Vehicle history reports (VHRs)—also known as car checks, VIN checks, and car history reports—are useful when buying a used car. Vehicle history reports have information about a car's previous owners, mileage, accidents, maintenance records, and more.Get the car history report before buying any used car.Getting a vehicle history report (also known as a VIN check, VIN report, used car reports, and car history reports) for a used car is as important as a test drive.rdering a VHR for a Used Car. If you are buying a used car from a private seller and want the car history, you'll need to pay for a vehicle history report/VIN lookup from companies like CarFax or AutoCheck. Cost of vehicle history reports vary by provider.