What a vehicle history report contains
A modern vehicle history report typically includes:
- Title history, every state the vehicle has been titled in, in chronological order
- Title brands, salvage, rebuilt, junk, flood, lemon, theft recovery, and others
- Odometer records, every recorded mileage reading with date and source
- Salvage and insurance total-loss records
- Theft records
- Open NHTSA safety recalls
- Black Book® market valuation, adjusted for the vehicle's actual history
- An AI-generated plain-English summary at the top
Where the data comes from
Different sections of a TitlePull report draw from different sources. The full breakdown is on the Data Sources page, but in summary:
- NMVTIS via VinData, title history, brands, theft records, salvage records
- NHTSA, open safety recalls
- Black Book®, market valuations
- AI-generated summary, plain-language overview of the report
How to read each section
The front-page snapshot
Four quadrants give the headline result: title brand status, salvage records, theft, and open recalls. Green means no records reported; amber or red means at least one record exists.
AI summary
A short paragraph generated specifically for the VIN. It calls out anything noteworthy in plain language. The summary is informational and never replaces a careful read of the full report.
Title history
A chronological list of every title transfer reported to NMVTIS, with the state and date. Look for unusual patterns, multiple states in a short period can indicate title washing.
Title brand panel
Lists every brand recorded against the VIN, with the date and reporting state. A single brand can reduce value by 20–40%, per Kelley Blue Book guidance, sometimes more; multiple brands compound the risk.
Odometer records
Each recorded reading appears with the date and source. The numbers should increase consistently. Any decrease, or any reading that's wildly inconsistent with later readings, flags possible odometer tampering.
Salvage and insurance records
Insurance total-loss declarations and salvage auction records appear here with date and description.
Open NHTSA recalls
Each open recall lists the campaign number, affected component, summary of the defect, and the remedy. Recall repairs are free at any dealer of that make.
Black Book® valuation
Three values, rough, average, and clean, adjusted for the vehicle's actual mileage and recorded history. Use these as a baseline for negotiation.
What a vehicle history report doesn't cover
- Private maintenance and repair records that were never reported to NMVTIS or a state DMV
- Individual mechanic visits, oil changes, or warranty work performed off-network
- Minor accidents that did not result in an insurance total-loss declaration or a state title brand
- Real-time ownership transfers, there can be a delay between sale and the next title record
Free vs. paid reports
Free VIN tools generally provide only a decoded VIN (year, make, model, country of manufacture), no title or brand history. NMVTIS data is not free at the source; an Approved NMVTIS Data Provider must license it from the federal government and pass that cost through.
TitlePull charges $9.99 per report, a flat one-time price with no subscription and no account. See the comparison.
Using a report when buying
Run the report before driving to see the car. If the report shows a brand, salvage record, or odometer issue, you have a decision to make before investing time and travel. If the report is clean, the next step is the pre-purchase mechanical inspection.
Using a report when selling
Sellers can use TitlePull's Seller Mode to send a report directly to a buyer's email, proof that the vehicle's history is exactly what the listing claims. A clean report builds trust faster than any sales pitch.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is a vehicle history report?
A report reflects what has been reported to NMVTIS, NHTSA, and the other underlying sources. Reporting is not real-time and not every event is reported, so a clean report does not mean the vehicle has had no incidents, only that none have been reported through the official channels.
Can two reports on the same VIN show different information?
Reports from different providers can show slightly different data depending on how recently each provider pulled from NMVTIS and which optional data feeds they license. Title-brand records from NMVTIS itself are consistent across Approved Data Providers.
Should I get a vehicle history report on a brand-new car?
Generally no. A new car with fewer than 100 miles will have no title history, no brand record, and no salvage history because no events have occurred yet. A history report becomes meaningful once a vehicle has been on the road long enough to accumulate records.
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