Key Takeaways
- Bumper is a legitimate VIN lookup platform that provides detailed vehicle history reports, including accident history, sales listings, theft records, and recall information. A single report costs $31.99, while a monthly membership with 50 reports is available for $19.99.
- The platform is best suited for car buyers who want to make informed decisions, sellers looking to get the best price for their vehicles, and owners who wish to monitor their car’s market value and safety recalls.
- Bumper offers a user-friendly mobile app with additional features such as a marketplace, vehicle comparison tool, and real-time car monitoring. The app also provides rewards and discounts on car-related services for members. However, there is no option for a free VIN check or history report.
Bumper Review
Bumper is a VIN lookup platform that offers detailed vehicle report with information that can help you make a sound decision before buying a car. If you’re selling, having this information can get you the best money for your vehicle. A single Bumper report costs $31.99 while you can purchase 1-month membership for $19.99 and get 50 reports.
Pros
- Check your car’s value with 99% certainty
- A single report or monthly membership
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Rewards and promos for members
Cons
- No free VIN check and history report
- Single reports are expensive ($31.99)
Jump to: Full Review
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Bumper
Price starts from $1 (7 days trial), plus monthly memebership available ($19.99/month)
Easy to use mobile app and 99% accurate car valuation feature
Extra features: marketplace, vehicle comparison tool
How Does Bumper Work?
Bumper is an online platform where you can purchase vehicle history reports using a car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate number. The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System approves this data provider.
The platform allows you to purchase a single report or sign up for membership and request at least 50 reports monthly. By signing up for membership, you’ll also have access to features that make car selling or buying easier.
You can also access the website features on its mobile app, available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Besides requesting VIN check reports, other features available on the app are:
- Marketplace: Search for new and used cars from over 50,000 dealerships and private sellers
- Bumper Connect: Monitor your Wi-Fi-enabled car in real time, receive car maintenance reminders, view tire pressure gauge and odometer readings, and more without needing to get inside your car.
- Market Value Tool: Check a car’s estimated worth before buying and selling.
- Vehicle Comparison Tool: Use the cars’ VINs to compare their features and performance, fuel efficiency, safety, and overall value.
- Rewards: You can also access features and offers to help you save on car repair and maintenance, parking, and car wash.
The app also has a feature where you can scan the car’s VIN using your phone’s camera, letting you skip typing lengthy alphanumeric characters.
Plus, you can trust the data you’re getting as it regularly compiles updated information from NMVTIS, NHTSA, JD Power, and other reliable data sources in the country.
What is Included in the Bumper VIN Report?
All of the information that you will find in a Bumper VIN Report from Bumper are listed here:
- Photos of Previous Sales
- Past Odometer Readings
- Sale Listings
- Accident History
- Salvage Records
- Theft Records
- Title Records
- Recalls
- Market Value
- Ownership Cost
- Vehicle Specs
- Warranties
- Vehicle Safety
Bumper VIN Report Samples
There are two reports you can purchase from Bumper. One is for a salvaged car, and the other for a clean car.
History Report for a Salvage Car
History Report for a Clean Car
Who is Bumper Best For?
Bumper is best for people who are looking to sell their cars, enabling them to show their buyers what value they’re getting for their money.
Also, car buyers will benefit from Bumper as they can search a car’s history and find information the sellers might not disclose. Finally, vehicle owners can use Bumper to regularly check their car’s market value and get updated on safety recall records.
What Vehicle History Can You Check with Bumper?
With Bumper’s VIN lookup tool, you can view detailed information on accidents, salvages, and theft records, as well as any sales listing.
Accident History
The vehicle history report includes information on whether the car has been involved in an accident requiring insurance and/or law enforcement intervention. You can particularly check if the front airbag has deployed and reported structural damage.
Sales Listings
Using the VIN lookup tool or license plate search, you may be able to view the full sales history of the vehicle. Having this information can help you get a better idea of the car’s value, particularly how many owners it has been through.
Theft Records
You can avoid buying stolen vehicles and the legal consequences that follow by checking a vehicle’s theft records using Bumper. Here, you can view if the car was reported stolen in the past and whether it has been resolved.
Salvage Listings
You can determine whether the vehicle you’re checking has a salvage or branded title. This option can be helpful if you’re looking to avoid unscrupulous sellers who are into title washing, allowing them to sell a car with a branded title in a different state where that particular title isn’t recognized.
Ownership Cost
Ownership costs are another helpful piece of information you might want to know about a car, especially if you’re looking to purchase it. What I find impressive with Bumper’s report is that you can actually see how much the car will cost you every year. It lets you make a sound decision about whether to buy a vehicle and if you do so, you can prepare for your expenses.
Recalls
Bumper’s recall check can provide you with the following details:
- Whether a vehicle is included in the list of equipment being recalled,
- Date of the recall report
- Summary of the issue
- Safety risks
- Recommended remedy
- Whether the previous owners have resolved the recalls
- If the recall doesn’t apply to a particular VIN
Market Value
Considering the past sales of similar vehicles, you can view a car’s average and above-market estimates. Knowing this can help you decide on a price, whether you’re buying or selling.
Vehicle Safety
The vehicle history report also includes information on NHTSA’s safety ratings, allowing you to decide if the vehicle you’re checking meets your needs. You can also view all safety complaints for the vehicle submitted to the NHTSA by other consumers.
Vehicle Specifications and Equipment
Besides the VIN, you can also use the make and model of the car to look for its specs and equipment. You can check if the car has standard equipment in one place or if it’s missing a key feature.
Bumper Fees: How Much Does it Cost to Use Bumper?
Here are your options to purchase vehicle history reports with Bumper.
| Number of reports | Price |
|---|---|
| 7 days trial | $1 |
| Single vehicle history report | $31.99 |
| 1-month membership (50 reports) | $19.99 per month |
| 3-month membership (50 reports) | $38.97 every 3 months |
With 1-month and 3-month memberships, you can run up to 50 reports per month, plus access the following features
- VIN lookups
- Title checks
- Search by VIN, license plate, and model
- Monitor different cars and download PDF reports
If you want to try these features, Bumper also offers a 7-day trial period for only $1. With this, you can run up to 50 reports and it includes the same benefits as monthly membership. However, this offer is auto-renewing, which means you’ll need to cancel the subscription before the 7-day trial ends so you won’t be charged for the full one-month membership.
To cancel your membership, you can call the support team at 1-332-225-9745 or send an email to support@bumper.com.
When paying for my Bumper reports, I was also happy to find that the company offers PayPal as a highly secure payment method. You can also pay using Google Pay and credit or debit cards.
Bumper Subscription Benefits
When you subscribe to Bumper, you can also access the Rewards feature, where you’ll find exclusive discounts, benefits, and perks. Some of the rewards Bumper offers are:
- Free unlimited car washes for 30 days
- 15% off parking with SpotHero
- 15% off on auto parts with throtl
- $10 off on your next car repair or maintenance with Openbay
- Free SiriusXM streaming for 4 months
- 10% off and free delivery on repairs and maintenance with RepairSmith
You can find more rewards when you log in to your Bumper account and go through the Rewards tab.
Bumper Reviews: Is Bumper Legit?
| Website | Rating |
|---|---|
| 3.7 | |
| Google Play Store | 2.5 |
| Trustpilot | 2.7 |
Bumper is a safe and legitimate platform where you can get a vehicle history report.
Customers liked that the Bumper app:
- Provided them with accurate and reliable information about vehicles, helping them make the right decision in buying.
- Helped them get better prices for the cars they wanted to purchase
- Has a helpful, courteous, and professional customer service team
Meanwhile, some customers had billing issues after signing up for a $1 7-day trial, citing that their credit cards were charged after 7 days. However, this condition was explicitly mentioned when you signed up for a trial subscription.
Other complaints also exist about the platform not having information for new vehicles. However, it’s worth noting that the customer service team responded to these reviews, offering email support to investigate the issues further.
What are the Bumper Pros & Cons?
Bumper Pros
- Check your car’s value with 99% certainty
- Purchase a single report or monthly membership
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Rewards and promos for members
Bumper Cons
- No free VIN check and history report
- Not-so-affordable pricing for a monthly subscription after the 7-day trial period ends
How Good Is Bumper Support?
Bumper support is widely praised on customer review sites like Trustpilot and Apple App Store. In fact, these sites also notice that the customer service team replies to concerns and addresses low ratings from customers.
You can access their customer team through the following:
- Email: support@bumper.com
- Phone: +1-332-225-9745
- Contact Form
Note that their customer service team is available daily from 6:00 am to 11:30 pm EST.
Is it Worth Checking VIN with Bumper?
Considering what Bumper offers, this app is worth it if you’re looking for a VIN number lookup. The detailed vehicle report contains information that can help you make a sound decision before buying a car. If you’re selling, having this information can get you the best money for your vehicle.
Additionally, Bumper offers excellent customer support, giving you a reliable and trusted platform to handle your after-sales issues.
As for pricing, getting a membership is far more affordable if you purchase reports for multiple vehicles. If you’re only looking to purchase 1 report, it’s still better to get a monthly subscription as it’s far cheaper at $1 for a 7-day trial period.
Then, make sure to cancel the subscription before the month is up to avoid further charges. Finally, it’s important to manage your expectations when purchasing vehicle reports. After all, no reports can tell you everything about a car.
Bumper FAQ
What is a Bumper?
Bumper is an online platform and mobile app where you can purchase vehicle history reports and get reliable information on a car’s accident, market value, and recalls. It also offers tools to help you with car research, whether you’re selling, buying, or simply monitoring your current vehicle.
Founded in 1966, the platform now has over 1 million monthly website visitors and claims to help its customers save money on vehicle history reports.
What is VIN?
VIN, or Vehicle Identification Number, is a 17-alphanumeric code uniquely assigned to every vehicle upon production. Each segment of the VIN provides particular information, such as when and where the car was manufactured and its brand.
Where to find the VIN in a vehicle?
The VIN is on top of the driver-side dashboard, inside the engine bay, and on the door sill.
Is Bumper a good VIN check?
Yes, Bumper is a good VIN check as it offers $1 reports and takes less than 5 minutes to get a report. The information I got from Bumper was also accurate and secure.
