If you’re curious about how much a Carfax report costs, it means you’re on the right track. Most used car buyers skip this step and end up with damaged vehicles. These reports show the entire history of a vehicle, including accidents, flood or salvage titles, odometer discrepancies, service history, ownership records, and more.
However, Carfax reports aren’t free. In this article, we will discuss how much a carfax report really costs and other cheaper alternatives you can consider to learn everything about used cars.
What is a Carfax Report?
Before looking into pricing, it’s important to understand what you’re paying for. A Carfax report is a document that provides a full picture of a vehicle’s history based on data collected from several sources.
Carfax aggregates over 35 billion records from 151,000+ sources, including state DMVs, insurance companies, auctions, police, service centers, and more, to build a detailed vehicle history. A report typically includes
- Title history (salvage, flood, junk branding)
- Accident details (severity, airbag deployment)
- Odometer readings and rollback alerts
- Ownership and registration timeline
- Service and maintenance records
- Recall history
- Vehicle usage (fleet, rental, etc.)
READ ALSO: How Does Carfax Work? A Behind-the-Scene Peek at the Fox
How Much Does a Carfax Report Cost?
As earlier mentioned, vehicle history reports are not free, and you need to make a payment to get one. But how much do Carfax reports cost? According to Carfax, a single report costs $44.99.
Here’s a breakdown of all packages they offer:
| Package | Cost | Unit Price (approx.) |
| 1 report | $44.99 | $44.99 |
| 2-report bundle | $59.99 | ~$30 |
| 4-report bundle | $109.99 | ~$27.50 |
Most times, used car buyers find themselves comparing several vehicles, so they would naturally choose the 4-report bundle to cover at least 4 vehicles, but that still leaves reports at around $27.50 each. Is it really worth it? Let’s find out in the next section.
Is a Carfax Report Worth the Cost?
Yes, a Carfax report is generally worth the cost when buying a used car, as it provides valuable information that a seller may not necessarily share during the car-buying process. With a report, car buyers can better assess the available options and make the best decision. Let’s look at some of the pros and cons of Carfax:
Pros
- Industry benchmark: Carfax is well trusted by dealers, mechanics, and several private buyers.
- Depth of data: Carfax shows detailed accident records, service history, vehicle usage, ownership history, mileage, and more.
- Convenience: Reports are easy to get and interpret.
Cons:
- Too Expensive: These reports are currently the most expensive in the industry at $44.99 per report. Car buyers cannot afford reports if they are currently screening 10+ vehicles.
- High Inaccuracy: Data depends on reporting agencies, and so there are several cases where important events were missed.
- Doesn’t Include All Service History: Service records only show up if the repair shop reports to Carfax. Many independent mechanics and smaller shops don’t, leading to gaps in maintenance history.
Whether a Carfax report is worth it or not depends on personal preference, but you have to remember that there are other providers out there with more detailed history reports at more affordable prices.
Free Alternatives to Carfax
If you want more information than you can get with Carfax for free, you should definitely consider our top three recommendations:
| Vehicle History Providers | Free Reports | Paid Reports Available | Cost of Paid Reports |
| Detailed Vehicle History | Yes | Yes | $19.99 |
| Instant VIN Reports | Yes | Yes | $25.00 |
| PremiumVIN | Yes | Yes | $39.99 |
| VINCheck.info | Yes | No (Limited Data) | N/A |
Detailed Vehicle History
Top of our list is Detailed Vehicle History. They offer great value for free to car buyers, sellers, and dealers. What sets Detailed Vehicle History apart is their inclusion of classic car VIN decoding, auction history with photos, sales history with photos, build sheets, and more.
They provide features that are rarely included by other providers for free with their free VIN check tool. For paid reports, you can get one as low as $8 per report (for a package of 10 reports), saving you almost $37.
Instant VIN Reports
Another alternative is Instant VIN Reports. Their reports include detailed title checks, accident history, odometer verification, vehicle specifications, lien checks, and more. With both free VIN check tools and paid tools. Even with a paid tool, you still get to save about $20 per report.
PremiumVIN
PremiumVIN.com is another trusted alternative that offers free VIN decoding and instant vehicle history reports for free. Their reports are detailed, covering salvage and rebuilt titles, auction records (with images), theft checks, odometer readings, service history, and more.
They provide free reports as well as packages of five reports for as little as $12.00 each. This saves you approximately $32.99 per report compared to Carfax report costs.
VINCheck.info
VINCheck.info provides free title status, accident records, theft checks, and other key details using public and government data sources, including the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). It’s great for quick car checks and vehicle history verification for buyers or sellers comparing several vehicles.
However, their reports fail in certain areas with gaps in history and missing records, like ownership, accidents, service history, and more. That’s why its best to also use paid tools for history checks.
How to Get a Free Carfax Report
There are several ways you can get a free history report. Some of these are:
- Car Sellers and Dealerships: One easy way is directly from car sellers or dealerships. Some dealerships offer vehicle history reports to interested buyers to give them enough information to make a decision about a vehicle.
- Online Listings: Online listings on classified websites may also have Carfax reports and you can view those for free.
- Use Cheaper Alternatives: While getting it from sellers and dealers is okay, you may want to verify the records yourself. Try out free VIN check tools like Detailed Vehicle History to view accurate vehicle records and compare several vehicles.
Build Your Own Carfax Report Website
If you are a business owner interested in setting up your own VIN check site and providing detailed history reports, you can easily do so with our Carfax API alternative.
With access to millions of verified VIN records, our APIs deliver accurate vehicle history data, including title checks, accident reports, ownership history, recalls, mileage, and more.
You can easily offer your own branded VIN check services right through your website or app, whether you want to provide free reports, premium ones, or both.
Conclusion
Carfax is a widely recognized name in the vehicle history industry, and it is highly convenient. However, the high cost and gaps in data make it difficult to say if it is worth the price, especially for car buyers checking and comparing several vehicles.
If you’re on a budget or just want better value, Detailed Vehicle History is the clear winner. With highly detailed reports, free VIN check tools, and lower pricing, it offers everything you need to make an informed decision without breaking the bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a full Carfax report cost?
A full Carfax report costs $44.99. They also offer package deals for multiple reports, which can reduce the cost per report.
Can you get Carfax reports for free?
While Carfax does not provide free reports, there are VIN check tools providing vehicle history and detailed reports for free.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Carfax?
Yes, there are several cheaper alternatives to Carfax that you can consider. Top of our list would be Detailed Vehicle History, followed by Instant VIN Reports and PremiumVIN.
