Know what you're buying before you go see it
Enter the VIN and get independent buying advice: known issues, risk signals and whether the asking price is fair. The vehicle data comes from NHTSA vPIC.
One clear verdict in plain language — not a data dump. A standalone VIN check gives you raw register data; Plateop tells you what it means for the purchase.
Enter the VIN
Seventeen characters, without the letters I, O and Q. You will find the VIN on the registration document, in the door jamb and at the base of the windshield.
FreeNo account neededUsually ready within a minuteOfficial source: NHTSA vPIC
How it works
Enter the car
Enter the VIN. We retrieve the official vehicle data from NHTSA vPIC.
Review the risks
A clear report with a purchase score, known issues for this model and risk signals to watch for.
Go prepared
With a test-drive checklist and concrete questions for the seller.
What we can and cannot see in Canada
In short: we see what NHTSA vPIC records about this car, plus what you enter from the listing. Nothing more.
We are honest about the limits of automated advice: it is a tool, not a replacement for your own eyes or a mechanic. What a source does not provide, we do not invent.
What the report includes
- Official vehicle data from NHTSA vPIC, combined with the listing you enter yourself
- Open recalls for this vehicle
- Known, model-specific points of attention in plain language
- Concrete questions for the seller and a test-drive checklist
What it does not include
- No inspection: we do not see the car and do not assess its technical condition
- No appraisal: the report does not replace an official valuation
- No service history: ask the seller for invoices and workshop records
- No inspection history: we do not get it as open data in this country
- No mileage history to check the odometer against
- No damage or title history
- No check for a lien or outstanding finance
- No guarantee that automatically generated estimates are correct — always double-check the important points yourself
See exactly what you get
Take a look at a complete sample report, based on an example car.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the data come from?
The factory specification for the VIN comes from NHTSA vPIC — a United States database that covers North American VINs, not a Canadian authority — and recalls come from Transport Canada recalls. Plateop combines that with the listing you enter yourself.
Do I need the VIN?
Yes, for the official data you do. The VIN is seventeen characters without the letters I, O and Q, and appears on the registration document, in the door jamb and at the base of the windshield.
What does a report cost?
Nothing. Plateop is free: there is no payment function and you do not need an account; you create a report and can read it straight away.
Do I need an account?
No. Plateop works without registration or login: we ask for no name, email address or password and build no profile. The list of your reports lives on your own device only, and your report is reachable through its own link.
Is this an inspection or an appraisal?
No, neither. Plateop does not see the car and does not drive it, so we do not assess its technical condition and do not issue an official value — if in doubt, always have a car inspected independently.
What can you not see in Canada?
The inspection history, the mileage history, the damage or title history and whether there is a lien on the car. We do see the factory specification for the VIN and open recalls.
How reliable is the advice?
The advice from Plateop is a tool, not a mechanic's verdict. The automated analysis is not allowed to invent model-specific problems it has no reliable knowledge about and says so when something is unknown — always check the important points yourself.
Can I compare several cars?
Yes. Every report you open is remembered on your own device; with two or three completed reports Plateop puts them side by side — asking price, mileage, risk signals and purchase score in one table. If the cars are in different countries, each row keeps its own currency.
What is in the report?
A verdict in plain language, not a data dump. A Plateop report contains what is known about this model, which risk signals we see, whether the asking price is right, which questions to ask the seller and what to watch for during the test drive.