Frequently asked questions
The vinfax FAQ collects quick answers to the questions we get most often about the free VIN check, the Copart and IAAI auction archive, salvage and rebuilt titles, privacy, and removal requests. Follow the cross-links for the long-form version of any answer, or see how vinfax works.
Using vinfax
Is vinfax really free?
Yes, completely free. No accounts, no signup, no paywall, no premium tier. Free VIN check, free auction archive, free filter browse across every Copart and IAAI listing on record. The data is already public, so there is no licence fee to pass on.
Do I need an account to use vinfax?
No. There is no registration anywhere on the site. vinfax is read-only and stateless — paste a VIN, get the auction history back. No login, no email capture, no marketing list. Bookmark the VIN check page and you have everything you need.
What data does vinfax store about me?
Almost nothing. Standard web access logs for about 30 days for abuse and rate-limit work, plus one CSRF session cookie that keeps the search form working. No analytics, no tracking pixels, no advertising cookies, no third-party scripts. Full detail on the privacy page.
Where does the data on vinfax come from?
Public Copart and IAAI auction catalogues since mid-2024. We do not hold records older than that, and we do not pull from Manheim, ADESA, or any other auction. The data sources page lists every field we collect and every field we deliberately do not.
The free VIN check
How do I run a free VIN check on vinfax?
Open the VIN check page, paste a 17-character VIN, and submit. The report returns every Copart and IAAI listing in the auction archive for that VIN, including damage codes, sale dates, photos, and final bids. No signup, no email, no captcha for normal use.
What does my VIN check report show?
A full auction-history timeline: sale date, source (Copart or IAAI), lot ID, yard location, primary damage code, listed title state, mirrored photos, final bid, and a price chart when a VIN has appeared more than once. The what is a VIN guide unpacks the input side; the damage types guide unpacks the output.
Why does my VIN show no results?
Three usual reasons. First, the vehicle has never appeared at a public Copart or IAAI auction since mid-2024 — clean-title cars that never went through salvage return no hits. Second, a typo: VINs are exactly 17 characters and never contain I, O, or Q (see VIN format). Third, the listing pre-dates the archive window.
Can I trust the data shown on a VIN check?
It mirrors what Copart and IAAI publish on their public catalogues. We do not independently verify damage codes or title brands; if the source is wrong, our copy is wrong the same way. The free VIN check is excellent as a first cut, but for financing or insurance dispute resolution, pair it with a paid Carfax or AutoCheck report.
Salvage and rebuilt titles
What does a salvage title mean?
A salvage title is a permanent title brand a state DMV applies when an insurer declares the vehicle a total loss — usually when estimated repair cost exceeds a set percentage of the pre-loss Actual Cash Value. The brand stays attached to the VIN for life. The salvage title guide covers thresholds by state.
What is the difference between a salvage title and a rebuilt title?
Salvage means a total loss has been declared and the vehicle is not legally roadworthy. Rebuilt title means a previously salvage car has been repaired, passed inspection, and been re-titled for road use. Both are branded titles — the brand never disappears — but only rebuilt is drivable. The salvage title page has the side-by-side.
Is a salvage title always bad?
Not inherently. Cars get branded for repairable damage all the time — light collision, hail, even theft recovery on an otherwise untouched vehicle. The brand is a fact about insurance, not a verdict on driveability. The hard parts are financing (most banks decline) and full-coverage insurance. The buying a salvage car guide walks through the trade-offs.
Can a salvage title ever be removed?
No. Once branded, the title stays branded for the life of the VIN. Re-titling as rebuilt after a repair does not erase the salvage history — the brand chain stays visible on any honest title search.
Copart and IAAI
Can I bid on Copart or IAAI through vinfax?
No. vinfax is read-only — we do not run bidding, take payments, or broker vehicles. Every lot page in the auction archive links back to the original Copart or IAAI listing, and you place bids there with a buyer account or a licensed broker.
What is the difference between Copart and IAAI?
Both Copart and IAAI are major US salvage auction operators moving similar volumes of insurance total-loss vehicles. Inventory mix, buyer fees, and process are broadly comparable. Our Copart vs IAAI page walks through where each one differs in practice.
How much do Copart and IAAI fees add to the winning bid?
A typical add-on is 15 to 25 percent on top of the winning bid: buyer fee, internet bid fee, gate fee, environmental fee, with broker fees on top for public buyers. Then add transport and state title-transfer costs. The buying a salvage car guide has a worked example.
Removal and opt-out
My car appears on vinfax — how do I get it removed?
Email [email protected] with the VIN or the lot URL and a short note. We hide the page within a couple of business days. No charge, no paywalled opt-out. Full process on the contact page.
Do I have to prove ownership to request a removal?
We do not formally require ownership documents, but we sanity-check that the request looks plausible — for example, that it comes from an email plausibly tied to the vehicle. The terms of service describe the full policy.
Technical
Can I scrape vinfax?
Use the sitemap at /sitemap/sitemap.xml for bulk URL discovery — the polite path and the one search engines use. Do not hammer the site with concurrent requests; abusive crawlers get rate-limited and then blocked. The terms of service have the acceptable-use rules.
Is there a public vinfax API?
Not currently. The sitemap covers bulk URL discovery, and every car page exposes JSON-LD structured data in the page HTML, so a respectful crawler has what it needs. For a specific use case, email [email protected].
Run a free VIN check
Still have a question? Email [email protected] and we will add it here. Otherwise, the fastest way to see what the auction archive holds on a car is to just paste the VIN.