CarHistory Used Car Flood History Check

To check whether a used car has been flooded, have its license plate number or vehicle identification number ready. You can check its flood insurance claims history for free through the Korea Insurance Development Institute’s CarHistory service. There is no application deadline. However, a vehicle cannot be assumed to be free of flood damage just because no record appears.

Check the conditions for each fee under “Service Fees” on the CarHistory website. (Verified rates: members checking a vehicle to buy a used car pay 770 won per search for up to five searches a year. Nonmembers and searches beyond the discount limit cost 2,200 won per search. All prices include VAT. Source: carhistory.or.kr. Checked 2026-09-30.)

How to Check a Car’s Flood History on CarHistory

Enter the license plate number or vehicle identification number to check for flood damage handled through insurance. A vehicle identification number is a unique identifier assigned to each car. Ask the seller for the number of the car you plan to buy.

1. Open the Korea Insurance Development Institute’s Free Flood Accident Search.
2. Select the type of number you will enter.
3. Enter the license plate number without spaces.
4. Select “Search” and read the information on the screen.
5. Save the results along with the search date.

On the website, go to “Free Services > Free Flood Accident Search.” This is a separate menu from the general accident history search. The service may be unavailable during maintenance.

Comparing Free and Paid Searches

If you only need to check flood insurance claims history, use the free option. The general accident history search has a separate fee. The amounts below are the published rates in the Service Fees.

Paid search fees include VAT. Check the rate that applies before paying. A paid search also does not uncover every flood incident that was not handled through insurance.

What the Insurance Records Cover

This service is based on automobile insurance accident data from non-life insurers. The Korea Insurance Development Institute says it uses relevant information from 1996 onward. The results are not based on a direct investigation of every accident involving the vehicle. You can check the information provided in the Service Introduction.

Own-vehicle damage coverage pays for damage to the insured vehicle. The free flood search reports flood insurance accidents involving vehicles with this coverage. Property damage liability coverage pays for damage to other people’s vehicles or property.

The Korea Insurance Development Institute describes the nature of the search results as follows.

We urge you to use CarHistory only as supplementary information.

Source: CarHistory, “Service Limitations, Including Missing or Incorrect Information”

Why Flood Damage Not Handled Through Insurance Is Missing

Flood damage that was not reported to an insurer or handled through insurance will not appear in the search. For example, if the owner paid for repairs directly, there may be no insurance payout record. That does not mean the vehicle was never flooded. The information limitations in the sample report also explain why records may be missing.

Breakdown by Situation

The additional documents to check depend on why a record is missing.

A period without own-vehicle damage coverage is not itself evidence of flood damage. It means accidents during that period are difficult to verify through records for that coverage. Conversely, do not assume that there are no records under other types of insurance.

How Should You Read “Total Loss” and “Not Finalized”?

A total loss designation alone cannot tell you whether a vehicle was flooded. Total loss is used when repairs are impossible or repair costs exceed the vehicle’s value, among other cases. Check the flood damage and total loss entries separately. For definitions, see the CarHistory glossary.

“Not finalized” means the accident claim is still being processed or the data has not yet been updated. This includes cases where the insurance payout has not been determined. A reported claim without a final payout amount may also be marked “Not finalized.”

Read repair costs and insurance payouts separately, too. Repair costs are direct expenses such as parts, labor, and painting. An insurance payout is the amount the insurer paid. No single amount can establish how deeply a car was flooded or its current condition.

Comparing Results with Car365 Flood History

If the car has been registered for sale, check Car365 as well. This service uses maintenance and inspection records in addition to insurance data. Do not assume it covers every vehicle sold in a private transaction.

The Korea Transportation Safety Authority explained the scope of the information on August 26, 2025. It includes maintenance history and performance and condition inspection history. It also uses total and partial loss information from the Korea Insurance Development Institute and information identified by local governments. Check the Authority’s guide to flood information searches for details.

Follow these steps to search Car365.

1. Visit the Car365 website.
2. Select “Flood Information Search.”
3. Complete any verification steps required on the screen.
4. Enter the license plate number to search.
5. Compare any flood-related records with other information.

A vehicle may not be eligible for a search, or no result may appear. Do not interpret either situation as “no flood damage.” First check whether the vehicle is registered for sale and whether you entered the correct number.

What to Compare on the Performance and Condition Inspection Report

Check the “Special History” section of the report for flood damage. Do not stop after reading a “No Accident History” designation. The form has separate entries for accident history and flood or fire damage. You can see the entries on Form No. 82 under the Enforcement Rules of the Motor Vehicle Management Act.

Insurance payout amounts and the report’s repair entries may not correspond one-to-one. If they differ, ask the seller for supporting documents. Have a repair shop inspect the actual vehicle if the documents do not explain something.

How to Record Search and Inspection Dates Together

Write down the dates for each source so you can identify periods the information does not cover. The accident date and the date insurance data is updated may differ. An inspection report also cannot show the vehicle’s condition after the inspection. Keep these points in mind when comparing records.

1. Write down the date of each search.
2. List the displayed accident dates alongside the report’s inspection date.
3. Ask the seller whether the vehicle was repaired or flooded after the inspection.
4. If you received only an old screenshot of search results, search again before deciding whether to buy.
5. Check conflicting information against repair records and an inspection of the actual vehicle.

For example, the insurance history may show no record while the inspection report indicates flood damage. Do not disregard the report just because the insurance history says “none.” Find out why they differ, including whether the damage was handled without insurance.

Common Mistakes

Do not treat “none” in a search result as a guarantee of the vehicle’s condition. Each source collects different information for a different purpose. Making the following distinctions can help prevent mistaken conclusions.

What Popular Models and Standard Vehicle Values Are For

Popular model statistics and standard vehicle values cannot establish whether an individual vehicle has been flooded. The popular models list is based on an analysis of vehicles whose accident histories were searched. Do not read it as a ranking of actual sales or vehicle condition. The scope of the statistics is shown in the popular models search guide.

The standard vehicle value is a benchmark used to assess the insured value of a vehicle under own-vehicle damage coverage and the amount of a loss. It does not mean the vehicle you plan to buy will sell for that amount. The Korea Insurance Research Institute’s automobile history information glossary also distinguishes these uses.

The free vehicle scrapping accident search provides relevant reports from April 2018 onward. It covers reports submitted to insurers after an automobile insurance claim was handled. The service states that scrapping not handled through insurance will not appear.