Data sources and coverage
Every section of a CarHenry report names its source. This page lists those sources, what each one provides, and what is not covered and why.
What we use
| Source | Provides | Report section |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA vPIC Vehicle Product Information Catalog, manufacturer-reported | Make, model, model year, trim, engine, body class, drivetrain, fuel type, assembly plant and country, as reported by the manufacturer under federal rules. | Vehicle identity, equipment |
| NHTSA recall campaigns | Every safety recall issued for the make, model and year: component, summary, remedy, date. | Safety recalls |
| NHTSA owner complaints | Problems reported by owners for the model year, which we group by component and rank. | Owner complaints, known model faults |
| NHTSA crash-test ratings | Overall, frontal, side and rollover star ratings where the model was tested. | Crash-test ratings |
| Public market listings | Current asking prices for the same year and trim in the US, from which we compute the lowest, average and highest, and count the listings. | Asking-price range |
| Our own decoder tables | Manufacturer VIN structures we maintain, used to validate the check digit and fill gaps in the vPIC decode. | Vehicle identity |
What is not covered, and why
| Record | Why it is not in a CarHenry report | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Title brands (salvage, rebuilt, flood, lemon, junk) | Held by state titling agencies and NMVTIS; sold to consumers only through approved providers. | NMVTIS-approved providers |
| Odometer readings over time | Recorded at title transfers and inspections we do not hold. | NMVTIS providers; the title itself |
| Accident and insurance claims | Private records collected under contract by two companies. | CARFAX, AutoCheck |
| Service and maintenance records | Shared by dealers and shops with those same companies under contract, not with us. | The seller's receipts; CARFAX |
| Theft status | Held by insurers and law enforcement. | NICB VINCheck, free |
| Plate-to-VIN lookup | Depends on state DMV access granted state by state. | How to get the VIN instead |
How gaps are shown
When a source has no record for your vehicle, the section says "no record found". When a topic is outside what we cover, the section says "not checked" and points to where the record can be obtained. Nothing is filled in with a guess.
Vehicle coverage
Cars and light trucks sold in the United States or Canada from model year 1981, when the 17-character VIN became standard. Vehicles built for other markets decode partially. Motorcycles, trailers and RVs are not supported yet.
Check a car
Free decode first. Full report $9.90, paid once.