Key facts
- Single-report price (reported, as of 2026-09-26): Carfax $44.99 (consistent across every 2026 source checked); AutoCheck $29.99, with a minority of sources citing $24.99.
- Proprietary score: AutoCheck has the AutoCheck Score (1-100, read against a peer Score Range). Carfax has no single equivalent score.
- Core data strength: Carfax = dealer/service and maintenance records; AutoCheck = auction and salvage-auction depth via Experian's Manheim/ADESA ties.
- Shared data: Both pull title brands (salvage, rebuilt, flood, junk, lemon) and odometer readings from the federal NMVTIS system run by the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Recalls: Both screen for open recalls only — like NHTSA's free tool — and neither confirms a recall was remedied.
- Report validity (reported): Carfax about 60 days; AutoCheck 21 days.
- Provider checkout pages are bot-blocked or fully client-rendered, so every provider price here is a cross-checked reported figure as of 2026-09-26 — verify at the provider's own checkout before you pay.
Carfax vs AutoCheck at a glance
Every provider price below is a reported/cross-checked figure as of 2026-09-26, not read from the provider's own server HTML, because both sites gate pricing behind JavaScript — re-verify at checkout. Zilocar is one context row held to the same standard as the others, not the recommended answer.
| Feature | Carfax | AutoCheck (Experian) | Zilocar (context) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single report price | $44.99 (consistent all sources) | $29.99 reported (some cite $24.99) | $39.50 (fixed) |
| Multi-report pack | Reported ~3 for $79.99; 5-6 for $99.99 (varies); Capital One cites 2 for $59.99 / 4 for $109.99 | $49.99 for 25 reports within 21 days (majority of 2026 sources; CarGurus confirms) | $29.50 first month, then $59.75/month for 20 reports |
| Consumer subscription | None | 21-day multi-report window only | Monthly (20 reports) |
| Report active window | ~60 days | 21 days | n/a |
| Proprietary risk score | None | AutoCheck Score, 1-100, vs peer Score Range | None (shows market valuation) |
| Core strength | Dealer/service & maintenance records | Auction/salvage-auction depth (Manheim/ADESA) | Sales-listing history, ownership, salvage-auction, odometer |
| Title brands / odometer source | Federal NMVTIS (DOJ) | Federal NMVTIS (DOJ) | Surfaces junk/salvage auction records (not the legal title brand) |
| Open-recall screening | Yes (open only) | Yes (open only) | Yes (open only) |
| Recall remedy/closed status | No | No | No |
| NHTSA investigations (PE/EA) | No | No | No |
| Sales-listing history | No | No | Yes |
Sources disagree on the multi-report tiers for both providers, so those cells show the reported range rather than a single confirmed number. Confirm the current pack at the provider's own checkout.
Which is cheaper, Carfax or AutoCheck?
On a single report, AutoCheck is the lower price. As of 2026-09-26 it is reported at $29.99 (a minority of sources say $24.99), against Carfax's $44.99 — the one figure consistent across every source checked. On multi-report packs AutoCheck also tends to land lower per report, though tiers vary by source and should be confirmed at checkout. Lower on the sticker is not always cheaper for your situation: if you only need one car checked and want the deepest service history, Carfax's single report may be the better spend. For the full pricing breakdown and every legitimate free route, see how much does a Carfax report cost.
Ignore the flood of $3-$15 "cheap Carfax/AutoCheck" reseller offers in search results. Those prices are unverifiable, frequently violate provider terms, and are not legitimate provider pricing.
What is the AutoCheck Score, and does Carfax have one?
The AutoCheck Score is Experian's single 1-100 number that condenses a vehicle's history into one rating. It must be read against a Score Range — the expected band for vehicles of similar age and class — not on its own. Experian's own example: a score of 84 that sits inside the 73-86 range for its peer group is better than an 89 that falls below the 90-95 range for its peer group. Inputs include vehicle age, class, mileage, number of owners, use and history events. Per Experian, the score reflects the likelihood a vehicle is still on the road in about five years; that specific wording comes from Experian's white paper and is an Experian claim, not something independently re-verified here.
Carfax has no equivalent single score. This is the clearest product difference between the two: AutoCheck gives you one comparative number, while Carfax gives you the underlying records and expects you to read them yourself.
Does Carfax or AutoCheck show more service and maintenance records?
Carfax generally shows more. Its differentiator is direct integration with a large network of dealer and service-management systems — commonly cited at roughly 150,000 sources, an approximate reported figure — that auto-report oil changes, scheduled maintenance and warranty work. If a car's ownership history is built on franchised-dealer servicing, Carfax tends to carry the fuller maintenance trail. AutoCheck's records skew toward events and title history rather than routine maintenance, so for a well-serviced, dealer-maintained car Carfax is usually the deeper record.
Which report is better for auction, ex-rental or fleet cars?
AutoCheck, generally. Experian's ties to the two largest U.S. auction groups — Manheim and ADESA, covering wholesale and salvage auctions — give AutoCheck deeper auction and salvage-auction coverage. That matters most for cars sourced through wholesale channels: ex-rental, ex-fleet, and vehicles that passed through salvage auctions. Carfax can carry auction data too, but auction depth is where AutoCheck's Experian ownership shows. For flood- and salvage-history questions specifically, the auction record is often the earliest signal — the same gap covered in how to check if a used car has flood or salvage history.
Do Carfax and AutoCheck show the same accidents and title brands?
On title brands and odometer, largely yes — both pull salvage, rebuilt, flood, junk and lemon brands plus odometer readings from the same federal NMVTIS database maintained by the U.S. Department of Justice, so a branded title should appear on either report. Accident data is where they can diverge, because each provider sources crash and damage records from its own mix of police, insurance, body-shop and auction feeds. A collision on one report may be absent or described differently on the other, which is the main reason cautious buyers of an expensive car sometimes pull both.
Do either of them tell me if a recall was fixed?
No — and this is the single most misunderstood point. Neither Carfax nor AutoCheck confirms a recall was remedied. Both screen for open recalls only, exactly like NHTSA's free VIN tool at nhtsa.gov/recalls, which is the benchmark both match and neither exceeds. Because Carfax ingests dealer service records, it may incidentally show a "recall performed" service line when a dealer reported the work — but that is not reliable open-vs-closed remedy status and should not be read as one. To confirm a recall is actually closed on a specific VIN, use NHTSA's tool and ask the selling dealer to pull the manufacturer's remedy record.
Who should use which
- Buying one car and want the deepest service and maintenance trail: Carfax, despite the higher price.
- Comparing several cars, or shopping auction/ex-fleet/ex-rental stock, and want a single comparative score: AutoCheck, for the auction depth and the AutoCheck Score.
- Watching an asking price and want listing history and negotiation leverage on top of the safety basics: a tool that surfaces sales-listing history, which neither Carfax nor AutoCheck offers — the leverage is spelled out in how to check a used car's listing and price history before buying.
- Confirming a recall is actually fixed, or checking an open NHTSA investigation: none of the three — use NHTSA and the dealer.
If you are weighing lower-cost options against both incumbents, the trade-offs are laid out in our roundup of Carfax alternatives.
What to verify by VIN before you pay
Run these regardless of which report you buy:
- Open recalls — free at nhtsa.gov/recalls; then ask the dealer to confirm each one was remedied.
- Title brand — confirm salvage/rebuilt/flood/junk/lemon status through the state DMV and NMVTIS at vehiclehistory.gov, the legal authorities.
- Odometer consistency — check the reading history for a rollback pattern.
- Accident and airbag-deployment history — a deployed airbag means a significant prior impact.
- Salvage/junk auction records — an early signal of hidden damage, strongest on auction-connected data.
- Sales-listing and price history — how long the car has sat and whether the asking price tracks its listing history.
What a VIN check can and can't tell you here
A Zilocar VIN check sits alongside a full report as a differentiated third option, honest about its lane. By VIN it can surface: recall presence and count (open-recall screening only, like NHTSA's free tool); accident and damage records (location, type, severity, airbag-deployment status); odometer/rollback check; theft records (NICB); junk and salvage auction records; ownership history; sales-listing history — past and current listings, prices, mileage and days-on-market, which neither Carfax nor AutoCheck offers; specs and options; NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings; and market valuation.
It cannot confirm a recall was remedied or flashed, flag NHTSA investigations (PE/EA), show per-unit dealer firmware, or state the legal title brand itself — it shows the junk/salvage auction record, not the DMV title brand. On those, NHTSA, the selling dealer, the state DMV and NMVTIS are the authorities. Worth noting for parity: Carfax and AutoCheck are also open-recall-only and both draw title brands from NMVTIS, so on remedy status none of the three shows it.
Should I buy both a Carfax and an AutoCheck?
For an ordinary purchase, usually not — the core title, odometer and open-recall data overlaps heavily because both draw NMVTIS. Buying both makes sense for a high-value car where accident histories can diverge and the extra $30 to $45 for a second report is small against the price. A common practical approach is to run NHTSA's free recall check first, use whichever report the seller already provides free on the listing, then buy one paid report yourself in the lane that matters most for that car — service history or auction depth.
At $39.50 for a single report ($29.50 the first month, then $59.75/month for 20 reports), a Zilocar VIN check sits between AutoCheck (~$29.99 reported) and Carfax ($44.99) and leans on history — accidents, salvage, odometer, listings and ownership — plus open-recall screening; it cedes remedy confirmation, investigation tracking and firmware detail to NHTSA and the dealer.
