CARFAX vs. carVertical for U.S. and Imported Cars
Compare CARFAX and carVertical when a vehicle has crossed borders. Build a country-by-country timeline and separate recorded events from estimates.
Enter your VIN. Check the car before you buy.
Identify the vehicle free, then choose whether to buy its reported history.
Title brands · Odometer records · Auction history, where reported
No subscription. No charge to check the VIN. Report contents vary by vehicle; applicable tax is shown at checkout.
See what the paid report includes →For a vehicle that has crossed borders, compare CARFAX and carVertical by the countries and periods actually represented in the returned records. carVertical describes collecting information internationally; CARFAX advertises its own history-report categories. Neither company’s overall source count guarantees coverage of a particular foreign registration, accident or repair. For a U.S. vehicle, VIN Lookup (free-vin-lookup.com) sells the original ClearVIN PDF for $14.99, one time, with no subscription; ClearVIN, which issues the report, is on the DOJ list of approved NMVTIS data providers.
- List where and when the car was registered before choosing a report.
- Cross-border gaps need original registration and export documents.
- A calculated estimate is different from a recorded vehicle event.
One VIN. One $14.99 history report.
For $14.99, VIN Lookup delivers an original ClearVIN vehicle-history PDF for the VIN you enter. ClearVIN is on the U.S. Department of Justice’s list of approved NMVTIS data providers; VIN Lookup sells that original report. The report may include data beyond the NMVTIS core, but the records returned vary by VIN.
The VIN decode is free. No card is needed until you choose to buy; applicable tax is shown at checkout. A missing record is not proof that an event never happened.No account · Refund reviewed if not delivered, unopenable or wrong VIN by our error · Sold by VIN Lookup (SH LLC, Sheridan, WY)Original provider PDF
No subscription
See the evidence on a real sample
Explore the original ClearVIN document alongside explanations of its title brands, mileage timeline and auction damage descriptions. Each finding belongs to the sample VIN.
Explore the annotated sample →What we verified, and what varies by market
On October 26, 2026, carVertical’s U.S. pricing page listed $34.99 for one report, $49.98 for two and $59.97 for three, and CARFAX’s U.S. App Store listing showed $49.99 for one report and $69.99 for two. carVertical also describes international data sources, and its English pricing page noted on September 20, 2026 that VAT may apply. These are U.S. prices, so for another market open the regional offers, select the same report quantity, and compare the final total including tax and credit expiry.
Compare reports. Then check your car.
Identify the vehicle free, then choose whether to buy its reported history.
Title brands · Odometer records · Auction history, where reported
No subscription. No charge to check the VIN. Report contents vary by vehicle; applicable tax is shown at checkout.
See what the paid report includes →Worked example: miles are not kilometres
Suppose an export document records 80,000 kilometres and a later U.S. listing shows 52,000 miles. The earlier reading is about 49,710 miles, so those two numbers alone do not demonstrate a rollback. This is an illustrative calculation, not a purchased CARFAX or carVertical report. Request the original dated entries before interpreting a converted timeline.
Draw the country timeline first
Ask for the original registration, export paperwork, U.S. import documents and current title. Note each country and date. Then compare the report’s dated events against that outline. A detailed U.S. history beginning after import can still leave the car’s earlier life unexplained.
Separate data coverage from presentation
carVertical describes combining and organizing records from multiple international source types. That can make a cross-border timeline easier to read, but it does not prove participation by every registry or workshop. Keep original units, currency and dates alongside any translated or calculated display.
Choose the next verification step
If the disputed period is abroad, a second U.S. report may not address it. Ask which original record can substantiate the event and whether a local registry or manufacturer record is available. For mileage, check whether the figures use miles or kilometres before treating a difference as a rollback.
Buyer checklist
- Record each country of registration.
- Collect export and import documents.
- Mark periods with no records.
- Check miles versus kilometres.
- Separate estimates from source events.
- Verify the current U.S. title.
What this research cannot prove
- International source coverage varies by country, date and VIN.
- Report branding does not establish legal import eligibility.
- VIN Lookup sells reports; this comparison is based on public descriptions.
Sources reviewed
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- U.S. prices read October 26, 2026carVertical
- VAT note, checked September 20, 2026carVertical
- CARFAX U.S. App Store in-app purchases, read October 26, 2026Apple App Store
- Where report data comes fromcarVertical
- Vehicle history report coverageCARFAX
- Importing a motor vehicleU.S. Customs and Border Protection
- Approved NMVTIS Data Providers — checked October 26, 2026U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Frequently asked questions
Is carVertical better for every imported car?
No universal claim follows from international sourcing. The relevant question is whether it holds records for the countries and periods in that particular car’s history.
Can kilometres cause an apparent mileage rollback?
Yes. Compare the original units and convert consistently before investigating a discrepancy. Preserve the original entries as evidence.
Does a report prove a car was legally imported?
No. Verify the actual import, conformity and registration documents with the relevant authorities.