“Is carVertical free” is one of the most searched questions about vehicle history — and the hope behind it is clear: a complete report at no cost. That report does not exist, and there is a simple reason. carVertical buys data from more than 1,000 sources across 45+ countries — insurers, workshop networks, authorities and auction platforms. That data costs money, and the reports fund it.
What is free is the preliminary check: enter the vehicle identification number (VIN) and see, without paying, how many records the system holds and whether it flags anything unusual. The concrete findings appear only in the paid report. This guide shows exactly what you can learn for free, where free checks end, and when the paid report genuinely pays off.
Key points at a glance
- Is carVertical free? No. Only the preliminary VIN check (number of data points and warning flags) is free; the full report with mileage history, accident records and photos is paid.
- Real free checks: the carVertical preview, public recall databases, VIN plausibility, stolen-vehicle lookups, inspection or MOT reports, the service book and the number of previous owners in the registration papers.
- Where free checks stop: no gap-free mileage history, no documented accident record, no cross-border import history.
- It gets expensive with imports, rolled-back odometers and repaired accident damage — exactly the blind spots of free sources.
- A report costs roughly €20–35 (about 20% less with code SAYEDI) — cheap insurance against a four-figure mistake.
Free ways to check a car history (2026)
No single free platform replaces a full report. But several free sources together give you a first picture. Here is what each one covers — and what it does not.
carVertical preview
- What you check
- Number of data points and warning flags for a VIN
- Limit
- No details, no concrete finding
Public recall database
- What you check
- Open safety recalls for the model and year
- Limit
- No damage or mileage data
VIN plausibility check
- What you check
- Manufacturer, country of build and model from the VIN
- Limit
- Says nothing about how the car was used
Stolen-vehicle lookup
- What you check
- Whether the car is reported stolen
- Limit
- One aspect only — accidents and mileage stay open
Inspection / MOT report
- What you check
- Recorded mileage and faults on the test date
- Limit
- Snapshots only, no full timeline
Service book & invoices
- What you check
- Mileage entries, maintenance and plausible wear
- Limit
- Forgeable and often incomplete
Registration document
- What you check
- Previous owners, first registration, import note
- Limit
- Shows no damage and no real odometer reading
Free checks vs. the carVertical report — point by point
The decisive difference is not a single data point — it is the timeline. Free sources give snapshots. A reliable history only emerges when mileage, damage and ownership are joined up over the years.
Registration status & basic data
- Free?
- Yes
- In the carVertical report
- Included
Open recalls
- Free?
- Yes
- In the carVertical report
- Included
Stolen-vehicle flag
- Free?
- Partly
- In the carVertical report
- Included (Interpol + national)
Number of previous owners
- Free?
- Partly (papers)
- In the carVertical report
- Included
Gap-free mileage history
- Free?
- No
- In the carVertical report
- Chronological, with rollback detection
Accident damage & repair costs
- Free?
- No
- In the carVertical report
- Documented, often with photos
Write-off / total-loss status
- Free?
- No
- In the carVertical report
- Included
Cross-border import history
- Free?
- No
- In the carVertical report
- Across countries
Market-value context
- Free?
- No
- In the carVertical report
- Included
When free checks become risky
Free checks are not wrong — they are just incomplete. That gap becomes expensive in three situations.
1) Rolled-back odometer. Mileage fraud is still one of the most common used-car scams, and a wound-back odometer is almost impossible to spot on the car itself. Free sources show isolated mileage dates (for example from an inspection report) but no continuous curve. Only several documented readings over the years make a rollback visible.
2) Repaired, undisclosed accident damage. A properly repaired accident car looks unblemished in photos. Late effects — rust at repaired seams, misbehaving driver assistance, lost value — often appear months later. No free database holds an accident or total-loss record.
3) Import with no local trail. With a re-import or EU import the history sits abroad. Local free sources know nothing about a car that spent years in another country, so it can look like a blank slate. A cross-border check matters most here.
What carVertical shows that free sources do not
The paid report bundles exactly the data that is not public individually or is not joined up chronologically — that is its real value over any free option.
On top of the free basics, the report adds a gap-free mileage history with rollback detection, documented accident damage with repair costs and sometimes photos, write-off status, cross-border import history, a stolen-vehicle match (Interpol plus national databases) and a market-value context — all events sorted in order.
carVertical is an established company with tens of thousands of reviews. How much data turns up per car depends on the country of origin: for local cars, local sources are strong; for imports, carVertical international coverage is the whole point.
When the paid report is worth it — and when free checks are enough
An honest cost-benefit call, not a blanket “always pay”. The report costs roughly €20–35 (about 20% less with code SAYEDI). What matters is the ratio to the price and the risk.
Under ~€4,000, local first registration, full service history
Free checks and a thorough inspection can be enough
€4,000–10,000
Report recommended — the cost-benefit is clear
Over €10,000 or a premium car
Report strongly advised
Import / re-import (any price)
Report advised — free sources are blind here
Accident suspicion or implausible mileage
Report advised — exactly what it is built for
The sensible order before you buy
The most economical order combines free pre-filters with one targeted report — before you invest time in a viewing or drive 200 km to a car that fails the check.
- 1Read the VIN. The 17-character number is in the registration papers, on the windscreen and on the door pillar.
- 2Pre-filter for free. Check VIN plausibility, open recalls and — where available — the inspection report and service book, plus the number of previous owners in the papers.
- 3Pull the full report. Before you view, run the carVertical report with code SAYEDI: mileage curve, accident history, import traces and write-off status at a glance.
- 4View and test-drive. Match the report against the car: does the mileage fit the wear? Any traces at the damage points named in the report?
- 5Negotiate or walk away. If the report reveals damage, that is a factual argument for a discount — or a reason to politely decline.
Quick checklist before you pay or travel
- Does the VIN match the advert, the documents and the car (windscreen / door pillar)?
- Does the mileage progression make sense over the years?
- Is the car imported, and can the seller explain the country history?
- Is “accident-free” written in the documents, not just said out loud?
- Do service invoices, inspection records and ownership dates line up?
- Is the price suspiciously low versus comparable cars?
Use carVertical for less: code SAYEDI
A full report is not free — but it is cheaper. Code SAYEDI takes about 20% off any report. If you are comparing several cars, the multi-report packs are the best value because the price per report drops sharply.
Prices and pack sizes change, so it is worth a quick look at carVertical before you buy. Filter for free first, then secure the decision with the report.
Bottom line: free checks to filter, the report to decide
There is no free full replacement for carVertical — but there are useful free sources to pre-screen a history: the preview check, public recalls, the inspection report, the service book and the registration papers. These filters are valuable, but they end exactly where it gets expensive: mileage history, accident records and import traces.
So the honest advice is not “always pay” — it is “check in proportion to the risk”. For a cheap, first-hand car with a full service book, free checks often suffice. For a valuable, imported or accident-suspect car, the full carVertical report — cheaper with code SAYEDI — is the lowest-cost insurance against a four-figure mistake.
Frequently asked questions
Is carVertical really free?
No. Only the preliminary check is free — it shows how many records exist for a VIN and whether there are warnings. The full report with mileage history, accident records and photos is paid.
What is the best free alternative to carVertical?
There is no single free tool that replaces everything. The most useful combination is the carVertical preview, a public recall database, the inspection or MOT report, the service book and the registration papers. They filter early risks but do not cover mileage and accident history without gaps.
Can I check the VIN for free?
Yes — a VIN plausibility check (manufacturer, country of build, model) is free, as is a recall-database and stolen-vehicle lookup. A free VIN check shows no mileage curve and no accident history, though.
Can I check the odometer for free?
Partly. The last inspection report and the service book give individual mileage readings on specific dates. Only reports that join several documented readings over the years reliably reveal a rollback.
When is a paid report worth it?
Whenever the potential loss clearly exceeds the report price: cars from about €4,000 up, imports, accident suspicion and implausible mileage. For a cheap first-hand car with a full service book, a free check plus a thorough inspection can be enough.
How do I use carVertical more cheaply?
Code SAYEDI saves about 20% per report. For several cars, the multi-report packs cost least per report. Check the current price at carVertical before buying.
