{"id":243088,"date":"2020-03-05T07:50:21","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T12:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/3-ways-to-get-a-free-carfax-report-hack-for-absolutely-free-vin-check"},"modified":"2020-03-05T07:50:40","modified_gmt":"2020-03-05T12:50:40","slug":"3-ways-to-get-a-free-carfax-report-hack-for-absolutely-free-vin-check","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/3-ways-to-get-a-free-carfax-report-hack-for-absolutely-free-vin-check","title":{"rendered":"A Ways to Get a Free Carfax Report (&amp; Hack for Absolutely Free VIN Check!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s so important to check a car\u2019s history before you purchase it.<\/p>\n<p>And when it comes to car history reports, there\u2019s arguably no better one than a vehicle history report from Carfax (you know, the company with that cute fox in their TV ads!).<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re the benchmark for all other vehicle history reports, offering a super comprehensive history report of <a href=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/making-money-with-your-car\/\">your car<\/a>.<span id=\"more-14548\"\/><\/p>\n<div readability=\"279.301883715\">\n<p>The only problem is Carfax reports are expensive.<\/p>\n<p>One report will sell you back $39.99.<\/p>\n<p>For three reports you\u2019ll pay $59.99.<\/p>\n<p>And for six reports, you\u2019ll pay $99.99!<\/p>\n<p>So, what if you don\u2019t want to pay that?<\/p>\n<p>Should you just skip the report altogether?<\/p>\n<p>Heck no, and here\u2019s why\u2026<\/p>\n<h2>Why It\u2019s Important to Check a Car\u2019s History<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Its_Important_to_Check_a_Cars_History\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>Buying a used vehicle can save you so much money compared to buying one that\u2019s brand new.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s important you know its history if you\u2019re planning to buy a used car.<\/p>\n<p>Here are a few reasons why knowing a vehicle\u2019s history is so important:<\/p>\n<h3>You can see if the vehicle\u2019s been damaged<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_can_see_if_the_vehicles_been_damaged\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Sure, you can have a good look at a car before you buy it. But, there\u2019s only so much you can tell about what a car\u2019s been through just by looking at it.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, you can\u2019t always depend on the seller or dealership to give you a complete and accurate history of a car.<\/p>\n<p>If you have a report, however, you can see details on any accidents the car has been in and the extent of the damage.<\/p>\n<h3>View odometer history<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"View_odometer_history\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>One thing to keep an eye out for when looking for a used car is the mileage.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, mileage seems too good to be true. Without a Carfax report, you can\u2019t know for sure whether the car\u2019s odometer reading has been rolled back.<\/p>\n<p>Although it\u2019s illegal to change a vehicle\u2019s odometer reading, sellers will sometimes roll it back to increase a car\u2019s value.<\/p>\n<p>When a vehicle is registered and whenever it goes into the shop for maintenance, its mileage is recorded. So, when you view the mileage listings on the car history report, you can make sure that the odometer reading hasn\u2019t been tampered with.<\/p>\n<p>This is so useful because you get a true picture of how many miles a vehicle has actually done!<\/p>\n<h3>You\u2019ll get a clear picture of its ownership history<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Youll_get_a_clear_picture_of_its_ownership_history\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s no other way to tell a car\u2019s ownership history without a Carfax report.<\/p>\n<p>A report can tell you how many owners a car has had, what areas it was driven in, and how long each owner had the car for.<\/p>\n<p>If you see that the used car has had a lot of owners in a short space of time, then this could be a red flag. Knowing a car\u2019s ownership history will give you a better idea of the life expectancy of the car.<\/p>\n<h3>You can see if the vehicle\u2019s been properly maintained<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"You_can_see_if_the_vehicles_been_properly_maintained\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>You may be able to see from a car history report how well a car was maintained. On a Carfax report, you may be able to see things like oil changes and maintenance services that have been performed on the vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>If you can see that maintenance was not performed per schedule, you may be able to get the seller to lower the price, as the car wasn\u2019t properly maintained.<\/p>\n<p>Or, if you can see things like the oil wasn\u2019t changed, then this could indicate future problems and repairs that\u2019ll be needed, which can cost you money!<\/p>\n<p>So, this could help you to decide whether to avoid buying a certain vehicle.<\/p>\n<h3>You\u2019re less likely to waste your money!<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Youre_less_likely_to_waste_your_money\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>The most important reason to get a history report is basically that you want to know what it is you\u2019re buying.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, a used car seems like a great deal.<\/p>\n<p>But once you\u2019ve bought it, the thing breaks down every two seconds, costing you a lot of money.<\/p>\n<p>Sadly, you can\u2019t always take what the seller says at face value.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why having that Carfax report is useful. It makes you so much more knowledgeable about a vehicle\u2019s history, which in turn can indicate how well it will serve you in the future.<\/p>\n<p>That car that seemed like a great deal may turn out to be a dud that\u2019s just going to drain money from your bank account.<\/p>\n<p>A Carfax report can give you a good indication of whether a vehicle is going to serve you well in the future.<\/p>\n<p>So, I really would recommend getting one if you\u2019re looking to purchase a used car.<\/p>\n<h2>What Does a Carfax Report Show You?<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Does_a_Carfax_Report_Show_You\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>As I said before, there are lots of different vehicle history checks you can do.<\/p>\n<p>The most comprehensive though is a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carfax.com\/vehicle-history-reports\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carfax vehicle history report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This report is incredibly detailed and tells you everything you need to know about a vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what a report from Carfax checks for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Major accidents<\/li>\n<li>Multiple owners<\/li>\n<li>Vehicle service<\/li>\n<li>Mileage rollback<\/li>\n<li>Flood damage<\/li>\n<li>Airbag deployment<\/li>\n<li>Mileage rollover<\/li>\n<li>Not actual mileage state owned<\/li>\n<li>Total loss<\/li>\n<li>Rebuilt<\/li>\n<li>Structural damage<\/li>\n<li>Open recalls<\/li>\n<li>Registration history<\/li>\n<li>Warranty information<\/li>\n<li>Salvage titles<\/li>\n<li>Estimated miles driven per year<\/li>\n<li>Last reported mileage<\/li>\n<li>Length of ownership<\/li>\n<li>Commercial or personal use<\/li>\n<li>Service history<\/li>\n<li>Hail damage<\/li>\n<li>Branded a lemon<\/li>\n<li>Junked<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Does Carfax Have a Report for Every Car?<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_Carfax_Have_a_Report_for_Every_Car\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>You\u2019ll find that reports are available for vehicles manufactured since 1981. This was when the 17-character VIN was standardized.<\/p>\n<p>Carfax provides information on cars and light trucks. Reports are powered by the Carfax database. This contains billions of records from more than 100,000 domestic and international sources.<\/p>\n<p>So, yes, it\u2019s pretty comprehensive and the place to go if you want to learn more about a vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Now, to get your report, you\u2019re going to need a VIN.<\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s a VIN?<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_a_VIN\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>A Vehicle Identification Number (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vehicle_identification_number\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">VIN<\/a>) is a 17 digit (letters and numbers) number that all vehicles from 1981 onwards have.<\/p>\n<p>The number includes information on a vehicle\u2019s background, like the manufacturer, model year, and where it was built.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, the VIN records the vehicle\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n<p>You use your VIN when checking your car\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<h2>Where to Find Your Car\u2019s VIN<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_Find_Your_Cars_VIN\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>Okay, so to get your report, you\u2019ll need to find your vehicle\u2019s VIN.<\/p>\n<p>You can find this in a few different places, including off the vehicle and on the vehicle itself.<\/p>\n<p>Off the vehicle, you can usually find the VIN on documentation you have for the car, like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Vehicle title.<\/li>\n<li>Registration card.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/save-money-insurance\/\">Insurance<\/a> documents.<\/li>\n<li>Owner\u2019s manual.<\/li>\n<li>Body shop repair records.<\/li>\n<li>Police reports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can also find the VIN on the car itself. Here\u2019s where to find a VIN on a car:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/good-driver-discounts-list\/\">driver<\/a> side interior dash. This is the most common place to find your VIN.<\/li>\n<li>Under the hood at the front of the engine.<\/li>\n<li>Between your front carb and windshield washer unit.<\/li>\n<li>In the trunk under the spare tire.<\/li>\n<li>In the rear wheel well.<\/li>\n<li>In the driver door jamb (open door).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The DMV has a handy guide for finding your VIN, which you can read <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dmv.org\/vehicle-history\/find-vin.php\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>After you have your VIN, you\u2019ll be able to get your report.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Get a Carfax Report for Free<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Get_a_Carfax_Report_for_Free\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>Okay, so Carfax reports are great. They don\u2019t come cheap though.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, there are a few ways to get one for free.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Shop for a used car with Carfax<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Shop_for_a_used_car_with_Carfax\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Carfax has a ton of used car listings on its site. And every car listed on there comes with a free vehicle history report. You should consider browsing the site if you\u2019re looking to purchase a used car, as you\u2019ll get a report included at no additional cost.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s great, right?<\/p>\n<h3>2. Check with car dealers<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Check_with_car_dealers\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Another option to consider is checking with used car dealerships. If you don\u2019t see a link to a free report on a used car dealer\u2019s website, then reach out to the dealer directly and ask them to provide you with a free Carfax report for the vehicle you\u2019re interested in.<\/p>\n<p>A quick visit to your local car dealership could get you a free report.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Visit online car listing sites<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Visit_online_car_listing_sites\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Some online car listing sites, like AutoTrader and Cars.com, may include Carfax reports at no cost for some used cars.<\/p>\n<p>So, it\u2019s worth having a browse through a few different car listing sites as some do provide reports at no cost.<\/p>\n<h2>Free Carfax Alternative<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Free_Carfax_Alternative\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>There aren\u2019t actually that many ways to get a Carfax vehicle report for free, unfortunately.<\/p>\n<p>So, what can you do?<\/p>\n<p>Well, you\u2019ll be glad to know that there are lots of alternatives to Carfax reports out there.<\/p>\n<p>And they are totally free!<\/p>\n<p>If the options above don\u2019t work for you, consider scrapping the Carfax report altogether and try one of these free alternatives.<\/p>\n<h3>VIN lookup from VINCheck.info<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VIN_lookup_from_VINCheckinfo\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>VINCheck.info provides one of the best alternatives around. It\u2019s VIN Lookup provides you with lots of information about a used vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>Its mission is to make comprehensive vehicle history reports available to as many consumers as possible.<\/p>\n<p>It says that its reports are 100% free with advertisers covering the cost. And, its goal is to ensure people are protected from fraud and unsafe vehicles and to help prevent the resale of stolen cars.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s great about VINCheck.info is that its check is comprehensive, unlike many of the other free report services that are out there.<\/p>\n<p>Enter your VIN on the site, and you\u2019ll get a report that\u2019s similar to a Carfax one, covering things like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Serious accidents<\/li>\n<li>Title brands<\/li>\n<li>Theft<\/li>\n<li>Recalls<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Overall, it\u2019s an awesome service that\u2019s free!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Get your free VIN lookup<\/strong> from VINCheck.info <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vincheck.info\/free-vehicle-history\/free-carfax-report\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Vehicle history report from LemonChecks.com<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Vehicle_history_report_from_LemonCheckscom\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Another place to visit to learn more about your vehicle\u2019s history is LemonChecks.com.<\/p>\n<p>It provides a comprehensive vehicle history report that\u2019s totally free.<\/p>\n<p>Great, right?<\/p>\n<p>Unlike other no-cost reports, it offers a comprehensive look at your vehicle\u2019s history.<\/p>\n<p>Each report checks for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Major accidents<\/li>\n<li>Full title history<\/li>\n<li>Flooded car damage<\/li>\n<li>Odometer rollbacks<\/li>\n<li>Undisclosed liens<\/li>\n<li>Theft<\/li>\n<li>And more!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All you need to do to get your report is visit the site and enter your car\u2019s VIN.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to use and it\u2019s free, so give it a go!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Get your vehicle history report<\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lemonchecks.com\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>iSeeCars VIN Report<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"iSeeCars_VIN_Report\"\/><\/h3>\n<p>Finally, we have the iSeeCars VIN report. It is another free service that gives you a comprehensive vehicle report, similar to a Carfax one.<\/p>\n<p>It is incredibly in-depth, including up to 200 data points!<\/p>\n<p>With the iSeeCars VIN Report, you can get a report from CarFax at no cost included when provided by the dealer or seller \u2013 this means that some reports include a link to a free Carfax report.<\/p>\n<p>Like with the other two sites, just visit the site and enter your VIN to get your report.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Get your iSeeCars VIN report<\/strong> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iseecars.com\/vin\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Free Carfax Hack<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Free_Carfax_Hack\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>This is a hack I found out about on Reddit.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the report, based on your vehicle and location, might be from Carfax or AutoCheck (a big competitor).<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you need to do:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Go to Google and type in \u201c<strong>dealer autocheck inurl:vin<\/strong>\u201d (without the quotes).<\/li>\n<li>Click the first link that pops up.<\/li>\n<li>When you land on the page, look at the URL and you should see a VIN.<\/li>\n<li>Replace that VIN with your own and hit enter.<\/li>\n<li>The results will be a vehicle history report for the car associated with the VIN you entered.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It may not work for you but at the time of writing this post, it still worked. So give it a try.<\/p>\n<p>I am not sure of the legality of it, so please proceed at your own risk.<\/p>\n<h2>Closing Thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Closing_Thoughts\"\/><\/h2>\n<p>Much of the time, Carfax reports aren\u2019t given away at no cost, sadly.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, there are a few ways you can get your hands on one for free, and if you\u2019re unable to get a free Carfax report, consider using one of the free Carfax alternatives that I listed above.<\/p>\n<p>Let us know in the comments section below what your favorite site is for vehicle history reports.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/how-to-get-free-carfax-report\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s so important to check a car\u2019s history before you purchase it. And when it comes to car history reports, there\u2019s arguably no better one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-243088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=243088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/243088\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=243088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=243088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=243088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}