The VIN is a car's passport: seventeen characters encoding the plant, model year, body and engine type and the serial number of that particular vehicle. From it you can pull the history — owners, accidents, repairs, odometer readings and legal encumbrances. For us a VIN check is a mandatory step before any purchase, and here is exactly what we look at.
Matching the VIN to the documents and the body
First we match the VIN on the title against the number on the body and the factory plates. We check that it reads in full, shows no signs of tampering, and matches at every stamping point. That is baseline protection: a car with an unreadable or altered VIN will not register in any destination country, and no discount makes that worthwhile.
Carfax Canada — and how it differs from a US report
Carfax Canada shows registered insurance claims, dealer service records, changes of owner, provincial registrations and odometer readings at different dates. One important difference from US reports: the Canadian database sees Canadian history well, but a car imported into Canada from the US may have left part of its past behind the border. For such cars we pull reports from both sides — a gap in registration dates shows it immediately.
Body status: what a branded title means
In Canada a vehicle's status is assigned at provincial level. "Clean" is a normal car. "Salvage", "Rebuilt" or "Irreparable" mean the car was written off by an insurer and either rebuilt to some degree or barred from the road entirely. We work only with clean status: cars rebuilt after serious impacts never enter our catalogue, however attractive the price looks.
Liens and encumbrances
A separate and often forgotten point: in Canada a car can be pledged to a bank or a leasing company, and that lien follows the vehicle rather than the owner. A lien check is a mandatory item on our list. Buying a car with an outstanding lien means inheriting a problem that surfaces after delivery.
Mileage and whether it is plausible
The report gives odometer readings at several dates. We look not only at the number but at its progression: a sudden slowdown between two service visits is a reason to dig deeper. We also cross-check the mileage against the real state of the interior, pedals and steering wheel.
What we check beyond the report
A report cannot see what never reached a database. So we inspect the body for repaint and repair, measure paint thickness, check panel gaps, suspension and interior condition, and bring in an independent inspection where needed. Any mismatch between the report and reality is a reason to walk away, not to haggle.
What you get
We send you the report for every item — you see the same picture we do, before payment. That is not goodwill, it is the condition for a normal transaction several thousand kilometres apart.
Have a specific car in mind? Send us the VIN and we will help check its history before the deal.