Carfax Alternatives
Before buying a used car, getting a comprehensive vehicle history report is crucial to know about the vehicle's past. Carfax Reports remains one of the most popular and widely used car history report services. However, it is not the only provider available on the market that you can use to obtain vehicle history reports. There are now a couple of Carfax alternatives that are gaining recognition while offering competitive features and cost-saving options.
Furthermore, the Carfax vehicle history report is often considered as the benchmark for several other vehicle history report services. Though, the service is quite pricey, and a single report can cost up to $39.99. Some of the widely used alternatives to free Carfax reports include EpicVIN, VinGurus, and VINinspect. In this post, we will explore various features and benefits of these Carfax alternatives. Also, we will provide you with valuable comparisons and expert insights, and help determine the right service to use to get a comprehensive car history report to make your next vehicle purchase.
What Is a Vehicle History Report?
A vehicle history report can be described as a report or document that contains valuable information about the vehicle's past. The vehicle history reports often contain information such as the previous owners, open recalls and damage, maintenance records, mileage readings, repairs, service records, and accident history.
What's more, getting a vehicle history report can be likened to unlocking the secrets of the car's life. You can obtain the free vehicle history report using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate number either online or from car dealers. Using the information available on the car history report, you can assess the vehicle's condition, value, and overall safety. All this information will be crucial to help you make a smart decision when buying used cars or registered vehicles.
What Are the Best Alternatives to a Carfax Report?
Although, Carfax is a renowned vehicle report service. Nevertheless, other alternative options offer competitive features, and free reports, and can help save costs. Here are some substitutes to Carfax that you can consider:
EpicVIN
EpicVIN is an NMVTIS-approved vehicle history provider that offers accurate, current, and genuine information about a car's history. With a database of more than 350 million records, EpicVIN can provide validated and verified information about the vehicle you want to purchase.
In addition, EpicVIN offers a VIN Check by State feature that allows you to ascertain that the used car has a clean title across all states. Also, there is no hidden major accident or damage history about the used car that the seller can conceal from the potential buyer. Above all, EpicVIN is quite cheap and you can get your full report on a budget deal.
Features and Highlights
- Price: $14.99
- VIN Check by State service to ensure a clean car title across all states.
- Provide high-quality pictures of the car on the vehicle history reports.
- Comprehensive information such as past owners, odometer readings, damages, title history, reported accident history, photographs, recalls, and so forth in the reports.
- Offers strong customer support with phone calls and live chat options.
- User-friendly interface with easy-to-understand reports.
- Affordable vehicle data or report with different report options.
VinGurus
Another alternative to free Carfax report for potential car buyers is VinGurus. VinGurus is a great provider that generates accurate information about the history using the car's VIN. Similar to EpicVIN, VinGurus obtains information about a vehicle from reputable state-owned sources such as the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).
Furthermore, all information obtained by VinGurus is verified to ensure that users are not enticed into buying faulty or damaged cars. The service offers various unique features that help rate the overall condition of the car you want to buy. In addition, getting a car history report through VinGurus is quite affordable, and the company offers discounts on bulk car history purchases.
Features and Highlights
- Price: $14.99
- Free basic report with limited details about the car's history.
- Personalized alerts in case the vehicle develops potential issues.
- Report about previous vehicle auctions.
VINinspect
VINinspect is a VIN decoder and lookup service that provides reliable information about a car's history. Through a VIN check report from VINinspect, you can get all the crucial information you need about a vehicle, including the damage history, repairs, photos, odometer readings, and so forth.
Also, VINinspect uses the NMVTIS as the primary source for collecting vehicle history. The provider also obtains information from other credible governments and local sources. The service is very affordable, and the report has no expiry date. However, the service isn't accessible using mobile apps.
Features and Highlights
- Price: $14.99
- Free report (basic) with limited details about the vehicle's history.
- Provides market value estimates and comparable listings.
- Detailed vehicle history reports with car pictures and descriptions of damage.
What to Consider When Choosing a Vehicle History Report Services?
With several options and alternatives on the market today, here are some factors to consider when choosing a vehicle history report provider:
Features: What information is essential to you? Compare the features, reports, and information that each provider offers. You can choose the one that has the car details you need.
Data Sources: However, where the provider sources its data is critical. You can choose a provider that uses approved government agencies, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, insurance carriers, police reports, and reliable local sources like service centers. Such providers often have a more comprehensive car report.
Price: Different providers offer different pricing options. Some providers offer discounts for bulk purchases. Compare the prices and choose one that is within your budget.
Customer Support: Furthermore, it is advisable that you obtain your report from a provider that offers helpful and prompt customer support should you have any inquiries or complaints.
Ease of Use: Also, choose a provider that offers a user-friendly interface. This will make it easy to access and interpret your vehicle history report.
What to Look for in a Vehicle History Report?
Some of the vital information you should look for in vehicle history reports include:
- Title or ownership history
- Title status, such as rebuilt title, salvaged vehicle, water damage title, or junk title.
- Accident history
- Market value
- Damages
- Open recalls
- Routine maintenance history
- Odometer readings
- Repairs
- Service reports
- Car usage – personal, security, or commercial purposes.
- Other information, such as vehicle specifications, original MSRP, and equipment list.
What to Do After Reading a Vehicle History Report?
As mentioned earlier, vehicle reports provide you with valuable and reliable information about a car's history and current condition. After reviewing the report, here's what you should do:
- Evaluate the vital findings in the report, including the service history, title status, accident history, open recalls, and mileage readings.
- Identify any potential red flags or auto fraud in the report.
- Verify the information to know if it's accurate. You can compare it with reports from other vehicle history companies.
- Hire a professional to conduct a thorough pre-purchase inspection.
- Negotiate the price with the private seller or dealership.
- Identify possible issues that require maintenance or repairs using the report.
Final Thoughts
Getting a piece of well-detailed information allows you to make well-informed decisions when in the market for a used car. Whether you're a first-time owner, dealership, or a seasoned car buyer, exploring free Carfax report alternatives can be a wise move to have the most accurate and comprehensive information about the used cars you want to purchase.
Of the Carfax alternative mentioned above, EpicVIN remains a standout option due to its incredible features. With the EpicVIN car history report service, you can get all the information you need about your next vehicle before you purchase it. You can visit the website, input your VIN, get a free title report, and learn more about the car's past.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find the vehicle identification number of your vehicle inside the car, outside the car, or in the documents.
Inside the vehicle:
- Dashboard (readable through the windshield).
- The driver's side door.
- The engine firewall or compartment.
- Under the hood.
- The panel inside the spare tire.
Outside the vehicle:
- Lower corner of the windshield
- The frame at the front of the vehicle
- The engine block
VIN in documents:
- Vehicle title.
- Insurance policy.
- Service records.
Yes, certain limitations can affect the information that a VIN can provide on the car's history. These include:
- Incomplete reporting
- Errors or inconsistencies in data entry
- The limited scope of the free vehicle report
- Limited or no information about the car while in other countries or states.
- Private sales and non-professional repairs or used vehicles.
Yes. If you know the vehicle's VIN code, you can obtain information about the car's manufacturer, year, model, place of manufacture, technical specifications, and other features. With this, you can determine the authenticity of the vehicle's make.
A vehicle's mileage readings or odometer readings indicate the number of miles that a car has traveled. Odometer readings provided in the car's report are often obtained from reliable sources and are generally accurate. However, if the most recent odometer reading is lower than the older or previous readings, this indicates that there has been an odometer rollback or it has been tampered with.
