How to Check a VIN Before Bidding at Auction
VIN · · 18 min read
The VIN is the first thing you should check and the most often skipped.
Buyer Guides & Resources
Plain-English guides and resources from Auction VIN Report to help you research a salvage auction vehicle before you bid.
Rebuilt vs Salvage Title: What the VIN Shows
Titles · · 15 min read
Two brands, two very different cars. The VIN tells you which is which.
Title Brand Red Flags for Auction Buyers
Titles · · 15 min read
Some brands are warnings. Some combinations are alarms.
What a VIN Actually Tells You About a Car
VIN · · 15 min read
A VIN says a lot, but not everything. Know the difference.
Odometer Fraud and What the VIN Reveals
VIN · · 15 min read
Mileage can lie. The VIN record is how you catch it.
Decoding a VIN Character by Character
VIN · · 18 min read
Seventeen characters, each with a job. Here is how to read them.
VIN Mismatches and What They Mean
VIN · · 12 min read
When the VIN and the listing disagree, believe the VIN.
A Salvage VIN Check Checklist
VIN · · 12 min read
A short checklist that catches most VIN-level problems.
Why VIN Records Can Still Be Incomplete
VIN · · 12 min read
A clean record lowers risk. It does not remove it.
Using the VIN to Verify an Auction Listing
VIN · · 15 min read
Let the VIN be the anchor every other claim has to match.