Free VIN Check by State: Instant Vehicle History Lookup

Enter your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) to unlock your FREE vehicle history report

Be confident that the vehicle you’re looking to buy anywhere across the United States is in good standing and condition with an EpicVIN report. Discover the history of your future vehicle, uncover hidden issues, and avoid any unseen costs that could arise.

Your free vehicle history report:

Using the map below, please select any state to receive information and statistics of your target vehicle.

Buying a used vehicle? Inform yourself on common risks

Actual history versus what the seller claims.

You can always compare the actual records with what the seller of the vehicle is claiming in order to fetch a higher price. A car with a clean title in one state may have a history of theft, crashing, or flood damage elsewhere.

Vehicle’s condition and associated risks by location.

Often, a particular state or city can be vulnerable to disasters, accidents, car theft, and more. Dishonest sellers can hide issues from a vehicle’s past by moving it between states.

For example, what are the chances of buying a stolen vehicle in California?

The map below highlights the 10 states with the highest recorded flood-related disasters. The list may surprise some as only two coastal states (Mississippi and Alabama) are listed while the majority of flooding happened inland. Cars with a driving history in these states are more likely to have flood damage.

The resale market offers a second chance to vehicles involved in fatal crashes.

In the table below, we outline states featuring the most and least number of vehicle fatalities in 2016. Vehicles from these states are more likely to have cars involved in these types of collisions.

Statistics for fatalities by state, passenger vehicles and light trucks, 2016

State variations in criteria and title-branding designation.

Used vehicle buyers should keep in mind ‘title brands’ as an important indicator to check for several reasons:

• A state may have its own specific statutory regulations on branding or specific set of title brands;
• Brands provides insight into damage caused by crash, theft, disaster, and other issues;
• Auto insurers may decide criteria to declare salvage status for a vehicle.

For example, one state may use the ‘rebuilt’ brand for a salvaged car that has been restored or rebuilt while another state may use the ‘salvage’ designation for a vehicle in the exact same condition.

Reselling a vehicle with flood damage.

Harvey and Texas were two of the costliest hurricanes in US history that devastated the southern US in 2017. Events like these can greatly influence the history and value of used vehicles for several reasons:

• Every week, more than 17,000 flood-damaged vehicles enter the resale market;
• Florida and Texas mandate branding of affected vehicles as flood-damaged;
• 23% of these vehicles are transferred to new buyers;
• Due to the lack of consistency in regulations governing flooded vehicles, title washing still exists and those cars could be sent to other states with their titles indicated as clean instead of flood-damaged.
• Differences in auto insurance laws by state
• Some liability for medical bills and loss earnings related to crashes and accidents vary by state:
  • Some states are so called ‘no-fault states’, indicating it doesn't matter which driver;
  • Personal injury protection coverage is mandatory in some states and not in others;
  • By default, the cost for vehicle repair is paid for by the at-fault driver.

The requirements of auto insurance:

• In the majority of states, vehicle owners are required to have auto insurance;
• Exceptions are Virginia and New Hampshire that don’t require insurance, though at-fault drivers are still liable;
• Some states offer alternative options like bonds or cash deposits.

The total loss threshold to determine a ‘salvage’ status:

• Thresholds range from 50% to 100% (more information in the table below);
• In Iowa, for example, a ‘total loss’ can be designated when the total cost to repair damage amounts to 50% of a vehicle’s value while in Texas 100% is required;
• Some states do not have a specific threshold and instead use a special ‘total loss formula’ instead that includes the pre-accident value, cost of repairs, and scrap value.

Total Loss Threshold Across the US