Help
Frequently asked questions
How FormerCars works, what you can save, and how privacy is handled.
What is FormerCars? +
FormerCars is a personal VIN garage that lets you save vehicle VINs, organize basic details, and keep track of cars or trucks you once owned, still own, or simply want to remember.
Is FormerCars free to use? +
Yes. FormerCars is designed to be a simple, free way to start saving VINs and organizing your vehicle history in one place.
What can I save in my VIN garage? +
You can save a VIN along with vehicle details such as year, make, model, trim, color, notes, a photo, and whether you have marked that vehicle as found again.
Do I need to know the full VIN to use FormerCars? +
For the best results, yes. FormerCars is built around VIN-based tracking, so having the complete 17-digit VIN helps you keep accurate records and decode vehicle information more reliably.
Can I track vehicles built before 1980? +
Not in the same way. Most VIN tools mainly support vehicles built after the 17-digit VIN format became standard. Older classic vehicles may require manual notes instead.
Are my saved VINs public? +
By default, vehicles you add get a shareable public page so you can show a car you’re tracking. You can make any vehicle private with one click when adding or editing it, and private vehicles never appear in public listings or search.
What shows on my public garage? +
If you turn on a public garage, it can show your username, join date, the number of vehicles you track, and any vehicles you’ve kept public. Vehicles you mark private are never shown.
How does the VIN decoder work? +
The VIN decoder identifies common vehicle details from a standard VIN — year, make, model, engine, and body style when available — using public NHTSA data. Results can vary depending on the vehicle and available data sources.
Does FormerCars tell me exactly where my old car is now? +
Not directly. FormerCars helps you organize VINs and research vehicles more easily, but it does not guarantee real-time location data for a vehicle.
What does “Found” mean? +
Found is a status you set on a vehicle when you’ve spotted it again — listed for sale, at auction, in a salvage yard, or still on the road. It’s just a marker to help you keep track.
Can I edit or delete a VIN later? +
Yes. You can manage your saved vehicles from your dashboard and update details or remove VINs whenever needed.
Do I need an account to save vehicles? +
Yes. Creating an account lets you build your personal VIN garage, save your entries, and manage them from your dashboard.
Is FormerCars only for cars? +
No. FormerCars can also be useful for other VIN-based vehicles, but the site is especially geared toward car enthusiasts and people tracking memorable vehicles from their past.
Why would someone use FormerCars? +
Some people use FormerCars to remember vehicles they once owned, organize important VINs, keep notes on their history, or revisit old projects and cars they still wonder about.
How do I get started? +
Create an account, sign in, add your first VIN, and start building your personal garage. From there you can organize your saved vehicles and manage them from your dashboard.