Read from NHTSA bulletins, recalls and complaints
Every build has a failure it was engineered to have.
WrenchReport reads the federal record for your car's exact engine, and prices the failure in dollars before you sign.
Pattern, not inspection. We have never touched this car.
The clean report and the failing engine
A clean vehicle history report only means no one reported an accident. It says nothing about what this engine and transmission are documented to do once the factory warranty lapses.
You are standing on the lot with a phone and five minutes, not an appointment. The salesman is not going to tell you what this build breaks — he may not know either.
Federal recall, complaint and bulletin data on that exact failure is public and free. It is also unreadable to someone under pressure in a parking lot.
What a Mechanic's Warning reads like
Sample finding
This engine's block design lets coolant into the cylinders. It does not misfire — it hydro-locks, and the engine stops turning.
$5,500–$7,000
Repair cost range
Walkaround Check
Open the hood. Check the coolant reservoir and the underside of the oil filler cap for milky residue.
Illustrative finding from a documented 1.5L EcoBoost failure pattern. Sources: NHTSA TSB 19-2346; campaign 20V-505. Every Mechanic's Warning cites its source by name.
A paperwork report is not a mechanic
History reports
Carfax and AutoCheck report who owned the car and whether it was in an accident. Neither says what the engine is built to do at 90,000 miles.
A shop inspection
A pre-purchase inspection needs an appointment and the seller’s permission. You have five minutes and a phone, not a shop.
Federal data itself
Recall, complaint and bulletin data is public and free. It was never written for a buyer standing on a lot.
Built entirely on public federal data
WrenchReport decodes your VIN through NHTSA's own registry, then clusters recalls, complaints and bulletins for that exact powertrain. A finding is written only where the record supports it.
No claim is ever made about your specific car's condition. Every Mechanic's Warning names its source: the bulletin, the campaign, or the complaint count behind it.
$11.99
One VIN, one verdict
One payment includes the full Mechanic's Warning: every failure pattern, its repair cost range, and the Walkaround Check. No subscription, no account.
Checking more than one car this week? Lot Pass covers five reports, bought once, for less than five singles.