VIN-lookup: How to avoid buying a crashed, repaired car in South Africa

The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) has unveiled a powerful tool for used car buyers seeking peace of mind. The newly launched VIN-Lookup website, VINLookup.co.za, allows consumers to check whether a used car has been involved in a crash and subsequently repaired before making a purchase.

The website’s rollout will occur in three phases. Initially, it will encompass vehicles classified as Code 3 (rebuilt), 3A (spare parts only), and 4 (permanently demolished) by their respective insurers. While this database comprises only vehicles insured by SAIA members and does not encompass all vehicles on the road, it serves as a valuable resource for cautious buyers navigating the pre-owned car market.

The second phase of VIN-Lookup, slated for availability by the end of 2023, will incorporate Code 2 (written-off) vehicles.

Zakes Sondiyazi, SAIA Manager, clarified the purpose of VIN-Lookup: “The vehicle salvage database from which information is drawn for VIN-Lookup contains records that show how insurance companies have designated previously insured vehicles. The information provided through VIN-Lookup is considered complete at the time it was received, reflecting the status of the vehicle at the time it was in the possession of the information owner, the insurance company. The status returned is in no way a reflection of the quality of repair, nor roadworthiness of the vehicle.”

To ensure the robustness of VIN-Lookup, SAIA has taken several measures, including auditing and verifying information accuracy, defining data upload processes, establishing agreements among SAIA member companies for historical data, creating error identification and database revision protocols, and clarifying the legal status of provided information.

Sondiyazi emphasized the broad consultation that preceded the tool’s development, stating, “SAIA consulted widely with all relevant industry stakeholders in developing the VIN-Lookup. This included the Department of Transport as custodians of the National Road Traffic Act and which provides guidelines to determine the life cycle status of a motor vehicle as implemented on the NaTIS system. The South African Police Service (SAPS) was among other stakeholders consulted.”

How VIN-Lookup works

The VIN-Lookup service is entirely free and user-friendly. It requires users to input their name, identity number, and vehicle identification number (VIN) into three provided fields on the screen.

Currently, the service only generates a report for vehicles categorized under Code 3, 3A, and 4. This report details the extent of damages the vehicle suffered and the legislation under which it was classified as written off.

SAIA Chief Executive Officer, Viviene Pearson, commented on the service’s scope, saying, “Of the 14 million registered vehicles in South Africa, less than a third is insured (i.e., less than 5 million). Therefore, the industry’s Vehicle Salvage Database (VSD) will likely have less than 3% of vehicles that are written off, and most of these are vehicles that can either be rebuilt, or can only be used for spare parts, or should be demolished. This means that access to this small database against the population of registered vehicles in South Africa is not a silver bullet.”

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