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

A vehicle valuation report estimates the current market value of a used vehicle by its VIN. When asking yourself, “How much is my car really worth?” this is the most accurate way to find out.

By analyzing the vehicle identification number of a used car or vehicle, VINsmart compiles reports from industry leaders J.D. Power and Blackbook. Within these reports, you’ll see a table of vehicle cost appraisals that are adjusted based on the vehicle’s history and condition.

Estimated dealership trade-in values will differ from the retail value you might get from a private buyer. Vehicle valuation can also vary widely depending on the vehicle’s current condition, and where you’re located.

Interested in how to keep your resale value as high as possible? VINsmart has some advice for you.

Vehicle valuation reports are an essential tool for the savvy car owner or buyer in many situations.

Considering selling a vehicle?

If you are thinking about selling your vehicle, you need to know exactly how much that vehicle is worth. Determining the price by the VIN will guarantee accuracy. As someone looking to sell a car, requesting the vehicle value by VIN will:

• Ensure you aren’t getting ripped off when you negotiate trade-in value with a dealership.
• Inform you exactly how much you can charge a private buyer based on current market values.
• Establish a well-educated baseline for pricing when posting the vehicle for sale on websites such as eBay or Craigslist.

Considering buying a vehicle?

If you are thinking about buying a vehicle, you want to know if the listed price is fair. You may also be considering the purchase of several different vehicles and wish to compare cars. Calculating the car value by VIN will:

• Determine whether or not a seller is giving you a reasonable price for the vehicle make, model, and condition.
• Provide you with leverage when negotiating with a dealership or private seller over fair pricing..
• Help you compare prices if you are deciding between the purchase of a few different vehicles.

Has your car been totaled?

Lastly, if your car has been totaled, it’s smart to get a private vehicle value estimate.

Quite a few insurance companies work with the CCC (Certified Collateral Corporation) Information Services Inc. to determine vehicle value in the case of a total loss. They utilize their own methods to analyze your car’s actual value pre-crash.

This methodology considers the condition of the car, your location, and market, and then produces a number that reflects how much you could have sold the car for, had it not been totaled. This is the approximate amount of money you are eligible to receive from your insurance company.

However, the CCC works for your insurance company, not for you. In the past, they have paid out money in class action lawsuits that accused them of inaccurate valuation of vehicles that were declared total losses by insurers. The CCC admitted no liability or wrongdoing but did ultimately pay out millions of dollars. They have also been under investigation in several states, and have had even more recent lawsuits filed against them.

What does this mean for you? If your car has been totaled, and you’ve received a vehicle valuation that looks low, you need a third-party vehicle valuation report to ensure you aren’t being ripped off. That’s where VINsmart can help.

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 is the second of your two vehicle valuation reports. The Blackbook valuation will provide you with 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. Retail Value: These three prices are your vehicle’s retail value at three different conditions: Clean, Average, and Rough.
2. 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 Black Book’s Official 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 black book 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.

Blackbook car valuations are slightly different from NADA car values, because Blackbook does not traditionally offer direct-to-consumer data. The information you’re getting from Blackbook is usually only accessible by auto lenders and dealers.

Established in 1955, Blackbook has grown from printed books sold out of a car, to a digital, data-driven model that provides actionable insights from industry experts to inform the behavior of automotive dealers. They not only offer meticulously calculated vehicle valuations, but predictive values and trends to help drive smart investments.

Blackbook offers precise, VIN-specific valuations by integrating vehicle history report (VHR) data from AutoCheck®. Their analytics team then analyzes millions of vehicle transactions to create a more accurate model from which to provide a History Adjusted Valuation based on the VHR. They take into consideration essential data points like mileage, maintenance, model, make, accessories, and year in order to determine industry-informed value. They are also highly cognizant of industry trends and depreciation rates.

Though J.D. Power and Blackbook are two of 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.