Carfax is used by people who are buying a used vehicle, especially from an independent seller. This practice is more common in most of the countries than you might think. This is where Carfax comes into action, it provides your vehicle’s information and its history from the time it was first bought. So before spending your big bucks on a vehicle, you will have the full vehicle history on your hand. The way it works is, the site will ask for a unique 17 digit VIN(Vehicle Identification Number) that is located in your vehicle and its documents.

Now there is nothing wrong with Carfax, it will tell you about particular car accidents, number of owners or if it has any stolen entries and much more in one report. But the catch is you will have to pay $39.99 for one report or $59.99 for five. It will only tell you the car model for free, that you already know. There are many other vehicle history reports websites that will tell you more for free or at a way cheaper price. So we have come up with its substitutes for you to consider.

Carfax Alternatives

1. AutoCheck

This vehicle history reports website is a lot cheaper than Carfax in terms of price. A single report can be obtained for $24.99 and for $49.99, you can search up to 15 vehicles. If you don’t want to go into details then you can use it for free to get a model, engine, and country of origin for any number of vehicles. You can also get this information by entering the license plate number if you don’t have the VIN  with you.

This is better in many ways as it lets you get all this information on your Android and iOS devices via its mobile application. It will scan the VIN and create an AutoCheck score that tells you how reliable a vehicle is and minimize your risk while buying it. AutoCheck offers Buyback protection for registered and qualified vehicles. Additionally, it will get you a list of similar cars in its category based on your AutoCheck score. They also have a vehicle and reputed websites listing for you to buy cars online.

Go to AutoCheck

2. Driving Tests

Unlike other websites in this category, Driving Tests offers VIN decoder and lookup for free. You can get all the information and reports you want without paying a dime. It’s a very simple and straightforward website that will ask for a VIN and search for it. In the search result, you will get a 3D image of the vehicle, official data of the vehicle from NHTSA, most recent recalls and most recent complaints of the vehicle.

Now all this information is sourced from the official government database and the complaints are not specific to that particular vehicle but by the owners who own the same model. But considering it is a free platform, it is providing more information than it should so you can’t really complain. This website mainly offers free state wise DMV practice tests to increase your chances of passing one and getting your driving license.

Go to Driving Tests

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3. VINCheck.info

This is another Carfax alternative if you want the vehicle history report for free. Along with vehicle history report, it offers you vehicle specification, impounds and towing events, vehicle sales history, and vehicle theft check. It will also determine its market value based on a similar model sold and its invoice price. You don’t have to register for this data as it is sourced from NMVTIS.

Plus, it will provide you an inspection checklist to perform a self-inspect on the vehicle. You can check every aspect of the exterior, tires, brakes, steering, engine, suspension etc. with the help of that checklist. It also has a free license plate lookup and a list of best-selling cars in each of their categories. VINCheck.info is the best one out there that gives you all the premium features for free, without the hassle.

Go to VINCheck.info

4. AutoFax

Autofax is a lot cheaper than Carfax and even cheaper than AutoCheck. With $8.99 it will show you a detailed report on any vehicle that includes the title of the car, its past owners and odometer records, flood damage, and accident history by performing a VIN check. They don’t tell you to create an account and refunds your money if they couldn’t find any records of your vehicle. In the report, they also provide the vehicle’s AutoFax score based on their own inspection.

It is downloadable from the App Store for iOS devices has been featured in the most popular apps. You can also get free vehicle history reports by earning referral credits when you refer it to others. Before paying for a report, you can check the sample report provided by this website to see if your requirement checks out in the sample report or not.

Go to AutoFax

5.VINCheck

It is free service provided by NICB that lets you see the vehicle history and report. They take their data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau to ensure buyers that they are not buying a stolen vehicle. You can do a check on any vehicle through its VIN code but you can only check up to five vehicles in the 24-hour period from your IP address.

This service focuses more on theft and loss record of a vehicle and identifies if the vehicle has ever been stolen or salvaged. So if you don’t want to go through every little detail about the vehicle and straight up want to ensure if you’re buying the right vehicle then this is for you. If you want to do the same for a motorcycle then go to their service called CycleVIN.

Go to VINCheck

6. VinAudit.com

VinAudit is a paid service but comparatively asks a very low amount than Carfax. The website claims to offer “one of the most comprehensive US vehicle history reports” and is approved by NMVTIS. It provides you report on all the critical issues check that has been done on the vehicle. Like flood damage, fire damage, hail damage, odometer tempering and much more. Most importantly, it lets you know the vehicle possession status to save you from the headache of transferring a vehicle.

It has free tools for looking up the models market value and what it will cost to own it for 5 years. It will cost you $9.99 to order and view 1 vehicle history report, that you can download and print. If you are not sure you can also see a sample report before buying one.

Go to VinAudit.com

7. VINSmart

It is just like all the other websites on this list with an exception that it lets you get your vehicle history through Android and iOS devices. They also provide their information from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) which contains data from vehicle agencies, insurance carriers, and salvage auctions. The reports are not free and cost $9.95 for one report, $6.95/report for up to 9 reports and $5.95/report for more than 9 reports. So you will save more if you buy credits for more volume. Your credits will never expire so you can save them to use next time you buy a vehicle.  It is a good option for checking a vehicle history on the go through your smartphone.

Go to VINSmart

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Conclusion

So this was our compiled list of Carfax alternatives to help you. In order to determine what is best for you, we advise you to go through the consumer reviews and trusted vehicle history partners. So next time you are on Craigslist or on a website selling a vehicle, ask your seller for VIN and use any of these platforms to avoid future problem associated with buying used cars. We would be glad to answer any of your queries regarding vehicle history reports websites.