How we work
This page explains where the information on vinnumber.net comes from, how we keep it current, and what we do when we get something wrong. We think you should be able to check our work, so we try to make that easy.
The short version: we rely on government data, we say where each piece came from, and we fix mistakes when readers point them out.
Our sources
All facts and data on this site, including recalls, complaints, investigations, fuel economy and specifications, come only from the primary agencies that collect and publish them, not from aggregators or secondhand summaries. Owner opinions are the one exception: we gather them from public forums such as Reddit, summarize them in our own words, label them clearly as owner opinions, link to the original threads, and never use them as a source of facts.
Most of what you see comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Our VIN decode is built on NHTSA's vPIC database. From NHTSA we also take recalls, owner complaints, technical service bulletins and other manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and NCAP safety ratings.
Canadian recalls come from Transport Canada. Fuel economy figures come from the EPA's fueleconomy.gov. Data on alternative fuels comes from NREL's Alternative Fuels Data Center.
When a figure on our site doesn't match what the agency publishes, the agency is right and we are wrong.
How pages are updated
Our model pages are regenerated from these datasets. When an agency publishes something new, the page is rebuilt with it.
The date on a page changes only when its content actually changes. We don't refresh dates to make a page look newer than it is. If you see an old date, that means nothing on the page has changed since then.
Recalls need a little extra care. Sometimes an older recall is missing from a page. We add it only after NHTSA's per-vehicle API confirms it applies. Until then it stays off, even if we've seen it mentioned somewhere else.
Owner opinions
Some model pages include a section on what owners say about their vehicles. That material comes from public Reddit threads. We summarize those discussions in our own words. We don't quote people, and we don't make up opinions to fill a gap. Each summary links to the original threads so you can read the conversation yourself and make up your own mind.
Photos and illustrations
Vehicle photos come from Wikimedia Commons. For each one we show the author, the license and the source. We do edit them: backgrounds are removed and license plates are blurred.
The images that show where to find a VIN on a vehicle are different. Those are our own illustrations, drawn on licensed photos.
What we don't provide
We don't offer vehicle history reports. That means you won't find accident records, title brands or odometer readings here. Our free decode and model pages are built from the government data listed above, and that data doesn't cover a specific car's past.
If you need that kind of history, it comes from providers approved under the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System. The Department of Justice keeps the official list at vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov. We don't recommend any particular provider.
Independence
We have no paid partners. We don't publish sponsored content, and there are no affiliate links on this site. Nobody pays us to write about a vehicle, a dealer or a service.
Who writes for us
Our articles are written by Daniel Reed and Marcus Holt, in English and Spanish. Their author pages list what each of them has written.
Corrections
If you find an error, please tell us. Email
Common questions
Why don't you use data from other websites?
Because every copy of the data is a chance for an error to creep in. Going straight to the agency keeps the chain short and lets you verify what we publish.
Why is a recall I heard about missing from a model page?
We add older recalls only after NHTSA's per-vehicle API confirms them. If it isn't confirmed yet, it won't appear. You can also let us know and we'll look into it.
Can I get a car's accident or title history here?
No. We don't provide vehicle history reports. Look for an approved provider on the official NMVTIS site linked above.
Do you get paid to feature cars or companies?
No. We have no paid partners, no sponsored content and no affiliate links.