Car Value By VIN: Get Your J.D. Power Vehicle Value

Vehicle valuation reports use the VIN of a vehicle to estimate its current market value. VIN valuation reports are one of the best ways to determine car value.

VINsmart compiles data from industry leaders such as J.D. Power and Blackbook to provide the most accurate value report possible. Within each document, you will see a table containing vehicle cost appraisals that undergo adjustment based on your vehicle's condition and history. Estimated dealership trade-in value often differs from the average retail value you may receive from a private buyer. Your vehicle's valuation can also vary based on its current condition and location.

There are several situations in which it may be wise to get a vehicle valuation report:

You Want to Sell Your Vehicle

If you are considering selling your vehicle, it's essential to know precisely how much your car is worth. Determining the price of your vehicle through searching your car value by VIN will guarantee accuracy and:

• Allow you to negotiate an accurate trade-in value with a dealership
• Inform you of current market values so you know how much to charge a private buyer
• Enable you to create a well-informed baseline before posting your vehicle for sale

You Want to Buy a New Vehicle

When buying a new vehicle, it's essential to ensure the listing price is fair. You may also want to compare the prices of several different cars to find the best deal. Calculating the vehicle book value by VIN number of a car you wish to buy allows you to:

• Determine if a seller is offering an accurate price based on the vehicle's make, model, and condition
• Provide you with greater leverage as you negotiate with a dealer or private seller
• Compare prices as you decide between a few different vehicles

You Total a Car

If you are in an accident and your insurance company declares your car totaled, it is wise to get an estimate for the value of your vehicle.

Many insurance companies work with the Certified Collateral Corporation (CCC) Information Services Inc. to determine the value of a vehicle when a total loss occurs. With the CCC, your insurance company will analyze how much the car was worth before the crash. While assessing the value of your car, the CCC will consider the condition of your vehicle, current market values, and location to create an accurate estimate of what you would have received if you sold your car before the accident. This estimate determines the amount you will collect from the insurance company. 

However, it's important to note that the CCC works for the insurance company and not the vehicle owner. For that reason, a third-party vehicle valuation report from VINsmart can ensure you get an accurate assessment for the correct compensation.

Your VINsmart value report will contain five primary sections.

1. At the top, you’ll find your vehicle’s year, make, and model. The VIN you provided will appear right underneath, along with the date the report was issued, and a unique report ID number. Be sure to double-check the VIN to make sure it was input correctly.
2. This section contains the vehicle specifications as provided by the manufacturer from decoding the VIN. You’ll see details about the vehicle’s internal systems, fuel economy, and manufacturing location. If areas in this section are blank, it is because the manufacturer has not provided these specs in association with the VIN.
3. This section is the first of your two vehicle valuation reports. The J.D. Power valuation will give you six numbers:
1. Trade-In Value: The first three are your vehicle’s trade-in value at three different conditions: Clean, Average, and Rough.
2. Clean Retail Value: Clean retail value is the calculated amount that retailers are charging for a vehicle in clean condition.
3. Loan Value: This is the estimated amount a lender will give you in advance in order to purchase the vehicle. Note that if this is less than the selling price you will need to cover the difference from your own funds.
4. MSRP: This stands for the “Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.” It is the price that car manufacturers recommend dealerships sell their vehicles for at the time of introduction. This will be the highest number in the section, as it is rare that even dealerships sell the car at this price point.

1. This section contains recall information as supplied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Recall information is valuable for sellers who are looking to get the highest price possible for their vehicle, and want to take care of all possible issues. It is also valuable for buyers who should check to make sure that the vehicle they’re considering purchasing is not subject to any safety issues.

Absolutely! VINsmart value reports have you covered, no matter what type of vehicle you own.

If you need information on Heavy Duty Trucks, nothing pulls its weight like Medium and Heavy Duty Truck and Trailer Guide. This valuable resource covers Class 4 through Class 8 trucks, tractors, straight trucks, and trailers used in the commercial trucking and transporting industry. Simply input the information of any heavy-duty truck, and you’ll get the current value by VIN.

Plus, our Motorcycle and Powersports Value Guide includes comprehensive value information on virtually all motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, scooters, personal watercraft, jet boats, and snowmobiles produced since 1981.

Get Your Valuation

Within our reports, you’ll see vehicle valuation fluctuates depending on the condition of the vehicle in question. Unsure how much your car is worth? Compare the condition of your vehicle to the industry-standard specifications below:

CLEAN:

• The vehicle has a clean title history.
• The vehicle has no mechanical defects, and can easily pass all necessary inspections.
• The paint, body, and wheel surfaces have a high gloss finish and shine, with minimal imperfections such as small scratches.
• The interior is in great condition, with minimal wear.
• All interior accessories are in good condition, and operable.
• Overall, the vehicle will require minimal to no refurbishing to be ready for resale.

AVERAGE:

• The vehicle has a clean title history.
• The vehicle is mechanically sound but may require some repairs or services in order to pass all necessary inspections.
• The paint, body, and wheel surfaces may have limited imperfections, with an average level of finish and shine that can be restored with minor touch-ups.
• The interior may have some wear and tear, reflective of vehicle age.
• All machinery and accessories are operable or require only minimal repair to make so.
• Overall, the vehicle will require a moderate amount of work and refurbishing to be ready for resale.

ROUGH:

• The vehicle may have a branded title or misleading mileage.
• The vehicle has significant mechanical issues that will require repairs in order to restore it to running condition.
• The paint, body, and wheel surfaces have considerable damage and wear. This may look like faded, chipped, or oxidized paint on the exterior, small- to medium-sized dents, or damage to the frame.
• The interior condition is poor, with above-average wear for the vehicle’s age. This may look like damaged or missing trim, dirty/damaged/missing carpet, upholstery, and dashboard finishing.
• Interior accessories may be damaged or inoperable.
• Overall, the vehicle will require a substantial mechanical, body, and/or cosmetic repair in order to be ready for resale.

Note that individual vehicle conditions will vary greatly. Exceptionally low-mileage vehicles may be worth more, while higher-mileage vehicles, though still in excellent shape, may be worthless.

J.D. Power started in 1917, and today is the world's largest publisher of vehicle pricing and specification information for new and used cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs, as well as van conversions, limousines, classic and collectible cars, boats, personal watercraft, RVs, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and manufactured housing.

In 2015, J.D. Power combined its resources with the industry’s most trusted authority on used-vehicle valuations through its acquisition of the National Automobile Dealers Association’s (NADA) Used Car Guide division. Then, 100 years after its humble beginnings, the company further expanded its valuation expertise by acquiring National Appraisal Guides and NADAguides.com.

As the most comprehensive and trusted source for vehicle pricing information in the industry, J.D. Power calculates vehicle value based on a wide variety of data points from over 12 million retail transactions each year. Among these are actual wholesale transaction data, all registered retail transactions through their unique Dealer Management System, OEM/wholesaler/retailer used vehicle data, as well as pricing information from www.autotrader.com.

Searching for NADA value by VIN is now synonymous with accessing the vast resources behind J.D. Power’s comprehensive data collection. NADA and J.D. Power always strive to create accurate, market-reflective, unbiased vehicle values that can be used to put the power back into your hands.

Though J.D. Power are the top industry leaders in determining used car values and utilize millions of data points to arrive at the best-informed numbers possible, used vehicle prices will still vary depending on your particular vehicle, and your particular market.

That said, information is power. Though you may have to make some individual adjustments to determine the value of your particular car, having an accurate price range puts you in the driver's seat when negotiating as a buyer or seller.