Carfax vs AutoCheck: which vehicle history report is better?
Compare current samples, coverage and checkout prices on each provider’s site. No provider guarantees a complete vehicle history.
Or see the damage yourself — from $5.99
Available ownership, title and registration records are part of the Full Report. Records can be incomplete or delayed. Simple Reports start at $5.99 and Full Reports at $9.99 — as low as $4 and $6 per report in packages. No extra fees at checkout.
Coverage varies by VIN. Missing records do not prove a clean history; review a sample and the final total before paying.
| Carfax | AutoCheck | VehiLeaks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per report | Check provider | Check provider | $5.99 Simple / $9.99 Full, one-time |
| Main strength | Widest dealer service records and accident reporting | Auction history via Experian and the AutoCheck Score | Auction lots WITH damage photos, listing & price history |
| Accident records | Yes — text entries | Yes — text entries, usually less detail | Yes — with photos where a lot was recorded |
| Auction history | Limited | Yes — strong | Yes — Copart, IAA, SCA, CrashedToys lots |
| Damage photos | No | No | Yes — included in the $5.99 Simple Report |
| Vehicle rating score | No | Yes — AutoCheck Score | Market-price verdict vs. similar cars |
| Title brands & odometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Where Carfax is genuinely better
Compare current samples, coverage and checkout prices on each provider’s site. No provider guarantees a complete vehicle history.
Where AutoCheck is genuinely better
Compare current samples, coverage and checkout prices on each provider’s site. No provider guarantees a complete vehicle history.
What neither of them shows you: the damage itself
Both reports reduce an accident to a text line — a date, a severity phrase. Neither shows photos. VehiLeaks maintains one of the largest vehicle-photo databases, including accident and salvage-auction damage photos from Copart, IAA, SCA and CrashedToys lots, so you can see the crushed quarter panel or flood line and judge repair quality yourself. That evidence is included in the $5.99 Simple Report.
The verdict: which should you buy?
Available ownership, title and registration records are part of the Full Report. Records can be incomplete or delayed. Simple Reports start at $5.99 and Full Reports at $9.99 — as low as $4 and $6 per report in packages. No extra fees at checkout.
Remember: no report sees everything
Carfax, AutoCheck and every other provider only know what was reported. A crash fixed for cash in a driveway appears nowhere. Whichever report you choose, treat it as one input alongside a document check and an independent mechanic's inspection — and cross-checking two inexpensive sources catches more than trusting one expensive one.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Carfax or AutoCheck?
Compare current samples, coverage and checkout prices on each provider’s site. No provider guarantees a complete vehicle history.
Is AutoCheck as good as Carfax?
For auction-sold vehicles, AutoCheck is often better — its Experian auction feed catches sales Carfax misses. For service history and accident detail, Carfax usually shows more. They overlap heavily on title brands and odometer records, which come from the same government sources.
Is there a cheaper alternative to both Carfax and AutoCheck?
Simple includes available accident and vehicle photos, market and trade-in estimates, photo comparison and a limited listing snapshot. Full adds available ownership, title and registration records, full listing access and PDF download. Coverage varies by VIN; missing records do not prove a vehicle has no problems. Simple Reports start at $5.99 and Full Reports at $9.99 — as low as $4 and $6 per report in packages. No extra fees at checkout.
Do Carfax and AutoCheck show the same accidents?
Not always. Each has its own reporting network, so an accident can appear on one and not the other — studies and buyer experience regularly find mismatches in both directions. That inconsistency is the strongest argument for cross-checking a VIN in a second, cheaper source before you pay for the car.
Does AutoCheck or Carfax show auction photos?
No. Both may note that a vehicle passed through an auction, but neither shows the lot photos. VehiLeaks records Copart, IAA, SCA and CrashedToys lots with the damage photos attached, included in the $5.99 Simple Report.