How to Check if a Car is Stolen?

The worst nightmare you can have is buying a used car that has been stolen. Although car theft is a criminal offence, around 500,000 vehicles are stolen annually across Europe. Most vehicles are stolen in France, Italy, Greece and Sweden.

Many of these vehicles from Western Europe come to Eastern Europe, but many are “cut up” and sold for parts. In addition to the fear of losing your vehicle, of thieves stealing your car, you can have the same problem if you own a stolen car.

The VinCheckExpert report allows you to check if a used vehicle is legal or stolen based on records from the European Stolen Vehicle Database and the International Stolen Vehicle Database. The check is carried out based on the owner's report that the vehicle is stolen. In addition to this information in the report, you will receive data on mileage, accidents and damage to the vehicle, previous owners, defects.

How are stolen cars sold on the market?

There are three ways that stolen cars enter the market and are sold:

The owner does not know that his car has been stolen

This happens in a situation when the owner of the vehicle is away from home, and the car is parked on the street, parking lot or garage. Thieves steal the vehicle and try to sell it before the owner notices and reports the theft to the Police. Often, thieves do not try to sell this car to another owner, but call the real owner and ask him to buy his own car.

The stolen car was reported to the Police

When the owner notices that his car has been stolen, he informs the Police about it. In addition, the stolen car can be found for sale. In order to avoid buying a stolen vehicle, you need to check with the Police if the car you plan to buy has been marked as stolen.

Change of vehicle identity

Thieves on a stolen vehicle can change number plates, falsify a registration card or change the VIN. Checking the VIN number is a good way to get basic information about the vehicle and determine if the car is legal.

What are the signs that the vehicle is stolen?

The price of the vehicle

The vehicle is very cheap and is sold below the market price. If the vehicle has no noticeable defects, and the price is very low for the given model, year, mileage and general condition of the vehicle, then something is wrong. Such a vehicle is suspicious and should be thoroughly checked before purchase.

Doubtful seller

If the seller wants to meet you and show you the vehicle in suspicious places, such as abandoned halls and other areas, parking lots with little traffic, this can cause suspicion.

Ask the seller to show you your ID and vehicle documentation. If the chassis number and other data does not match the documentation, something is wrong.

Mode of communication

The seller communicates exclusively via e-mail, and the phone is switched off or does not exist. If the seller asks you to pay a deposit, be careful. Do not give money in advance or transfer money to the account as a deposit.

Cloning the chassis number (VIN)

When thieves steal a vehicle, they look for another car with the same or similar features from which they steal the documents. Then the thieves clone the VIN and falsify the documents of the stolen car. So we have two or more cars with the same data, but only one is legal. Such cars are usually luxurious, but they are sold at a low price, which should cause you to doubt the legality of the car.

How to check the car legality by VIN number?

One of the things you should never skip when buying a used car is checking if the VINs on documents and the vehicle match. Fake vehicle registration and other legal papers are still a common problem. Many people fall into scammers’ traps just because they don’t ensure the VINs match.

Most people buy cars without first checking the vehicle identification number. Don't be one of those people. You could end up with a car that's been stolen or financed.

Free VIN check is one of the most important steps when buying a car.

Selling and buying a stolen car is illegal. In addition to wasting money, you may have other inconveniences when you buy a stolen vehicle. To avoid this inconvenience, pay attention to the following things.

VIN number check

Many countries have publicly available databases (police, insurance companies, state registries) to check if a car is stolen. Using the VIN number, you can check the databases of stolen cars.

Pay attention to the condition of the VIN plate

In order to hide the fraud, thieves often change the VIN plates of the vehicles. The VIN plate should not be damaged, and all characters should be clearly visible. If you notice any inconsistency, definitely stop buying that car.

Make sure the VINs match on the entire vehicle

You can find the VIN number in several locations in the car: on the dashboard is the most common location, under the hood, inside of the driver's side door pillar, front end of frame, car documents. If you notice that the VIN numbers are different in these locations or have some other defects, that car may be stolen and should be avoided for purchase.

How can I avoid buying a stolen vehicle?

When a car is stolen, thieves can quickly change the VIN numbers and sell the car to an unwary buyer. Although these scams do happen, they are not common. More often, thieves "cut the stolen vehicle into pieces" and sell the spare parts. This is a much easier and more profitable way of earning, because used parts for both older and newer vehicles are equally in demand.

In order to avoid buying a stolen car, check the VIN number first, and purchase a vehicle history report. By checking different databases, these reports help you see if the car is stolen or not. In addition to this information, you will receive other valuable information: mileage, accidents, defects, number of previous owners, market value of the car.

Second, check the car in detail at an authorized service center and carefully check the documentation. Ask to see the original documentation of the vehicle from abroad. If everything is in order, it is a sure sign that you can buy that used car.

If you accidentally bought a stolen car, you can have serious problems. The Police will confiscate your car, and you will not get a refund. To get a refund you need to get a judgment against the seller, which is not easy.

How to create a used vehicle history report by chassis number (VIN)?

All you need to do is enter the 17-digit VIN number in the "Enter VIN" field and click the Search button. After a few seconds, VIN Decoder will provide a free VIN check and some basic information. This info should be enough to check whether the VIN is valid or not.

To create a complete report about the vehicle, such as mileage records, odometer fraud, estimate mileage, accidents and damages, theft check, market value, and previous images, you should download a VinCheckExpert vehicle history report.

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