Where to find the VIN
- Driver's-side dashboard, visible through the windshield
- Driver's-side door jamb sticker
- Title, registration, and insurance documents — make sure all three match the car
A VIN plate that looks tampered with, re-riveted, or mismatched between the dash and door jamb is a stop-everything red flag: VIN swapping is how professional theft rings retitle stolen cars.
What we check
Theft records, brand history (salvage, flood, rebuilt, lemon), and title status. For deep history including ownership count and accident records, we'll point you to a full paid report — but the theft and brand check is where the catastrophic risk lives, and that's what we surface first.
The free-check trap
Plenty of sites advertise "free VIN checks" that return nothing but the make and model, then upsell you. Our free tier answers the question that actually matters — is this vehicle reported stolen, and is its title branded — before you spend anything.
If your vehicle was stolen
File a police report immediately with the VIN and license plate, then list the vehicle with us so any buyer running a check will see the theft report. Report a stolen vehicle →