About us

Advantages

Affiliate Program

carVertical Affiliate Program Terms of Service (Agreement)

Blog

For Business

Contacts

Cookie Policy

Feedback

Gift

Giveaway Rules

Help

Partner With Us

Motorcycle VIN decoder New Zealand

New Carvertical

Honda VIN Decoder

Precheck

Press area

Pricing

Privacy policy for users of the website/app services

Privacy Policy Candidates

Refund Policy

Report

Sample report

Information Security Policy

Subscription Terms and Conditions

Subscription Service Terms and Conditions

Terms & Conditions

Remove Your Data

Privacy notice on the processing of vehicle data

VIN Decoder New Zealand

Karolis Bareckas

Checking a car’s history online is a proven way to avoid vehicles with fake mileage and hidden damage. It’s no secret that a full carVertical history report costs money, but there are ways to get it for free. In this article, we’ll explain how to get a free carVertical report and mitigate the risk of getting a bad deal.

Check any VIN to learn a vehicle's history!

Afraid of buying a wreck?

What is a carVertical car history report?

carVertical car history report is a collection of historical records about a used car, which can help you decide if it’s a good deal. All you need is a vehicle registration mark or VIN to generate a full history report, which can reveal 

mileage discrepancies, previous accidents, and other valuable information.

Whether you get a free carVertical history report from the seller (or dealership) or buy it yourself, it will give you an overview of a vehicle’s past with all the available information collected from over 900 databases. Check out our 

How to get a free car history report from carVertical

1. Get a free carVertical report by asking the seller to give you one

Since car history reports have become increasingly popular in the last decade, many buyers provide free carVertical reports to prove their honesty. This may be mentioned in the ad to create a sense of trust and attract more potential buyers. However, even if a report isn’t provided, you can ask the seller for it directly.

2. Buy from our partner dealerships to get a free carVertical report

carVertical partner dealerships take the quality of their cars seriously and provide buyers with a free carVertical report to enhance transparency.

These dealers typically have carVertical flags or other brand material on their premises, signifying a partnership with our company. All the cars they sell are accompanied by a free car history report, so you can effortlessly check the history of multiple cars.

3. Look for carVertical badges and integrations in online marketplaces and classified ad websites

When browsing online car marketplaces and classified ad portals, look for the carVertical logo in the ad because it indicates our partners. When buying a car from these dealers, you’ll get a free carVertical report beforehand to see its historical records.

How does a carVertical vehicle history report help when buying a used car?

A full carVertical report can help you decide if the car is worth the asking price. Classified ad websites are full of vehicles with questionable history records, making it hard to find a model in good condition.

Instead of wasting time and meeting every seller in person, you 

can check the vehicle registration mark or VIN number

 of all the cars you’re interested in and decide whether they meet your criteria. If a vehicle has a clean history, you can arrange a test drive with the seller and see the car in person.

In a carVertical history report, you can discover:

A history report can help you verify the information in a car ad. If the seller claims that the car has 100,000 km on the odometer, but the report says that the mileage was clocked, you can walk away or negotiate a lower price.

It’s normal for a car to suffer damages every few years. However, knowing the damage value the vehicle has experienced can help you make a decision. Nobody wants a car that has been in a severe accident, which may also be unsafe to drive and require extensive repairs in the long run.

Even if you can’t get a vehicle history report for free, its price is only a fraction of the potential financial losses you may suffer after buying a lemon. Nobody wants to overpay for a vehicle with fake mileage or visit a mechanic to fix hidden damages that may have been exposed by a simple VIN number check or registration mark check.

Avoid costly problems by checking a vehicle's history. Get a report instantly!

Check your VIN

How can I check a vehicle's history for free?

How can I get a free car report?

Can I check VIN history for free?

How to get a free carVertical report 

Evaldas Zabitis

Every motor vehicle has a unique code for identification called a VIN (vehicle identification number). This code doesn’t change throughout a vehicle’s lifetime and allows us to identify it anywhere, anytime. In this article, we’ll explain what a VIN number is and where you can find it.

To learn more about any used car, check its VIN on our VIN Decoder page!

Try our VIN Decoder!

You can find the VIN number stamped on your car and its documents. While the exact VIN locations vary by model, here’s where you can expect to find it:

 – almost all modern cars have a VIN plate on the driver’s side of the dashboard, which is visible through the windscreen from the outside.

 – you may find a VIN plate under the bonnet, next to its latch.

 – accessible via the wheel well; you’re more likely to find the VIN there on older cars.

 – some cars have a VIN plate on the inner side of a driver’s side door pillar.

 – you may find a VIN number under the boot lining, next to the spare wheel.

Locating the VIN number is especially important when buying a used car. Look for these plates in different locations and make sure the numbers match. If they don’t, consider it a huge red flag – you may even be looking at a 

Where can I find a VIN number on a motorcycle?

It’s not just cars that have VIN numbers – other motor vehicles, including motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, RVs, and other vehicle types, also have them.

Like with cars, manufacturers usually put the motorcycle VIN on irreplaceable parts, but the exact location may differ between makers and models. Typically, you will find the motorcycle VIN:

 – inspect the structure that holds the handlebar.

 – try the rail that holds the front wheel.

You may also check a motorcycle’s registration and insurance documents – these will usually also include the VIN. Make sure the numbers match.

Various registries and institutions collect vehicle data, which is accessible using a VIN number. Some countries also have local databases for drivers to get a brief car history with the VIN or license plate number.

While you can find various tools for a VIN lookup, one of the most convenient choices is our 

.  By entering a car’s VIN into our decoder, you’ll find basic data like the make, model, and technical specifications. Then, you can get a full vehicle history report, which reveals much more information, including mileage history, damages, and even historical photos.

A VIN number will be used whenever you want to register a car, file an insurance claim, change the title, or perform other similar actions. 

It’s an essential part of vehicle identification, so many legal changes and actions are recorded via this number.

A vehicle identification number also plays a big role when buying used vehicles. Any car or motorcycle on the road may have been battered or even stolen. Even though used vehicle sellers often claim their cars are accident-free, history reports often show otherwise. Driving a poorly repaired vehicle can be dangerous due to missing airbags or a compromised structure.

VIN tampering is relatively common on the market, as dishonest used car sellers look for ways to benefit. They often cut, weld, and fasten other VIN plates, even though most VIN plates are attached using rivets you won’t find in regular shops. That’s why ensuring all VINs match and don’t have tampering signs is essential.

Many people (rightly) don’t trust used vehicle sellers and get a history check before buying a car or motorcycle. Here’s what a full vehicle history report can reveal:

All data comes from legitimate sources, including vehicle inspection centers, governmental registries, insurance companies, and law enforcement agencies. Check our 

The first VIN numbers were used in the 1950s, but the format varied by manufacturer, making vehicles more challenging to identify. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) standardized the current VIN format in 1981. As a result, almost every vehicle made after 1981 has a unique 17-character identification code that must be placed on each vehicle.

Every character in the vehicle identification number represents particular information about a vehicle. The whole number can be divided into 4 sections for easier navigation:

 The world manufacturer identifier section contains 3 characters showing where a vehicle was built and its manufacturer. 

 The vehicle descriptor section reveals a vehicle’s brand, body style, and engine size.

 This is a vehicle security code known as a check digit. It’s calculated by putting all the other VIN digits into a mathematical formula.

 The vehicle identifier section contains 8 characters, 2 of which show the model year and an assembly plant code, while the last 6 numbers contain the serial code of a vehicle.

Each specification, assembly plant, manufacturer, and other properties have corresponding characters in a VIN number, so you have to decode a VIN to reveal its information. A simple VIN decoder can do that for you in a few seconds.

 Bear in mind that 17-character Vehicle Identification Numbers don’t have O(o), I(i), and Q(q) letters to avoid confusion with 0, 1, and 9.

Does every vehicle have a VIN?

Can you find your VIN on your car’s insurance card?

Can I find my VIN number online?

What is a VIN number?

Even though illegal, mileage rollback is still common among used car sellers. Mileage is a popular indicator of a vehicle’s condition. A lower mileage means a higher price, therefore many car sellers commit odometer fraud to improve their profit.

Fortunately, you can often reveal the actual mileage of a vehicle the easy way – by 

. Yet this won’t always work, so it’s good to know other ways to detect odometer tampering.

A well-maintained and undamaged car is the most reliable! Check any VIN code to make sure you're not buying a wreck:

Looking for a reliable car?

Many people still don’t get how important a vehicle’s mileage is. Used car buyers pay more to see fewer kilometers on the dash. But when numbers don’t match reality, that’s straight-up fraud. Stay with us for a minute and learn how to steer clear of this increasingly popular fraud.

Using the carVertical vehicle history report to detect odometer rollbacks

Getting a car history report is as simple as entering a vehicle’s VIN into the carVertical 

. Aside from the real mileage, our report may tell you about past accidents, title changes, and more.

This first example shows how steadily the mileage graph has been increasing each year. This is clearly 

a car that hasn’t had an odometer rollback

Sometimes you’ll see graphs that go almost flat. It could mean that someone rolled the mileage back during this flat period. However, scammers tend to 

 – you’ll see an example in a minute. Flat areas are more likely to mean that the time between records is short or the car hadn’t been used for a while.

 right before the 200,000 km mark. Why is this mark so special?

Well, many modern cars start developing lots of issues around this point. Used car sellers are aware of this and may illegally “adjust” odometer readings.

In this example, someone rolled the odometer back by 134,913 kilometers 

. If the next owner of this car didn’t get a vehicle history report before buying it, they may be in for a nasty surprise! That unpleasant 200k mark is a lot closer than it seems.

If you’re about to buy a used car, always use a VIN decoder to find out its actual mileage together with info about thefts, titles, damages. More and more people are making this a habit, and scammers hate it.

Reveal them all! Just enter a VIN code and click the button:

Mileage rollback statistics are ruthless. There’s not a single country in the world where buyers could be careless when picking their new ride, and mileage fraud wouldn’t be a thing. However, the situation in different countries varies.

Historically, Eastern Europe always had more problems with scammers. However, clocked mileage is also common in Western Europe, where insincere sellers typically alter the mileage of more expensive cars.

The worst situation is in Latvia, where 11.2% of vehicles checked on carVertical had clocked mileage. Other Eastern European countries like Ukraine (9.1%), Lithuania (7.8%), and Romania (6.5%) also have a significant share of cars with manipulated odometer readings.

While odometer fraud is less common in the United Kingdom (2.1%), Switzerland (2.1%), and Portugal (2.3%), buyers should still be cautious. Since drivers prefer cars with lower mileage, it’s easy to fall prey to scammers and then find out later that you overpaid for a vehicle with an altered odometer. Not to mention all the other problems it can cause in the long run.

Odometers in cars can be either mechanical or digital. 

To tamper with a mechanical odometer, scammers would have to disassemble it

. With that said, digital odometers have taken over the car market during the past couple of decades. They were introduced not only to change the aesthetics – preventing odometer rollbacks was another reason. 

Ironically, anyone can buy a cheap tool to edit the numbers on a digital odometer today.

Fortunately, there are ways to spot a fake odometer reading even before getting a history report. Here’s what you should consider.

How often do you change brake pedal pads? Yes, never.

Well, consider that a brake pedal is constantly in use when driving, so it 

wears down quite consistently with mileage

. For example, a brake pedal should be only slightly worn in a 100,000 km car. On the other hand, a car with 300,000 km under the belt is likely to have a tired-looking brake pedal.

 Does your 50,000 km car have a heavily worn-out brake pedal? Or does it look like it’s just been replaced? These are red flags to look out for.

When car experts are looking for a used car, the first thing they examine after opening the door is the condition of the steering wheel and the driver’s seat.

Different manufacturers use different types of materials for steering wheels and seats. Usually, budget models are more prone to wear and tear, while executive or luxury automobiles boast plushier and sturdier materials. Still, the driver always touches these areas, so these are pretty accurate mileage indicators.

If the leather or fabrics are already tattered, the 

Vehicle door hinges go through tremendous stress every time you open the door. A car door weighs about 40-50 kilos and is usually held by two hinges. It’s therefore no surprise, that frequent usage and slamming can seriously affect these hinges. Moreover, they often rust due to water and salt.

Open the driver’s door, grab it by the end, and try to wiggle up and down. 

There shouldn’t be any play as these hinges are usually quite sturdy.

 If it’s loose, the car has seen a lot already, and the low odometer reading may be fake. This is a great trick up your sleeve because, unlike with steering wheels and upholstery, 

4. Scratches or damage inside the dashboard

As mentioned earlier, to roll back an analog odometer, you have to disassemble the dashboard. Only exceptionally steady and skilled hands can perform that without leaving a trace.

scratches or fingerprints inside the dashboard, missing screws, and broken plastic bits, 

a manipulated mechanical odometer may offer other evidence, such as 

5. There is no history of the maintenance

Every vehicle requires regular servicing. Each time a mechanic changes your oil, timing belt, or fixes some issues, a car’s servicing history should get a new record together with the current mileage. If possible, 

look through the maintenance records to ensure there were no mileage drops

If the owner doesn’t have a single maintenance record, this can be a red flag, but unfortunately, it often isn’t. Not everyone maintains a coherent record!

6. The car's mileage doesn't reflect its age

While everyone’s trips vary, 20,000 kilometers is the average annual distance traveled in a car each year. 

It means that if the vehicle is older than ten years, it probably should have more than 200,000 kilometers on the clock.

 Take that into account when looking for a used car.

What are the dangers of an odometer rollback?

The purpose of a mileage rollback is to scam used car buyers. A 50,000 km car can be twice as expensive as one with 150,000 kilometers on the clock. So, it’s not surprising that many scammers target mileage to take advantage.

Manufacturers don’t build long-lasting cars these days. They profit the most from spare parts, not car sales. That explains why new cars become money pits just after a few years. If you’re paying an extra buck for a lower mileage, at least make sure it’s original.

To get a better view of how important the actual mileage is, here’s an idea of how various bits in the car go out as mileage increases:

That’s why used car sellers are so keen to roll the mileage as much below 200,000 km as possible.

Bear in mind that these numbers aren’t tied to every car on the road. While some manufacturers focus solely on reliability, others seek better road performance, comfort, or luxury features.

some people take better care of their cars than others

. Undergoing regular oil changes and replacing broken parts as soon as they’re damaged – these are crucial requirements when it comes to longevity. Unfortunately, many drivers still ignore them.

The act of editing odometer readings to fake the mileage is often called "odometer fraud," pointing out the fact that this is 

This scam is popular worldwide. As modern odometers went digital, the rollback became even more straightforward as the disassembly of a dash is not needed anymore.

Proving odometer fraud in court is complicated because many factors can present this problem as the victim’s lack of attention. The best advice is to overall avoid cars with fake mileage.

Buying and selling tips

How to get a free carVertical report

What is a VIN number?

Checking the real mileage on a used car: how to detect an odometer rollback?