100% FREE · NO ACCOUNT
Scan any VIN. Know the car.
The VIN is on the door jamb, the dashboard, or the paperwork. Point your camera at it to see recalls, owner complaints, crash-test ratings, and fuel cost, free. Then browse cars for sale near you.
FREE TOOL · NHTSA + EPA
Research any car
Recalls, owner complaints, crash-test ratings, specs, and yearly fuel cost. No account, no charge.
Free, from NHTSA & the U.S. EPA. Browse listings on the same page.
THE FREE RECORD
Every car has a public record.
Pick a year, make, and model, or punch in a VIN, and VINly pulls the safety record from NHTSA and the U.S. EPA. No upload, no account, no charge. Here’s one:
2019 Honda Civic
FREE DOSSIER
SOURCE · NHTSA + U.S. EPAPOPULAR RESEARCH
The cars people look up most.
Every model year has its own safety picture. Open the free record for any of these, then browse cars for sale near you, with photos, prices, and locations from live dealer inventory.
Browse all cities & models →
HOW IT WORKS
Three ways in. Same free dossier.
Scan a VIN.
Point your phone at the door jamb, dashboard, or paperwork.
Or pick year/make/model.
No VIN handy? Choose from the dropdown and get the same public record.
Read the dossier.
Recalls, complaints, crash tests, fuel cost, and how this year compares to neighbors.
Browse listings.
See cars for sale near you for that model, with photos, prices, and locations.
PRICING
Free forever. No catch.
EVERYTHING
$0VIN research, VIN decode, dossiers, and car listings. No subscription, no account, no ads. Premium features may come later, but only if the numbers make sense.
TRUST PACT
What VINly is. What it isn't.
We'd rather underpromise.
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Free to research any car: NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, crash-test ratings, and EPA fuel cost.
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A VIN-first research tool: scan, decode, compare years, then shop with context.
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Grounded in public government data from NHTSA and EPA, cited on every page.
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Honest about gaps. We show what we know and what we don’t.
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No account required. No ads. No subscription.
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A substitute for a hands-on inspection by a qualified mechanic.
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Accident-and-title history. Use Carfax or similar for that if you need it.
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Affiliated with Facebook, Marketplace, Meta, Cars.com, AutoTrader, CarGurus, or any listing platform.
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A paid product today. Everything on VINly is free.
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Perfect. Always confirm critical safety info before you buy.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
The questions people ask before they install.
Is any of it free?
Yes, all of it. Research any car, decode any VIN, and browse listings. VINly pulls NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, crash-test ratings, and EPA fuel economy. No account, no charge, no subscription.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax sells accident-and-title history for about $40. VINly focuses on free government safety data: recalls, complaints, and crash tests, plus listings so you can research before you shop. Different tool, different job.
Is VINly affiliated with Facebook Marketplace?
No. VINly doesn't log in, scrape, or partner with Facebook, Marketplace, Meta, Cars.com, AutoTrader, CarGurus, or any other listing platform. Listings come from public dealer inventory APIs.
How accurate is the research?
Recall, complaint, and crash-test data is pulled from NHTSA itself. Fuel economy from the EPA. We show sources and dates so you can verify anything critical before you buy.
What does it cost?
Nothing today. VINly is 100% free: VIN research, dossiers, and listings. If we add premium features later, the free tier stays.
Does it work without a VIN?
Yes. Pick year, make, and model from the dropdown, or scan/type a VIN when you have one. Recall data is most complete with a VIN.
Where does my data go?
On the iOS app, VIN scanning stays on your phone: both barcode and photo reading happen on-device, no image is uploaded, and saved cars stay local. VIN lookups use public NHTSA and EPA data. On the website, photo VIN reading and listing searches use server-side providers, since a browser has no on-device option. Optional product analytics use a random device identifier, never an advertising ID, and never your VIN.
FREE FOREVER
Don't drive 45 minutes to see a car you'd walk away from in two.
Research any car free. Browse listings. No subscription, no accounts.