Baron Auto — Used Car Buying Guides

The front of a square-bodied green Chevrolet pickup photographed head-on, its chrome grille and gold bowtie badge filling the centre of the frame

Vehicle HistoryGM VIN Decoder: Why There Is No Chevrolet Code, and No GMC Code EitherEvery General Motors code belongs to the corporation, not the badge — which is why the first three characters cannot separate a GMC from a Chevrolet, and something else has to.Updated August 31, 2026 · 23 min read

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Vehicle HistoryTitle vs Registration: Two Documents, Two Completely Different Jobs

A car parked close against a building under a silver fitted cover, more covered vehicles and a palm tree along the quiet street behind it

Vehicle HistoryLost Car Title: Who Can Replace It, and Who Cannot

Before you buy

Check any VIN — free, instant, no sign-up

Decode the year, model, trim, plant and engine, then check NMVTIS for title brands and NHTSA for open recalls. The repair does not show on the paint. It shows in the record.

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Years to Avoid — Complaint Index

NHTSA owner complaints, worst year vs neighbours

All 18 model indexes

Car Care

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Why trust this site

We publish the source behind every number. Recall counts, complaint totals and fuel-economy figures come from NHTSA and the EPA and are dated on the page, so you can re-run any of them yourself. Where an article recommends a check, it links to the free federal tool that performs it. Where we think a paid service is worth it, we say why — and where it is not, we say that too.

This site is under new ownership and is not affiliated with Baron Auto Emporium dealership. Read more about the site and who runs it.