A stolen car does not always look suspicious: many are sold with convincing paperwork at market prices. Real protection means cross-checking the official registry, the physical VIN, and the documents — and not paying until all three sources tell the same story.
Run REPUVE by plate or VIN
REPUVE concentrates theft reports nationwide and the lookup is free. Take the plate and VIN directly from the vehicle — not from a seller’s message — and confirm the result matches make, model, and year.
Inspect the physical VIN in several spots
Cloned cars show a clean REPUVE because they borrow another vehicle’s VIN. Check the serial number on the windshield, door frame, and engine: they must be identical, with no welds, rivets, or irregular stamping.
Cross the documents with the seller
Invoice, registration card, and ID must connect the seller to the car. Perfect paperwork with a mismatched VIN is the classic cloning signal: stop, even if the price is attractive.
Fast workflow
- 1Photograph the plate and VIN directly from the car.
- 2Run the free REPUVE lookup and compare make, model, year, and status.
- 3Inspect the physical VIN and the documents before leaving any deposit.
Buyer checklist
- REPUVE shows no theft report
- VIN identical in every spot on the vehicle
- Invoice and registration connected to the seller
- No suspicious urgency or unrealistic price
Turn the checklist into an inspection
Upload vehicle photos and documents to get condition, market, and legal context in one AutoBuddy report.
Start an inspection