Buyer guide
How to check a Copart or IAAI car by VIN before you bid
Where to find the VIN on an auction lot, what a free VIN check confirms against the listing, and what only a vehicle history report can show.
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Enter the VIN
Free VIN check. No payment card needed.
Many used cars imported into Georgia and neighbouring countries come from the US auctions Copart and IAAI. Before you bid on or buy one, check its VIN: the 17-character code is the vehicle's permanent identifier.
Where to find the VIN
Check the VIN in more than one place. The code should be identical everywhere.
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Auction lot page
Copart and IAAI list the VIN with the vehicle details. If part of it is hidden, ask the seller or your broker for all 17 characters.
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Windshield
A plate on the dashboard on the driver's side, readable from outside through the windshield.
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Driver's door frame
The manufacturer's label on the door pillar or the edge of the driver's door shows the VIN and the month and year of manufacture.
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US title document
The title shows the VIN and any brand on it, such as salvage or rebuilt.
A VIN that differs between the listing, the car and its documents is a reason to stop and ask before you bid.
What a free VIN check tells you
CarTraceAI's free check decodes the VIN with public data that manufacturers report to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Compare it with the auction listing: a make, model, model year or engine that does not match is a serious warning sign.
Make and model
The manufacturer, the model and, where recorded, the trim or series.
Model year
The model year encoded in the VIN.
Body and engine
Body type, engine and fuel type as the manufacturer reported them.
Assembly plant
The plant and the country where the vehicle was built.
The free check is not a history report: it does not show accidents, mileage, title status or previous sales.
What the auction listing shows
A lot page describes the car as the auction recorded it before the sale. Read these details before you bid:
- Primary and secondary damage, as the auction recorded it.
- The title or sale document type, for example a clean or salvage title.
- The odometer reading and its status, for example actual or not actual.
- Whether keys are present.
- Whether the engine started, or the car started and moved under its own power ("Run and Drive"), when it arrived at the auction.
This describes the car at the auction, not its past. Auction notes are brief, the auction does not guarantee them, and they do not replace a mechanical inspection.
What a history report adds
A history report gathers records from US sources, including the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). Depending on the vehicle, it can show:
Title brands
Salvage, flood, rebuilt and other brands recorded by US states.
Total-loss records
Records that an insurer declared the vehicle a total loss, and reports from junk and salvage yards.
Odometer readings
Mileage recorded over time, which can help reveal a rolled-back odometer.
Earlier auction sales
Dates of earlier sales and, where available, photos.
Records vary by vehicle. A missing record never proves that something did not happen.
US title brands in brief
Clean
No brand on the title. It does not mean the car was never damaged.
Salvage
Usually declared a total loss by an insurer, or damaged beyond a limit set by the state.
Rebuilt or Reconstructed
A former salvage vehicle that was repaired and passed a state inspection.
Flood
The vehicle was damaged by water.
Junk or Non-repairable
In many states it can no longer be registered for road use.
Names and rules differ from state to state.
Checklist before you bid
- Copy all 17 characters of the VIN from the lot page.
- Run a free VIN check and compare make, model, year and engine with the listing.
- Read the damage, title type and odometer status on the lot page.
- Check title brands, odometer records and earlier sales in a history report.
- Where possible, arrange an independent inspection before you bid.
On CarTraceAI
The free VIN check is available now. The original ClearVin PDF report is coming soon; its price and contents are on the pricing page.
Before you check
Frequently asked questions
Can I check by a Copart or IAAI lot number?
The free check decodes the 17-character VIN. It cannot look a car up by lot number, so copy the VIN from the lot page.
Is a free VIN check enough before I bid?
No. It shows the factory data behind the VIN, so you can confirm that the listing describes the same car. Check title brands, odometer records and the car itself before you pay.
What if the VIN check does not match the listing?
Confirm the VIN with the seller or your broker before you bid. A typing error is possible, but a real mismatch is a serious warning sign.
Is this a Carfax report?
No. CarTraceAI is not affiliated with Carfax. Our paid report will be the original ClearVin PDF, based on US sources including NMVTIS.
Is CarTraceAI affiliated with Copart or IAAI?
No. Copart and IAAI are independent auctions; we name them only to describe where a vehicle comes from.