How to Check a Car's Accident History Before Buying

How to Check a Car's Accident History

Past accident damage can hide serious structural problems and slash a car's value. Checking accident history takes a history report plus a careful look for repair signs, because not every crash is reported.

Run a history report

A vehicle history report can show accidents that were reported to an insurer, body shop, police or DMV, along with airbag deployments and structural damage flags. Remember that a minor unreported fender bender fixed privately will not show up.

Look for physical repair signs

Paint that does not match between panels, or overspray on trim and rubber seals.
Uneven panel gaps and misaligned doors, hood or trunk.
Fresh undercoating or bolts that look disturbed, suggesting replaced panels.
Ripples in the metal or a body line that does not run straight.

When in doubt, inspect

A body shop or a mechanic can spot repaired structural damage that a report misses. On an expensive car, a pre-purchase inspection is cheap insurance against buying a poorly repaired wreck.

Before you buy: run a free VIN check to see the specs, open recalls and safety ratings for the exact vehicle, then decide whether a full history report is worth it. Check a VIN.

Checking a specific car?

Run its VIN free to see title brands, salvage and flood history, an odometer check, and open recalls before you buy.

Check a VIN free

Check any car before you buy

Run a VIN free: specs, safety ratings, recalls and running costs in seconds.

The VIN is on the dashboard, door jamb, or title.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out if a used car has been in an accident?+

Run a VIN history report, which shows reported accidents and structural or airbag flags, and inspect the car for mismatched paint, uneven panel gaps and signs of replaced panels. Unreported damage may not appear in a report.

Will a history report show every accident?+

No. It shows accidents that were reported to an insurer, body shop, police or DMV. A minor crash fixed privately without a claim will not appear, which is why a physical inspection matters.