Hawaii VIN Search

Hawaii Vehicle Identification Numbers

In Hawaii, you must have a license plate on the rear of your vehicle by law, and this applies to motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, passenger cars/trucks/vans and Mobile homes. You must have a license plate within one (1) month of purchasing the vehicle and there are multiple ways of applying for a license plate, in-person, by mail, over the telephone, or online. These methods also serve to verify the vehicle identification number and the license plate.

Hawaii Department of Motor Vehicles

1300 Aliiaimoku Building 869 Punchbowl Street

Honolulu, HI 96813

808-587-2150

Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii, offers an on-line motor vehicle inquiry on both license plates and VIN numbers. The state of Hawaii recommends instaVIN for online vehicle information checks. It is a service which costs money but advertises that it gives the most current title status and title brand problems, including if the vehicle has been: junked, salvaged, reported a total loss, rebuilt, stolen, previously declared a lemon, damaged by flood, been used as a police car or taxi previously or if the odometer has been tampered.

There are free sources for looking up vehicle identification numbers and license plates information recommended by other states. One is VINcheck, which is endorsed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau and one is the National Motor Vehicle Title Information for States. Hawaii is one of the few states which doesn’t yet provide information to NMVTIS which gets its information from salvage yards, junk yards, and places where criminals tend to steal vehicle information numbers. However, with more and more states participating in NMVTIS and computers linking the world, a simple search of these databases wouldn’t hurt.

Hawaii Department of Motor Vehicles

Honolulu On-Line Motor Vehicle Inquiry

Hawaii instaVIN

Honolulu Department of Customer Services Vehicle Registration Information

VINcheck

National Motor Vehicle Title Information System

Do I need to run a VIN check or a license plate check for only legal reasons in Hawaii?

Legally, no. However, it is useful to know the history of your automobile before you purchase it. A vehicle identification check can give you information on the history of your car, including:

• Past owners – including the number of owners of the vehicle;
• Odometer readings – when a vehicle is purchased by a new owner, there is a record of the odometer reading. If there is a sudden change in the odometer reading, it is probably safe to assume that the odometer was “rolled back” and has been driven more miles than the odometer indicates;
• Liens or loans against the vehicle – any liens or loans against the vehicle, if the loan on the vehicle is unpaid, or in some states liens such as child support against the person who owned the vehicle, can transfer to you upon your purchase of the vehicle. This means that any monies owed are your responsibility and you will be required to pay them before you can even get the car titled in your name;
• Accident history – this includes accident reports, damage to the vehicle caused by floods, and if the vehicle has been declared a salvaged vehicle. A title history can help you determine if the individual who is selling you the car is the person who owns the car;
• Title Brands – cars with flood, hail-damage, or salvage titles are those with title damage brands to watch out for when you are buying a used car;
• “Lemon” determination – some vehicles may be flagged under the state law as a “lemon” and will let you know if it is a car which has been repurchased by the manufacturer;
• Thefts – by checking the vehicle identification number you can see whether the vehicle was stolen or has stolen parts;
• Purpose Designation – to let you know if the car was used as a taxi or a police car before being sold; and
• Service History – some vehicles will have as much detail as how often or whether the vehicle was serviced.

The state of Hawaii was the last state to join the United States of America and is the 40^th largest state with a population of around 1.5 million people covering eight main islands with almost 11,000 square miles combined, including: Maui, Hawai’i, O’ahu, Kaua’i, Moloka’i, Lana’i, Ni’ihau, and Kaho’olawe – with O’ahu having the largest population, Maui as smaller and less commercialized, and Hawai’i known as the “big island:”

Some facts and statistics on accidents, thefts, and disasters in Hawaii:

• In 2016, there were 516,544 cars registered in Hawaii;
• According to the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the National Highway Transportation Safety Association, some statistics regarding Motor vehicle accidents in Hawaii:
  • Out of 101 traffic fatalities in 2017 – from January 1 until December 11 – 59 of them involved motor vehicle occupants;
  • In 2016, there were 120 fatalities from 109 crashes;
  • In 2016, speeding was involved in about 45% of road fatalities; and
  • According to a survey in 2016, seat belt use in Hawaii rates are very high, at 94.5%.

Hawaii Department of Transportation

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration

Neighborhood Scout

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency

Hawaii Department of Motor Vehicles

Vehicle Recalls by VIN
NHTSA

Lemon Law in Hawaii

Lemon Laws are laws which are written to protect the consumer from defective equipment. The lemon law in Hawaii is found in the Hawaii Lemon Law can be found in the Motor Vehicle Express Warranty Enforcement part of the state law and is primarily for new cars which are under warranty. Vehicles which are exempt include: motorcycles, mopeds, vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of greater than 10,000 pounds, and scooters.

If you believe that your car is a lemon it must meet certain criteria and the responsibility is on you, the owner, to contact the manufacturer of the car. However, first how does the state of Hawaii define a lemon:

• New cars which are under warranty when the defect or malfunction occurs;
• Must be within two (2) years or 24,000 miles when you bring the defect to the attention to the manufacturer or the dealer who is acting as a representative for the manufacturer;
• The defect under warranty must affect the market value of the car, the ability to use it, or the safety of the car; OR
• You have taken the vehicle to a garage at least three (3) times to fix the same problem and it has not been resolved; OR
• The car must spend at least 30 days in the shop for repairs related to the defect within two (2) years; OR
• The car’s defect is so serious that the use of the vehicle could cause death.

The manufacturer has three attempts to fix your car, but if it still not fixed after three attempts your car has not been you should notify the manufacturer by sending a “Letter to the Manufacturer.”

You should send the Letter to the Manufacturer by certified mail, with a return receipt requested, in which you detail the malfunction, the number of times you have tried to have it fixed, and any other documentation that you have. Send photocopies and not the original documents. Many manufacturers are eager to settle lemon law cases because of the negative publicity and will therefore take appropriate action, but don’t be surprised if they disagree with you and refuse to honor their responsibility under the lemon law. If they do refuse, you can request help from SCAP (the State Certified Arbitration Program.)

Rather than going to court and fighting a lengthy battle with a car manufacturer, Hawaii has the State Certified Arbitration Program (SCAP) which is run by the Regulated Industries Complaints Office (RICO.) SCAP has a Lemon Law Handbook and SCAP’s website has the forms necessary to handle the issues.

To get assistance from SCAP you must be sure that your car meets the definition of a lemon and that you have satisfied the other qualifications listed in the Lemon Law Handbook. If so, then use the “Lemon Law Demand for Arbitration Checklist” and then complete the following:

• Complete the “Demand for Arbitration” form;
• Submit three (3) copies of each of the following:
  • Work orders from the garage or garages which show that you have tried to have the defect fixed;
  • The Lease contract or the Bill of Sale;
  • Manufacturer Warranty – including any information available regarding which parts fall under the contract umbrella;
  • The Letter you sent to the manufacturer and the return receipt;
  • The Lemon Law Document you were given by the dealer at the time you took possession of the vehicle. If you did not receive any documentation regarding the lemon law, you should send in a written statement to this effect.
  • A check for $50 made out to the Director of Finance. If the outcome of the arbitration is in your favor, then the $50 will be returned.

You have two choices regarding the binding power of the arbitration decision, but the decision must be made before you know the outcome. The first option is to allow the decision of the arbiter to be binding with no way for either party to appeal. The other option is to allow an appeal within 30 days by either the consumer (you) or the manufacturer, and the outcome of the appeal is final. There is a form included which you should sign to indicate which option you choose.

These materials should be sent to:

Regulated Industries Complaints Office, DCCA

235 S. Beretania St., 9^th Floor

Honolulu, HI 96813

Hawaii Lemon Law

Official Hawaii “Letter to the Manufacturer”

State Certified Arbitration Program –

Hawaii Regulated Industries Complaints Office

Lemon Law Handbook provided by SCAP –

Lemon Law Handbook Consumers

Forms necessary for SCAP –

Lemon Law – Information for Consumers

Lemon Law Demand for Arbitration Checklist –

Lemon Law Demand for Arbitration Checklist

Demand for Arbitration Form –

Demand for Arbitration Form

Lemon Law Attorneys in Hawaii

In some cases, people may either not want to deal with the hassle or time involved in a legal fight and chose to hire an attorney to represent them. It’s also good to remember that the manufacturer will have legal experts on their side, so you might wish to have a legal expert as well. As with other attorneys, there are some who specialize in lemon laws and you would want to find one who has experience in lemon law cases in the state of Hawaii (one who has experience or knowledge about the lemon laws in a different state will not be very helpful.) Look for a lawyer who comes highly recommended, has a good track record, and has taken cases previously which are like yours. Make sure that you find an attorney that you feel comfortable with and you trust.

You can contact the Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS), a public service provided by the Hawaii State Bar Association for a list of practicing attorneys at 800-537-9140.

Lawyer Referral & Information Service