Full vehicle history report (accident, title & mileage)
VinSleuth shows you everything NHTSA gives away free — specs, recalls, complaints, crash ratings. But three things matter most when buying used and they aren't in that free data: reported accidents, title brands (salvage, flood, rebuilt), and odometer/mileage history. Here's the honest picture of where that comes from.
Why we don't show accident or title history
Accident records, salvage and flood title brands, and odometer readings live in NMVTIS (the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System) and commercial databases. That data costs money to access, and we don't have it. Rather than fake it or upsell you on data you might already be able to check, we tell you plainly: this half is paid.
What a paid history report covers
- Title brands — salvage, flood, rebuilt, junk, lemon-law buyback.
- Reported accidents and damage — from insurance, police, and auction records (coverage varies by provider).
- Odometer history — to catch rollback or mileage discrepancies.
- Ownership & use — number of owners, personal vs. fleet/rental/taxi.
What to know before you pay
No single report is complete — providers pull from different sources, so a clean report is reassuring but not a guarantee. The cheapest NMVTIS-based reports (around $2–$10) often cover title and odometer well; pricier services add maintenance records and dealer data. Always pair any report with an independent pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic.
Free checks you should still do first
Before paying for anything, run the VIN through our free decoder to confirm the specs match the listing, check open recalls, and review owner complaints. If a seller's described year/trim doesn't match what the VIN decodes to, that's a red flag worth more than any report.
General source notes
Site-wide source notes dated
June 2026
Publisher
VinSleuth editorial desk
These general notes do not verify a vehicle. Use the source and retrieval dates shown with each result, and confirm VIN applicability and repairs with the manufacturer.
Primary data sources
- NHTSA vPIC VIN decoding API
- NHTSA recalls and safety-ratings data
- NHTSA complaints and public vehicle datasets where shown
VinSleuth aggregates free public NHTSA data. It is not a complete vehicle history report and does not include accidents, title brands, liens, odometer events or ownership history.