Car Cost Calculators
Free tools to work out what a car really costs before you buy. Estimate fuel and depreciation, then run the exact vehicle's VIN for its real figures.
Free VIN Decoder
Decode any 17-character VIN to its year, make, model, trim, engine and drivetrain. No account.
Open calculator →Diminished Value Calculator
What an insurer will offer for the value your car lost in an accident, using the 17c formula they apply.
Open calculator →Used Car Negotiation Calculator
Asking price in, opening offer, target and walk-away price out, with the reasoning and sources for each. Dealer or private sale.
Open calculator →Fuel Cost Calculator
See what any car costs to fuel per month, per year and over five years from your miles, MPG and gas price.
Open calculator →Depreciation Calculator
Project what a car will be worth in 1 to 15 years and how much value it loses each year.
Open calculator →Car Sales Tax Calculator
Sales tax on a used car in any state, with the trade-in credit and local rate applied. Every rate sourced from the state, plus a page per state.
Open calculator →Out-the-Door Price Calculator
Asking price plus tax, doc fee, title and registration, itemized and pre-filled for your state, with which lines you can negotiate.
Open calculator →Dealer Doc Fees by State
The legal cap on dealer documentation fees in every state, or the typical fee where there is none, with the statute.
Open calculator →Registration and Title Fees by State
Title fee and annual registration fee for a passenger car in every state, and what each fee is based on.
Open calculator →VIN checks and decoders
Free, built on NHTSA data, and honest about the limits: none of these shows accident, title or theft history, and each one says where the free official sources are.
Title Check
Free sources for title status (NICB VINCheck, NMVTIS providers) and a table of title brands.
Lien Check
How to find out if money is still owed on a car: the title, the lender, and the state lookups we verified.
Odometer Rollback Check
The federal odometer statement rule, which vehicles are exempt, and how to read mileage history.
Stolen Vehicle Check
NICB VINCheck explained: five free searches a day, what it covers, what to do if a VIN hits.
Window Sticker by VIN
Ford, Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Kia and Subaru publish original stickers by VIN; tested with real VINs.
Warranty by VIN
What the free decode shows, what the report adds, and the manufacturer owner portals.
Transmission by VIN
Transmission style and speeds as filed with NHTSA; a blank means the maker did not file it.
Engine by VIN
Displacement, cylinders, engine model and horsepower as filed with NHTSA.
VIN Year Chart
The 10th-character model year codes 1980 to 2030 and the 7th-character rule.
Paint Code by VIN
The VIN does not encode paint. Where the paint code label is on 15 makes.
Classic Car VIN Decoder
Why pre-1981 serial numbers do not decode, and what to do instead.
Motorcycle VIN Check
Make, model, series, engine and horsepower for any 17-character bike VIN.
RV VIN Lookup
A motorhome VIN decodes to its chassis, not its coach. What you get.
Trailer VIN Lookup
Builder, body type, length and axles for travel trailers and campers.
ATV VIN Lookup
What NHTSA returns for Polaris, Can-Am and Yamaha VINs, and why it is thin.
VIN decoder by make
Each page lists the make's WMI codes as NHTSA vPIC returns them, where the VIN is, and a sample decode.
Check a specific car
Run a VIN free for real EPA running costs, safety ratings, recalls and a 5-year cost to own.
The VIN is on the dashboard, door jamb, or title.