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How can I find the owner of a car by a VIN?
I'm considering buying a vehicle from a private selller. I found the car on Craigslist, but I want to make sure I'm buying it from the owner. I have the VIN, could I check who owns the vehicle?
Emily Maracle · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Doing your homework when purchasing a vehicle privately is essential. While most people are honest and up-front, double-check everything before purchasing a vehicle is a smart move.
If you have the VIN (vehicle identification number) from the car, you can use
CARFAX
to find current and prior ownership. A CARFAX report also shows:- Accident data
- Service history
- Type of vehicle usage
Knowing this information before
buying a used car
can help you make a more informed decision and make you feel more confident in your purchase.Should the CARFAX report show any issues or you find out the person selling the vehicle isn’t the owner, you’re free to back out of the deal! Alternatively, you could to go to a dealership to find a new car. If want to continue looking for private sellers, pull a CARFAX report for every vehicle for peace of mind.
Once you find a new car, you need car insurance as well! If you want to save money, the
Jerry
app is a good place to start. As a licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding the cheapest quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies.View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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