Original research from our analysis of 50,000+ VIN lookups, NICB theft data, and NMVTIS title records.
Our editorial and data team publishes original studies several times a year using the anonymized lookup history from our platform combined with public datasets from the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, state DMV title transfer records, and OEM recall feeds. The studies below are free to cite under a Creative Commons Attribution license — we ask only that you link back to the original page and credit CarCheckerVIN Editorial Team.
Each study links to the underlying methodology and dataset where available. For press inquiries, embargoed previews, or custom data pulls, see the press section below.
Our analysis of 1.1 million NICB theft records from 2025 reveals the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Sportage are now stolen more often than the long-reigning Honda Civic. Full top-50 rankings, state-level breakdowns, and year/model risk scores included.
Read Study→We tracked 18,400 salvage-branded VINs through subsequent title transfers and found that 31% landed in a state with weaker branding laws within 14 months. The full migration map identifies the seven highest-risk title-washing corridors.
Read Study→A three-year longitudinal study of 1,200 used-EV buyers shows median capacity loss of 8.4% by year five, with significant variance between Tesla, Chevrolet, and Nissan platforms. Includes degradation curves and resale value impact.
Read Study→After Hurricane Idalia and the 2024 storm season, we tracked 6,300 flood-damaged Florida VINs. 22% appeared on used-car lots in Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee within 90 days — many with no title brand visible to buyers.
Read Study→From the pandemic spike to the 2024 correction, we charted 50,000 transaction prices across 12 popular models. Used Toyota Tacomas have held value better than any other vehicle, while three-year-old EVs depreciated nearly twice as fast as ICE counterparts.
Read Study→Using state-reported lemon buyback filings from 14 disclosure-mandatory states, we ranked manufacturers by buyback rate per 10,000 vehicles sold. The gap between the best and worst performers was wider in 2025 than in any prior year we have measured.
Read Study→Our research is free to quote, paraphrase, and republish under CC BY 4.0 with attribution. Use the formats below for academic papers, news articles, and blog posts.
CarCheckerVIN Editorial Team. (2026). [Study Name]. Retrieved from https://www.carcheckervin.com/researchCarCheckerVIN Editorial Team. “[Study Name].” CarCheckerVIN, 2026, carcheckervin.com/research.“[Study Name],” CarCheckerVIN Editorial Team, accessed [date], https://www.carcheckervin.com/research.Common questions from journalists, analysts, and researchers about our data, sources, and licensing.
Yes. All of our studies are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which means you are free to quote, paraphrase, and republish the findings in academic papers, news articles, and blog posts. We ask only that you link back to the original page and credit the CarCheckerVIN Editorial Team. The page provides ready-to-use APA, MLA, and Chicago/News citation formats.
Our studies combine the anonymized lookup history from our own platform with public datasets, including the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), state DMV title transfer records, and OEM recall feeds. Each study links to the underlying methodology and dataset where available.
NMVTIS, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, is a federal system administered by the U.S. Department of Justice that aggregates title and brand data from state DMVs, insurance carriers, and salvage operators nationwide. Because it pools records across all states, it is a reliable source for tracking salvage and flood-branded vehicles even after they move across state lines.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) compiles vehicle theft records reported by insurers and law enforcement across the United States. Our most-stolen-vehicles study analyzes these records to rank vehicles by theft frequency, with state-level breakdowns and year/model risk scoring. NICB is a long-established nonprofit source for national auto-theft statistics.
Our editorial and data team publishes original studies several times a year. Topics rotate across theft and crime, title fraud and salvage migration, electric-vehicle battery degradation, flood-damaged vehicles, used-car pricing, and lemon buyback frequency.
Yes. Title washing is the practice of moving a branded vehicle to a state with weaker branding rules, re-titling it there, and reselling it with an apparently clean title. Our salvage migration study tracks branded VINs through subsequent title transfers to identify the corridors where this most often happens. A VIN check sourced from NMVTIS surfaces the original brand history regardless of where the current paper title was issued.
Reporters working on a story can request an interview, additional data slices, or a quote from our research team through our press kit, which lists spokespeople, brand assets, and direct contact details. We respond to press inquiries within one business day.
Our studies report population-level trends, not the status of any individual car. To see how a finding applies to a specific vehicle, run a free VIN check from the form on this page. The VIN lookup decodes the vehicle and pulls its own title and history records, sourced from the same NMVTIS-backed data behind our research.
Working on a story and need an interview, additional data slices, or a quote from our research team? We respond to press inquiries within one business day. Visit our press kit for spokespeople, brand assets, and direct contact details.
Visit Press Kit →Curious how the studies above apply to a specific car? Decode any VIN in seconds.