Three ways to check a used car

Start with whatever you have

A typed VIN, a photo of the plate, or just the seller's photos — all three get you to an answer.

1

Paste a VIN

Got the 17 characters in front of you? Paste them into the search above. Free preview in seconds.

2

Scan from a photo

No typed VIN? Snap a picture of the dashboard plate or door-jamb sticker and we'll extract the 17 characters for you.

3

Inspect from photos

Upload 3–8 photos of the car and get an AI condition report — damage, rust, paint mismatch, tire wear, seller questions.

Browse by vehicle type

VIN location and what shows up on a history report varies by vehicle class. Pick the type you’re shopping for a tailored guide.

Browse by U.S. state

Title brands, odometer rules, and DMV record access vary by state. Jump to your state for a guide tailored to its DMV and registration laws.

U.S. territories

Popular car makes

Every make below has a brand-specific VIN check page with model lineup, where to find the VIN, and a tailored history-report breakdown.

More car makes

New · AI-powered

Pair your VIN check with AI photo inspection

A VIN report tells you what was reported. The AI condition report tells you what the car looks like right now. Together they catch what either one alone would miss.

  • Spot paint mismatch and prior body repair from photos
  • Catch tire wear, curb rash, and rust the VIN report won't show
  • Flag interior wear that doesn't match the claimed mileage
  • Get specific, targeted questions to ask the seller next
Paint mismatch found
Overall: Good
7 photos · 14s

Well-kept sedan showing normal wear for its mileage. One moderate paint finding suggests prior body repair…

0 severe 2 moderate 2 minor 4 positives

Driver fender — paint mismatch

Clear-coat texture and hue differ from adjacent panels.

Front tires — outer-edge wear

Likely alignment or suspension issue.

What your VIN history report includes

Every try.vin report pulls from the same authoritative sources that dealers and auction houses use.

NMVTIS & state DMV data

Title brands, total-loss events, and salvage records from the federal NMVTIS database, state DMVs, insurance carriers, and auction houses — the same sources dealer-grade history services use.

Accidents & odometer

Every reported accident, airbag deployment, and damage event, alongside a full odometer timeline with rollback detection so mileage fraud stands out immediately.

Open safety recalls

Every open NHTSA recall on the specific vehicle with defect descriptions and the manufacturer's free-repair instructions — so you never drive off a lot with an unresolved safety issue.

Why try.vin

Legacy history-report services paywall the basics. We don't.

Actually free

VIN decode, recall check, photo-to-VIN scanner, and AI inspection — all free, no credit card.

NMVTIS + NHTSA direct

Title brands and recalls sourced from the authoritative federal databases — same data used by dealers.

AI-powered inspection

A feature legacy services don't offer: Claude Sonnet evaluates used-car photos like an appraiser.

Under 60 seconds

No signup, no paywall for the basics, no waiting. Paste, scan, or upload — results immediately.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know before running your first VIN check.

Run a free VIN check now

Paste the 17 characters, scan the dashboard plate, or upload photos of the car — the tools are all here, all free.

Inspect from photos