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Smart VIN Check

Guide

AutoCheck vs VinAudit

AutoCheck is Experian’s report, built for dealers and shoppers comparing cars. VinAudit is an NMVTIS provider that adds its own records. They overlap on title data and part ways on almost everything else.

By Tayron Bram

Updated October 2026 · 4 min read

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Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It decodes as soon as all 17 are in.

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Key takeaways

  • Choose AutoCheck to compare a car with similar ones through its score, or when the car passed through dealer auctions.
  • Choose VinAudit for a low-cost title, lien and total-loss check, or for past sale listings with asking prices.
  • The AutoCheck Score helps you rule cars out on history; VinAudit’s market value estimate helps you judge the asking price. Neither replaces an inspection.
  • A cheap title check can screen several cars, but NMVTIS data doesn’t cover repairs or maintenance: get a full report for the car you’re serious about.
  • Through us, AutoCheck costs $7.99, against $29.99 on autocheck.com.
On this page
  1. The short version
  2. Side by side
  3. The score versus the market value
  4. How they’re sold
  5. Using both

The short version

  • Choose AutoCheck when you want to compare a car with similar ones (the score does that), or when the car passed through dealer auctions.
  • Choose VinAudit when you want a low-cost title, lien and total-loss check, or past sale listings with asking prices.
  • For a car you’re about to pay for, a full report like AutoCheck or CARFAX shows more than a title check, whichever company sells it.

Side by side

A dash means the pages we read didn’t list it. Contents change; check both sites before you buy.
AutoCheckVinAudit
Made byExperianVinAudit, an approved NMVTIS data provider
Data sources namedMotor vehicle agencies, auctions, insurers and other independent sourcesNMVTIS, NICB, NHTSA, FMCSA, other agencies and lenders
A single summary figureThe AutoCheck Score, 1 to 100, with a range for similar carsNone; it offers an estimated market value instead
Auction dataData from most US auction houses, often with structural damage announcementsSalvage auction sales, with the auction company and date
AccidentsPolice-reported accident information for all 50 states and DCAccident records, typically those with a police report
Title brandsSalvage, rebuilt, flood, lemon and odometer problems, among othersProblem checks for flood, fire, salvage, rebuilt and odometer brands
Storm exposureRegistration in FEMA storm damage areas at the time of major storms—
Liens, impound, export—Open liens, impound records and exports
Past sale listings—Dealer and private listings with asking price and mileage
Search byVIN or US plateVIN, or plate in supported states

The score versus the market value

The two extras answer different questions. The AutoCheck Score asks whether this car’s history looks better or worse than similar cars of its age and class, weighing mileage, owners, accidents, brands and use. VinAudit’s market value estimate asks what cars like it sell for. The first helps you rule cars out on history; the second helps you judge the asking price. Neither replaces the other, and neither replaces an inspection.

How they’re sold

  • AutoCheck on autocheck.com: a single report that includes 21 days of data updates, or five reports to use within 21 days. Both are one-time fees.
  • VinAudit: a free summary of the records found, then a single report or packages of five or ten reports.
  • On the prices each company listed on 22 October 2026, a single VinAudit report cost less than a single AutoCheck report on autocheck.com. Check both sites for today’s figures.

Through us, AutoCheck costs $7.99, against $29.99 on autocheck.com.

Our AutoCheck packs bring it to $5.29 a report, with no expiry date.

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Letters and numbers, no I, O or Q. It’s on the dashboard by the windshield, on the driver’s door frame, and on the title.

Using both

Some buyers use a low-cost title check to screen several cars, then buy a full report only for the one they’re serious about. That works as long as you remember what the cheap check leaves out: by design, NMVTIS data doesn’t cover repairs or maintenance. If the car came from Copart or IAAI, add the auction record: neither report shows the lot photos.

Questions

Does VinAudit have a score like AutoCheck?

No. The AutoCheck Score is Experian’s own model. VinAudit offers an estimated market value and ownership cost estimate, which measure something different.

Is AutoCheck an NMVTIS report?

AutoCheck is Experian’s own report, built from the sources Experian lists. If you want a report labelled as NMVTIS data, buy it from a provider on the Department of Justice’s approved list.

Can I buy VinAudit here?

No. We sell AutoCheck, CARFAX and Copart/IAAI auction reports. VinAudit sells its reports on vinaudit.com.

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About the author

Tayron Bram

Data Validation Officer

Tayron Bram is the Data Validation Officer at Smart VIN Check, with 41 years of experience in used-car sales, auto auctions and vehicle data. Tayron has checked thousands of vehicle history reports and worked with dealers importing cars from the US. At Smart VIN Check, Tayron checks that every fact in our guides matches its source, from state title rules to NMVTIS and NHTSA records, and goes back to those sources when they change. Before a guide is published, Tayron reads it the way a buyer would, looking for anything unclear, out of date or not backed by a source. Tayron also keeps the prices we quote from other sellers current, so the comparisons on our pages stay accurate.

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