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5 VIN Check Decoders to Find Out Your Used Car's History in Europe
Find out your used car's history with the help of these 5 VIN decoders. VIN decoders allow you to get a vehicle history report to avoid buying or selling cars with accident history, mileage fraud, or hidden damages.
VIN number check tools are one of the most effective ways to reduce risk when buying a used car online.
A reliable VIN check gives you access to key information about a used car's history. Whether it has been in a major accident, shows signs of mileage fraud, or has other hidden issues—these are details you want to know before making a purchase.
VIN decoders help uncover this information quickly and easily.
Before we look at five of the most trusted tools available, let’s start with the basics: what is a VIN?
What is a VIN number and how to decode it?
VIN is short for Vehicle Identification Number.
You can think of it as your car's fingerprint. It is a unique combination of 17 characters assigned to every vehicle. It includes details such as the manufacturer, model, body style, engine type, and more. No two vehicles share the same VIN.
Here is a complete analysis of a VIN number:
VIN is a complete and comprehensive identification of your vehicle and its history.
Everything that has ever happened to a vehicle, like accidents, insurance claims, or even thefts, will be recorded through the car’s VIN.
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Where can you find the VIN number?
The VIN can usually be found in these two places:
- In front of the driver - where the window and the dashboard meet.
- Inside the driver’s door - where it latches when it’s closed.
If you're purchasing a vehicle through eCarsTrade, he VIN is displayed in every car listing.
Simply navigate to any of our cars and locate it in the Car Profile section under the photo gallery (make sure you’re registered first!).
Now that you know what a VIN is and where to find it, the next step is using it to learn more about the car’s background.
By entering the VIN into a VIN number lookup tool, you can access key details about a vehicle’s history.
This is especially useful for car traders who purchase multiple vehicles at once and may not have time to inspect each one in detail. A good VIN decoder can quickly highlight any major issues—such as accident history, mileage inconsistencies, or theft records.
Here’s a quick overview of 5 best VIN checkers that can help you find out your car’s history:
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1. carVertical |
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2. CARFAX |
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3. autoDNA |
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4. Vincario |
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5. Cebia |
5 Best VIN Check Decoders for Europe in 2025
1. carVertical
For anyone looking for a trusted European VIN decoder, carVertical is a data-driven platform that pulls car data from "from 900+ international databases belonging to national car registries, insurance companies, law enforcement agencies, official garages, and other institutions.”, as stated on their website.
CarVertical reports show if your car has been involved in any accidents, if it’s been stolen or if its mileage has been faked.
They also provide the world’s first blockchain-based car reports. This means the information you get has not been manipulated in any way.
The reports won’t just tell you what’s wrong with the car but also will give you general advice on when to perform the next maintenance, common faults of that particular car model, average market price, and archive photos.
Price: The price for one report is 24.99€. Two reports are priced at 31.98€, and three at 38.97€.
2. CARFAX
CARFAX is a well-established vehicle history report provider with over 30 years in the industry. It gathers data from more than 100,000 sources like “international data sources, such as governments, insurance companies, and automobile manufacturers.”
CARFAX is famous for its detailed car history reports which include number of owners, odometer manipulation, vehicle age, detailed damage reports, etc.
It also gives you access to a cross-border car history database, which is particularly beneficial for tracking vehicles that have been registered in multiple countries.
However, due to privacy regulations, the database can’t provide information on cars that have never left Germany.
Price: The price for one report is 39.99€. Three reports are priced at 49.99€, and five at 74.99€.
3. autoDNA
autoDNA partners with Autocheck to provide car history reports on vehicles in Europe, Canada, and the US.
Founded in 2010, autoDNA has one of the largest used car databases in the world with around 4 trillion records. Its website has many useful features to help you check your vehicle history.
Through the platform, you can get information about the full vehicle history, odometer manipulation, accident reports, archive photos, whether the vehicle has been used as a taxi, etc.
Price: The price for reports starts from 19.99€.
4. Vincario
VIN Decoder by Vincario is a VIN decoder that is especially useful for car traders and automotive professionals who handle large volumes of vehicles. The service offers free decoding for up to 20 VINs, providing basic details such as make, model, and engine type
By registering, you gain access to advanced features such as information from stolen databases, VIN API, and search history.
Price: First 20 reports are free. For 200 reports, the price is 54€. For 1000 reports, the price is 220€.
5. Cebia
Based in Prague, Cebia is a Czech VIN number lookup service operating in 20 countries. It is particularly beneficial for vehicles registered in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, thanks to its collaboration with the Czech advertising site sauto.cz, allowing users to include Cebia reports directly in their vehicle ads.
The basic report provides essential details such as brand, model, historical records, and theft and lease information (specific to the Czech Republic and Slovakia).
For more comprehensive data, including detailed vehicle history and mileage verification, an upgraded report is available.
Price: Prices start at 23.90€.
CarVertical vs Carfax vs AutoDNA vs Vincario vs Cebia
Let's take a look at how each of these VIN check tools compare to each other, from which markets they cover to the starting prices of reports.
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| Coverage | Europe, US, UK, Australia | Europe, US, Canada | Europe, US | Worldwide | Europe, US |
| Included in the report | Damages, accidents, mileage fraud, theft, recalls, taxi use | Damages, accidents, mileage fraud, theft, recalls, import history | Damages, accidents, mileage fraud, theft, recalls, taxi use | Theft check, odometer reading, vehicle market value | Damages, accidents, mileage fraud, theft, recalls, taxi use |
| What makes it different? | Mobile app; data from 900+ databases | Market presence for 30+ years | One of the largest used car databases | API integration for bulk reports | For Czech+Slovakia primarily; integration with sauto.cz |
| Special pricing for B2B clients | Starting from 99.90€ for 10 reports | Starting from 199€ for 20 reports | Starting from 259€ for 20 reports | Custom offer | Custom offer |
| Starting price per report | 24.99€ | 39.99€ | 19.99€ | 54€ | 23.90€ |
Is there such a thing as a free VIN check decoder?
You might have noticed that when you google “free VIN decoders”, it’s really difficult, if not impossible, to find any VIN check tools that are actually free. Why is that?
European Court of Justice ruled in January 2024 that vehicle identification numbers (VINs) are now considered personal data under EU privacy law (GDPR).
VINs can be linked to vehicle registration documents, which often list the owner's name and address. This means anyone with a VIN might be able to figure out who owns the car.
As a result, companies offering VIN checks must follow strict data protection rules. These rules, and the cost of following them, make it tough for companies to offer VIN checks for free.
Thankfully, we’ve listed many affordable VIN check tools for you to choose from!
What van a VIN report tell you?
As a used car trader looking to buy reliable, inspected vehicles, VIN reports are crucial for you to make informed decisions, avoid risks in online auctions, and maximize profits.
The precise structure of details differs from provider to provider. However, most VIN reports cover the following elements:
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Technical information: Fuel type, engine characteristics, equipment, original manufacturing details.
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Ownership history: How many owners the car has had and whether it was a private, business, or rental vehicle.
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Accident history: Whether the car was involved in accidents.
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Mileage records: Verified odometer readings to prevent odometer fraud.
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Service history: Shows you how well the car was cared for.
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Theft reports: Whether the car is flagged as stolen in any country.
Keep in mind that VIN checkers don’t inspect cars themselves. Instead, report providers check thousands of databases and records to gather the details about the vehicle.
Still, having all this information in one report saves you time and effort, so it’s always better to pay for a comprehensive report than to risk missing important details.
What should car traders look for in VIN reports?
When private buyers get a VIN report for the car they’re interested in, they often focus on things like accident history or mileage to ensure they’re buying a reliable car. But car traders approach VIN reports even more strategically.
For traders, the key is using the information to assess market value and identify potential profit opportunities, as well as spot any red flags that might impact resale or refurbishment costs.
Traders often prioritize:
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Damage history: Helps you assess if repairs are needed and estimate refurbishment costs.
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Country of origin: Some vehicles are more desirable in certain markets due to taxes, import rules, or brand perception.
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Previous ownership type: Whether the car was part of a fleet, a taxi, or privately owned can influence its resale value.
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Optional extras and features: Things like heated seats, premium audio, or advanced safety features can add significant value.
Each of these elements can increase or decrease the car’s resale value, so make sure you analyze VIN reports thoroughly to maximize your opportunities.
Let’s buy a VIN report for eCarsTrade vehicles!
Let’s say you’re eying some cars on eCarsTrade to stock your used car dealership. You’ve bought two VIN reports: one from CarVertical, and the other from CARFAX. Here’s what they reveal and how they compare.
Mileage records
For starters, both reports include odometer readings, as that’s probably the first thing people check when evaluating how much a car has been used.
CarVertical provides a clear timeline chart that makes it easy to spot irregularities over time. There’s also a comparison between the car’s actual mileage and the typical mileage for this model, helping you quickly identify any discrepancies.
CARFAX, on the other hand, offers a simpler, less visual version of odometer readings.
Besides mileage charts, both reports provide tables with an overview of workshop visits, showing when and at what mileage the car was serviced.
Damage history
If you’re buying cars for parts or refurbishing, damages won’t be a deal breaker. But if you’re looking to resell cars quickly, then you need to ensure that any past damage is minimal or properly repaired.
CarVertical has a visual representation of damage locations. In this case, there were no damages, so the report clearly highlights a “no damage found” status.
However, if there were damages, the report would show a diagram similar to the one below.
The report also shows an estimate of repair costs, along with details about the type of damage.
CARFAX has a simplified approach to providing the same information—it gives a simple text-based confirmation of “No structural damage reported”. Any damages would be neatly listed in the “Damage overview” table.
While the two reports differ in style, both make it easy to verify the damage history.
Ownership details
CARFAX provides yet another helpful table that summarizes the car’s ownership. You can see if the vehicle was used commercially or privately and when it changed hands.
Service records and inspections
Whenever you’re buying used cars, you should check how well they’ve been maintained to avoid unexpected repair costs. That’s why we provide service history overviews in most of the car listings available on eCarsTrade, whether they’re sold through auctions or fixed-price deals.
The CARFAX report also excels here, with a detailed list of service and maintenance events.
The super helpful thing is that you don’t just get service dates—you also see the mileage at each visit. This helps you track the car’s maintenance over time and quickly spot any gaps or unusual patterns.
Car photos
As a used car dealer, you’re already aware of the role that great car photos play in increasing sales.
CarVertical also knows how much buyers appreciate seeing a car’s condition upfront, so their VIN reports include plenty of photos of the car’s exterior, interior, and any damage points. This makes it easy to evaluate the car without seeing it in person.
For instance, this particular report has as many as 58 photos!
They provide an extra layer of assurance, and you can use them to spot inconsistencies between the report details and the actual condition of the car.
Use VIN reports to make informed decisions
With just 17 characters, you can learn so much about a vehicle’s history and condition.
So, every time you’re sourcing cars for your dealership, remember that a good VIN report helps you spot opportunities and avoid costly mistakes.
Use the data to verify mileage, check for damages, and understand a car’s past before committing. Combine this with photos and service records to make confident, informed decisions.
All things considered, you should make buying VIN reports a regular part of your purchasing process!
Start decoding VIN numbers
If you’re in the car reselling business or work in the automotive industry, using VIN reports is essential.
At eCarsTrade, the VIN is visible directly in the car description, along with detailed photos to help assess the vehicle’s condition.
But if you’re purchasing cars from other sources, having access to a reliable VIN number lookup tool becomes even more important—especially when buying online without seeing the vehicle in person.
We’ve also published a separate guide on how to evaluate a used car, which you might find useful.
A reliable online VIN decoder can give you access to critical information—from past damage to mileage inconsistencies—which helps build trust with your customers and supports long-term business growth.
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20 март 2025
