Accident history check by VIN

What a report can show

A full history report draws on many sources, including state title records, insurers, auctions and service shops. The FTC says a report might include whether the car was in any accidents, its repair records and whether it was ever declared salvage. Look for:

• Reported accidents and damage, with the date and whatever detail the source gave.
• Total-loss and salvage records. NMVTIS notes that a car declared a total loss has generally had severe damage.
• Title brands from any state, such as salvage, rebuilt or flood.
• Auction sales, including salvage auctions where damaged cars are sold.
• Service and repair records, where shops report them.

What a report can’t show

A report only knows what was reported to it. NMVTIS says this plainly about its own data: earlier significant damage may not appear if the car was never declared a total loss by an insurer or branded by a state. It adds that private history databases can have the same gaps. So a report can miss:

• A crash paid for privately, with no insurance claim.
• Repairs at shops that don’t send records to history providers.
• How well the car was repaired, and with which parts.
• Damage from after the last recorded event.

Structural damage and airbags

Two kinds of damage deserve extra attention, because they affect how the car protects you in the next crash.

Structural damage means the frame or the body structure was bent, cut or replaced, not just a bumper or a door. Texas DMV warns that a misaligned frame can cause excessive wear and strain on the drivetrain, wheels, tires and brakes. California’s DMV lists signs of major repairs on the inner fender structures among the clues to a hidden salvage history.

Airbag deployment means the airbags had to be replaced. NHTSA has warned about counterfeit replacement airbags that, in its tests, malfunctioned in ways ranging from not deploying to expelling metal shrapnel. It listed buyers of used cars that may have had an airbag deployment before purchase among those who may be at risk.

An accident record may mention structural damage or airbag deployment when the source reported that detail. If it doesn’t, that isn’t proof either way, so ask your mechanic to check both.

How to check a car’s accident history

1. Make sure the VIN on the dashboard, the driver’s door frame and the paperwork match. See what a VIN is.
2. Get a full history report and read the accident, title and auction sections together. A minor accident followed by a salvage auction sale tells a different story from a minor accident alone.
3. If the car was sold through Copart or IAAI, the Copart report or IAAI report shows the damage recorded at sale and the photos taken on the lot.
4. Have an independent mechanic or body shop inspect the car. Texas DMV advises doing this before you sign any paperwork or pay any money, including a down payment.

A CARFAX report here costs $14.99, against $44.99 on carfax.com.

Why you still need an inspection

The FTC and NMVTIS say the same thing: a vehicle history report is not a substitute for an independent inspection. The report tells you what happened on record. The inspection tells you the car’s condition today, including damage nobody reported.

Ask the inspector to look for repainted panels and uneven gaps, welds or replaced structural parts, and airbag covers that look resealed or badly fitted. Bring the report and any auction photos so they know where to start.