is a VIN code and where is it located?
VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. During production, each individual vehicle is assigned a unique identification number. It consists of 17 alphabetic and numeric characters. To avoid confusion, it does not use letters such as I, O and Q due to their similarity to some numbers. The unique code consists of four parts:
- Manufacturer’s index (positions 1-3). Country code, company name, production department number.
- Equipment and characteristics of the vehicle (positions 4-8). Model, body type, engine, transmission of the car.
- Control number (9th position). Identification data (positions 10-11): year of manufacture, assembly plant code.
- The last 5 digits (positions 12-17) indicate the serial number of the car.
This way the manufacturer encrypts all basic information about the vehicle in one code. By using this number you easily get all the necessary information about the vehicle, which explains why the popularity of cars from the USA is growing. Also, the use of such a cipher simplifies the operation of many services. The VIN code is entered into the unified register of the State Department. You can find the vehicle identification number:
- under the hood on the front of the engine;
- at the bottom of the windshield opposite the dashboard;
- on the door frame (pillar) on the driver’s side;
- under the floor covering near the driver.
According to production standards, the VIN code is stamped with a special installation on one-piece parts of the body or chassis on nameplates. In addition, the identifier is indicated in the vehicle’s technical passport, registration documents, insurance policy and user manual, if one has been preserved.
💡 One of the ways to check a car from the USA for free is to simply google its VIN code. But paid platforms CARFAX or AutoCheck are considered more reliable sources.
Find Out About Сar’s History by VIN Code
Used broken cars are most often put up for an auction after an insurance event. Some of them have been severely damaged, so they are sold on auctions at low prices. Some resellers buy them, do minimal cosmetic repairs and re-display them on auctions with much higher price. For inexperienced buyers, it’s easy to fall for such lots if you do not understand the decoding of damages at auctions and other designations. However, if you know how to check a car from the USA by VIN code, you will immediately expose such a proposal. Using the VIN decoder, you will receive detailed information about the selected car:
- List of all owners.
- Data on delivery for registration and withdrawal, sales and replacement of the technical passport.
- Information about the equipment and technical condition: mileage, age, damage, repair work, replacement of parts and all malfunctions of the main components.
- The presence of fines, as well as whether the car is currently wanted.
- Occurrence of road accidents in all details and even photo reports of each accident.
Verification servers provide an extended report by date, but only if repair work and service maintenance have been documented.
💡 Special sites will allow you to find out whether the car was previously put up for an auction. Just google: find a car in the statistics of auctions and sales”. On one of these sites, enter the lot number or VIN code in the search bar.
Checking a vehicle using its VIN code makes it possible to track all the changes that the vehicle has undergone during operation. Moreover, the decoder exposes fake VIN codes. Thus, thanks to the data obtained, you will not buy a stolen or potentially dangerous car. Remember, a vehicle that has been in a serious accident may have irreparable damage.
How to Check the History of a Car From the USA by Yourself?
The most popular verification server is the CARFAX. This nationwide database collects all data on vehicles registered in the United States and Canada. By understanding what a CARFAX report is, you can read it correctly and focus on the items you actually need to buy a car from the USA. Using Carfax as an example, we will show how to obtain information about a car’s past:
- go to the CARFAX website (or other similar server);
- enter the VIN code in the search bar;
- select and pay the appropriate fee
- Study the report carefully.
Decoder will provide you with detailed information about the selected car, including photos after each accident, which are usually not publicly available. In this report, pay special attention to the Damage reported entries, because they will help identify several risks associated with purchasing a car. Also, do not miss messages with the words Accident reported (accidents), “ALERT!” and Odometer reading reported (vehicle mileage). Please read all sections carefully:
- Branded Title.
- Damage reported
- Previous owners.
- At least.
- Types of owners
- Last reported odometer reading.
⚠️ Drowned vehicles are considered the most dangerous to operate. Prolonged exposure to water causes irreparable damage to all systems and components of the machine.
A similar reporting algorithm is also provided on the AutoCheck, Market Guide Report and Epic VIN platforms. They are usually used when additional questions about the lot arise after examining the Carfax report. Such cases occur quite rarely and often indicate that the selected lot has serious problems either with the law or with technical characteristics.
Checking a Car With W8 Shipping
If you understand what a car auction is and how it works, you will also understand decoder reports. Please note that no one will provide you any extended vehicle history reports for free. This type of information is considered the property of the companies that collect it. Therefore, resale of information about a vehicle is strictly punishable by law. To ensure that you have the most complete report about the lot, we contact several American car history checking services. We can also provide additional photos (exterior and from inside) or the services of independent experts. Our clients don’t pay extra for the VIN decoder report.
Through comprehensive inspections, we identify vehicles with serious damage, as well as stolen or drowned vehicles. Therefore, with W8 Shipping you buy a car with confidence that you are paying for a high quality, absolutely safe car.
