Stolen car check by VIN.
Find out whether the VIN appears in stolen vehicle databases, with the date of the record and the country. Run the check before you pay a deposit, then compare the report with the car.
See which car it is for free. You only pay if you want the full report.
We found no theft records for this vehicle in the databases checked.
The report shows the date of the record and the country it comes from.
RomaniaWhat the result means and what to do next.
Pick a result. See what it tells you, what's left to check and the next steps.
The VIN is not listed as stolen in the databases checked for the report. You see the list in the section.
- A very recent theft may not have reached the databases yet.
- The databases checked don't cover every country.
- The check runs on the VIN, not on the car in front of you. A stolen car can carry a VIN copied from a legal one.
- 1Compare the VIN on the registration document with the one on the windscreen and on the door pillar sticker.
- 2Compare the report data with the car: engine, drivetrain, gearbox and colour.
- 3Ask for the original papers and check that the seller is the owner named in them.
The Theft check section of the report.
This is the real section from the sample report, a 2019 BMW 320d. In the example, the VIN has a theft record from Romania. Under the result you see the databases we searched.
Same VIN, different car.
The check runs on the VIN. A stolen car carrying a VIN copied from a legal one comes back clean. You recognise it by comparing the report data with the car you see.
- The VIN must be the same on the registration document, the windscreen and the door pillar sticker.
- The engine, drivetrain and gearbox in the report must be those of the car.
- A different colour may mean a respray. Ask for the explanation and check the paint.
- Body type
- Sedan
- Sedan
- Engine
- Diesel, 1,995 cc
- Petrol, 1,998 cc
- Power
- 193 hp (142 kW)
- 184 hp (135 kW)
- Drivetrain
- All-wheel drive
- Rear
- Gearbox
- Automatic
- Automatic
- Colour
- Grey
- Black
What you lose with a stolen car.
Even if you bought in good faith, the car still belongs to its rightful owner. Check the VIN before paying a deposit and you avoid all three situations.
You may lose the car
A car reported as stolen can be seized and returned to its rightful owner, even if you bought it in good faith.
Getting your money back may be difficult
If the seller disappears or can't pay, recovering your money can take a long time.
Registration may be blocked
A VIN reported as stolen can block registration and the transfer into your name.
Warning signs at the viewing.
None of them proves theft on its own. Each one deserves an extra question before you pay.
Only one key
Cars leave the factory with at least two keys. Ask where the second one is.
Only copies of the papers
The seller doesn't have the originals, or the name on the registration document isn't theirs.
Price far below the market
A big discount, without a reason you can verify.
Redone labels
The VIN label looks new, sits crooked or has scratches around it.
A rushed meeting
The seller avoids meeting at their address and insists you pay on the spot, in cash.
Papers from another country
An expired foreign registration and a vague story about where the car has been.
Stolen car questions.
See all frequently asked questionsAlso check.
Check the VIN before you pay a deposit.
All you need is the VIN, the 17 characters on the registration document.