Vehicle Title Search

Car Title Check – What Is It?

The Vehicle Identification Number is a unique code issued to every vehicle at the factory. Just on its own, this number can tell you a great deal about a vehicle. It contains information on the manufacturer, manufacturing plant, model and equipment. A free title search decodes this information, so you can check the factory information against the state of the car today. This VIN check is handy for identifying major flaws, like changes in paint color and re-badging to make the car look like a higher trim model.

Since no two VINs are alike, this code is also used to identify the vehicle on official paperwork. Using our vehicle title number lookup tool, you can learn more about the car’s history. For a few dollars, you can use this VIN title search to get information gathered from several official sources, giving you a history of the car between now and when it left the factory. This includes registrations, insurance claims, title brands, police reports and much more. 

If you’re selling a vehicle, a title check lets you provide an official history of the vehicle to the buyer. Having a report assures buyers of the car’s condition. This makes the vehicle easier to sell, and it helps you get a better price.

Reasons You Should Use Title Number Lookup

A car title search tells you more about the vehicle’s history than the seller is likely to know. This can uncover important information that determines whether buying a car is a good purchase decision.

While a car may look fine on the surface, poor repairs after accidents can leave behind major problems. If the car is totaled, an unscrupulous seller may resort to title washing. This is when a car is titled in a different state, using differences in state laws to remove title brands. A VIN report gathers information from all state agencies, so it will list these brands, even if they aren’t on the current title.

What happens if you can’t legally own the vehicle? If it has unpaid liens, it might be repossessed by the holder of the loan. If the car was stolen and never recovered, the police can repossess the vehicle and return it to the original owner. Either way, there isn’t much you can do to recover the money you spent. While using a free title check by VIN only gives you basic factory information, a full title check finds police and financial records tied to the vehicle. This way, you’ll know if there will be any legal problems when you purchase and register your new car.

How Do You Do a Title Check by VIN?

To do a vehicle title search, you need to have the VIN number. There are several places you can look to find this number:

• Look through the windshield at the interior. On the driver’s side of the dashboard in the lower corner, you should see the VIN on a small metal plate.
• Open the driver’s door and look at the B pillar. Some companies print the VIN on a sticker that also lists information about recommended tire pressures and weight limits. Other companies put a sticker with the VIN and build information on the side of the pillar, between the front and rear driver’s side doors.
• Open the hood and look around the engine compartment. Manufacturers often stamp the VIN into the firewall or on one of the shock towers. Sometimes, this number is also stamped on the radiator core support or on the engine block.
• To prevent theft, some manufacturers etch the VIN onto glass and add tamper-proof stickers to major body components. However, this isn’t always a reliable source for the VIN. If the car was repaired with salvage parts, these codes might be from a different vehicle. When you look up the VIN, make sure the equipment information matches the vehicle.
• Check the vehicle’s official documentation. The VIN is always printed on the title and on insurance cards. Some dealers and repair shops also print it on receipts.

Once you have the VIN, type it into the search box on our website and click “Check”. When you use a free title check by VIN on our site, it will decode your VIN. This free title search will tell you factory information, including the model, year and engine. This lets you verify that the VIN is correct for the vehicle. From there, you can order a full title check. A paid title lookup gathers information from a variety of sources to build a full history of the vehicle. Shopping around? We offer packages that let you run multiple title searches at a discount.

What Can I Learn from a Car Title Check?

A free vehicle title search tells you the manufacturer information that’s encoded in the VIN. A full car title search uses the VIN to search through government and private databases, compiling information to build a full history report for the car. Here’s what you’ll find on a car title lookup report:

• The ownership history of the vehicle, including when and where the vehicle was purchased each time it changed hands
• Insurance claims, including accident repairs and write-offs title brands, including those issued for salvage, fire damage, flooding, and use as a taxi or police car
• Theft reports, including if the vehicle was recovered
• Odometer discrepancies
• Outstanding liens, which may lead to the vehicle being recovered by the loan issuer
• Manufacturer recalls and active warranties
• Market value based on sales of vehicles with a similar history