12 CARFAX Alternatives to get your Free Vehicle History Report
Ever find yourself wondering, Can I get a Free Carfax Report? The good news is, you totally can! But, if you’re looking for an alternative to an expensive Carfax report of your vehicle history, then we have some suggestions for you! These Car fax Alternatives will save you some cash, and give you a little more peace of mind when buying a used car. They’re easy to use, and everyone can get free car VIN searches.
When you’re in the market for a new-to-you — or used — car, it helps to know the car’s history. Things like whether it’s been in an accident, how many miles it really has on it, etc. Searching for a used car on eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace? Finding these things out before you buy can save you a ton of money and headaches! That’s why hundreds of thousands of people turn to them. But getting a Carfax for each vehicle you look at can get expensive! That’s why we’re so excited about these Free Carfax Alternatives.
How to Get a Carfax Report for Free?
Of course, you can also get a free Carfax report using the tips in our Ultimate Guide to getting a free Car Fax. But, if you just want a vehicle report without any hassle, be sure to check out our top Car Fax report alternatives, too!
Free Carfax Report Alternatives
So, how do I get a free carfax report? You could try these other, free vehicle history reports:
You can use all of these suggestions for free carfax report to research a vehicle’s VIN – and in some cases you can search license plates – totally free.
Here’s a chart showing where to get free Carfax report Alternatives. Please note that the offers which are not free are for comparison and for your information. Some claim to be free, and aren’t.
| Type | Cost | Link | Name | Important Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carfax | $44.99 | link to Carfax | Carfax | |
| Carfax | $0 | link to our tips for a FREE Carfax | Free Carfax | |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 Limited to 5 lookups per IP address per day | link to NICB | NICB | NICB VINCheckRun by the National Insurance Crime Bureau, this tool reveals theft or salvage title status. Up to 5 free searches per IP per day—no signup required |
| Carfax Report Alternative | * no longer works * | Vehicle History | ||
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | link to Iseecars.com | I See Cars | Provides market value estimates, theft flags, open/past recall status, depreciation info, and basic accident warning. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | link to Vincheckpro.com | Vin Check Pro | |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | link to Vincheck.info | Vin Check Info | Offers a full vehicle history report (via email) without any payment needed. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | Link to Vin Pit | VIN Pit | Covers mileage verification, ownership history, recalls, hidden damage, and basic specs. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | Link to JD Powers | JD Powers | Offers free decoding of the VIN into specs, features, and recall status - basic results. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | link to our review on Ford ETIS | Ford ETIS (Ford vehicles only) | |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | link to LemonChecks.com | Lemon Checks | This used to be free, however, it now links to Vin Checkup which will cost you almost $10. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $1 | link to Vinhistoryusa.com | Vin HIstory USA | This one only costs $1, but they advertise as "absolutely free" and that's not totally free. It's annoying. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $1 | link to Vincheckguru.com | Vin Check Guru | Another one that claims to be a "free vin lookup that works", makes you wait while its "third eye searches" and then costs $1. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $2.95 | link to infotracer.com | Info Tracer | Another one that claims to be a "free and unlimited searches", makes you wait while it searches and then costs $2.95. But, if you try to leave they'll offer you the report for $1. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | Link to Vehicle Databases VIN lookups | NHTSA | Offers details like manufacturer, model year, engine, plant codes, and recalls. |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $0 | Link to Vehicle Databases Recall List | NHTSA | Operated by the U.S. Department of Transportation, it provides manufacturer recalls and basic vehicle specs |
| Carfax Report Alternative | $9.95 | link to Vincheckup.com | Vin Checkup |
These are my personal favorite way to get a free vehicle history report, without paying for a Car Fax. Imagine doing a VIN Search and not having to pay $45 or more. Sweet! That can get expensive when you’re looking at dozens of cars!
Why Do These “Free” Vin Lookups Try to Charge Me?
While some websites claim to have free VIN lookups, they require that you create an account, give them all kinds of information, and then spam you forever via email or other. Is that really free? Well, yes and no.
Compared to signing up for an account on Carfax and receiving lots of marketing email AND paying for a report – yes, the others are free.
What do you actually get for free? Some services offer free VIN lookups. They find basic information about the vehicle, but to get any details, you have to pay. Is that free? Well, arguably, they do find basic info. But, if you’re like me, that’s not what you’re here for. And, no, that’s not a free Carfax Alternative Report.
My best advice for a free VIN lookup and Carfax Alternative Report is iSeeCars.com or Vincheck.info. VehicleHistory.com was previously my recommendation, but that website seems to be gone.
| Service | Theft/Salvage | Recalls/Specs | Accident/Title | Mileage/Ownership | Market Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NICB VINCheck® | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| NHTSA VIN Decoder | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| VinCheck.info | ✅ (limited) | Basic | Basic | Basic | ❌ |
| VinPit | ❌ | ✅ | Some | ✅ | ❌ |
| iSeeCars (summary level) | ✅ | ✅ | Basic flags | ✅ | ✅ (estimate) |
| J.D. Power Lookup | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Where can I find my VIN?
Of course, the Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN is something you’ll definitely need in order to do these free Carfax alternatives. A VIN can often be found on the driver-side door. Look for it near where the door latches as well as on the lower-left hand corner of the dashboard, in front of the steering wheel. If you own the car, you can find it on the title, registration card or insurance documents. If you need more ideas on where to find your VIN, check out our Ultimate Guide to getting a free Carfax report.