Wheel ScoutIs it safe to buy a car on Facebook Marketplace?
It can be, if you treat every listing as unproven until you've checked it. Facebook's own help pages list vehicles among the purchases its Purchase Protection doesn't cover, and the sale happens between you and the seller, in person. Nobody steps in if it goes wrong. The steps below are how buyers get the good car without the bad surprise.
Step by step
Red flags on a Marketplace car
Paperwork: what you need
- The title, signed over by the person named on it. If there's a loan, the lender has to release it.
- A bill of sale, with the price, date, VIN and both names. Some states require one; it's smart everywhere.
- Your state's deadline. It varies: California gives a buyer 10 days to transfer the title, Texas 30.
- Sales tax is often paid when you title the car. In Texas it's 6.25% of the price or the state's standard value for that car, whichever is higher.
Rules differ by state. Your state's page has the details: plate lookup and DMV rules by state.
Buying a car from another state
- Getting it home: you may need a temporary permit. Texas, for example, sells a One-Trip Permit good for 15 days. Check the rules for every state you'll drive through.
- Registering it: you title and register it in your home state, under its rules. California needs a VIN verification and, for most gas cars, a California smog certificate. Texas requires an emissions test in its emissions counties.
- Seeing it first: if you can't see and drive it, don't pay for it. Out-of-state cars are where the shipping scams live.
Sources
Read on November 1, 2026. State rules change; your DMV has the final word.
- Facebook help: Purchase Protection (vehicles not covered)
- Facebook help: buying safely on Marketplace
- FTC: phony online car sales
- FTC: buying a used car online
- BBB: the virtual vehicle scam
- NICB: buying a vehicle
- Minnesota Attorney General: curbstoning
- California DMV: buying from a private party
- Texas DMV: buying or selling a vehicle
- Texas DMV: temporary permits
- California DMV: bringing a car from another state
The reports
You see the car before you pay. Pick the report you need.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
Buying a car on Facebook Marketplace questions
Is it safe to buy a car on Facebook Marketplace?
It can be, if you check everything yourself: run the VIN, meet in public, inspect and drive the car, match the title to the seller's ID, and pay at a bank. Facebook's Purchase Protection doesn't cover vehicles.
Does Facebook Purchase Protection cover cars?
No. Facebook's help page lists vehicles among the purchases Purchase Protection doesn't cover.
How should I pay for a car from Facebook Marketplace?
In person, after you've seen the car and the title: a cashier's check made out to the person on the title, or cash counted at a bank. Never gift cards, wire transfers, crypto or an escrow site the seller picks.
What paperwork do I need when buying a car on Facebook Marketplace?
The title signed over by the owner named on it, a lien release if there was a loan, and a bill of sale. Then title and register the car at your DMV before your state's deadline.
Can I buy a car on Facebook Marketplace from another state?
Yes. You may need a temporary permit to drive it home, and you register it in your own state under its rules, which can include a VIN check, smog or emissions test.
How do I know if a Facebook Marketplace car is a good deal?
Compare it with the same year, model and mileage for sale near you, then run the VIN or plate for title brands and odometer records before you go see it.
More ways to check a car
Buying guides
Find the deal, then check it.
Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.
The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency.