Topic: VIN number search for prior owners

[nham3407]

I am curious if anyone has ever tried or discovered a way to utilize your cars VIN number to research prior ownership.  I am trying to determine if any prior owners may have photo's of the car or if they recall any changes they have done.  The car does not appear to have been in any major accidents, but I am curious to find out what I can.  I guess it is only some of the additional curiosity that I have in my cars history.  I know where and when the car was sold in Utah, but not much after that.

[CharlesTurner]

It's not very easy to get this information.  Most times we can query DMV records to get additional ownership history, although some states discard the data after a certain amount of time.  Old records and documentation that come with the car can help, but also do not always provide a chain of ownership.

[Randyfastback65]

Every state has a different procedure for title tracing... all you can do is write the DMV of the states that you suspect your car was registered in...give them your vin and ask what the procedures are....When I did a title search on my fastback in '94 I had mixed results.  Oklahoma sent me their records on my car back to 74 free of charge. (maybe they purge their record after 20 years)... Texas replied to my letter with a fee schedule. After I sent the fee ($10) they sent me their records.... Thru the wonders of the internet I made contact with the lady that owned my car in 1974, but I didnt learn much more than that. She doesnt remember many details, other than the car was sold during her 1976 divorce. She said she would look for old photos , but never found any