To get more detailed information including: mileage, accidents, service records, owners, and general location of the vehicle, you’ll need to pay for a report using a service like CarVertical or CarFax.
While there are some free ones, they will only tell you basic information such as make, model, and vehicle options. These tools are mainly used for when you’re buying a used car but are great in locating previous cars as well. To use the VIN to find your old car, perform a vehicle history check using an online VIN decoder.
You also need the VIN to register a vehicle in any state and get car insurance. Like social security numbers, each vehicle has a unique VIN that allows you to access all sorts of information about it. How can you find a car you previously owned without a VIN?.Can’t the DMV website tell me who owns my car and where it is?.