BYD VIN check electric or hybrid, confirm it first.
Atto 3, Dolphin, Song, Han, Tang or Seal: enter the 17-character VIN to confirm the model and year. The full report adds recalls, a theft check, and mileage and accident records where available. ₦9,900.
900M+ Vehicles in database
₦9,900 Full report
A BYD VIN check confirms the exact model, model year and, where the decode holds it, whether the car is fully electric or a plug-in hybrid. A BYD built in China has a VIN starting with L (LGX, LXY or LA9). Carlytics checks the VIN against 900+ million records in US, EU and worldwide databases for recalls, theft, and mileage and accident records where available. Full reports ₦9,900.
Where to find the VIN on a BYD
The VIN is in the same places as on any modern car, and on every paper that comes with it.
Read the plate at the bottom of the windscreen on the driver's side and the label in the driver's door pillar. Then compare them with the dealer invoice, or for an imported car with the customs papers, the vehicle licence and the proof of ownership. The 17 characters must match everywhere.
The first characters tell you who built the car. A BYD built in China starts with L, and BYD's own codes are LGX, LXY and LA9. Characters 4 to 9 describe the model and drivetrain, and character 10 usually carries the model year. The decode reads all of it for you.
Electric or plug-in hybrid: what the decode confirms
BYD builds both, and the difference matters more in Nigeria than almost anywhere else.
A fully electric BYD depends on charging. A plug-in hybrid has a petrol engine as well and can be driven like a normal car when there is nowhere to charge. Some BYD names are used for both kinds of car in different markets, so the badge alone does not settle it.
The decode shows the fuel type where it holds it for that VIN. Check it against the car: a plug-in hybrid has a fuel filler as well as a charging port. If the decode and the car disagree with the advert, ask before you pay.
What a VIN check cannot tell you about the battery
No VIN check measures the state of the battery. The decode can show the version where it holds it, but the battery's health needs a test by a workshop with BYD equipment. Ask for that report on any used electric or plug-in hybrid BYD.
BYD models in Nigeria
BYD is newer in Nigeria than most Chinese brands, so many cars here are recent.
LOXEA Nigeria, part of the CFAO Mobility group, launched BYD in Nigeria with the Atto 3 and the Dolphin, at an event in Ikoyi, Lagos. It offers charging stations, maintenance and genuine spare parts. Other BYD models, such as the Song, Han, Tang and Seal, reach Nigeria through private imports, so their papers and specification need more checking.
A car imported privately may have been built for another market, with a different charging connector, software language or warranty. That does not make it a bad car, but it changes what it is worth and who can service it.
Charging, parts and servicing
Questions to settle before you pay, whichever model you choose.
- Where will you charge it, and does the car's charging port fit the chargers you can reach?
- Who will service it? Ask the official network whether it will accept a privately imported car.
- Are the software and the screen in a language you can use, or was the car built for another market?
- Does the seller have the charging cable and the papers that came with the car?
For a car that came from abroad, our customs papers check covers the papers, and the used car checklist covers the rest of the viewing.
BYD recalls
Recalls are published by make, model and year.
The report lists recall campaigns recorded for the decoded make, model and year, where published. Ask the official network to confirm that the work was done. To compare brands, see the Chinese car VIN check and the Changan, Geely and GAC checks.
What the report shows for a BYD
Here is what to expect from a ₦9,900 report on a car with a 17-character VIN.
In the report
- A factory decode: make, model, model year, engine, fuel, body style and plant.
- Dated mileage records where available for the VIN, from the countries the car lived in.
- Accident and damage records where available for the VIN, for example salvage and write-off titles and auction damage classifications.
- A check against stolen-vehicle databases from the US, the EU and worldwide.
- Safety recall campaigns recorded for the make, model and year.
- Market value, known model issues and running-cost context.
Before you check
- Have the 17-character VIN ready. It is on the windscreen, the door pillar and the customs papers; a plate number alone is not enough.
- Confirm the customs duty status on Nigeria Customs CVMS or on VREG. The report does not cover customs duty.
- Book an independent mechanic to inspect the car before you transfer any money.
No record found is not proof that a car is undamaged or that its mileage is correct.
Checking a BYD, in order
Quick checks first.
- 1
Get the VIN
Windscreen, door pillar and papers. All must match.
- 2
Decode the VIN
Model, year and fuel type where held must match the advert.
- 3
Read the full report
Recalls, theft, and mileage and accident records where available.
- 4
Test the battery
A battery report from a workshop with BYD equipment.
- 5
Inspect, then pay
Only when the car, the papers and the decode agree.
What we check before you pay for a car in Nigeria
One VIN, the records from the countries the car has lived in. These are the checks that matter most for a tokunbo car, a Nigerian-used car or a new Chinese model.
Accident and damage
The report includes accident and damage records where available for the VIN, such as salvage and write-off titles and auction damage classifications. An accidented car repaired abroad and shipped to Lagos can look clean on the lot; the record from its first life is where the repair shows. No record found is not proof the car was never damaged.
Mileage rollbacks
We put the dated mileage records we hold for the VIN in order, where available, so you can compare them with the dashboard. The weak point on a tokunbo car is the gap between the last reading abroad and the day it reached Nigeria.
Specs & equipment
We decode the factory specification from the VIN: make, model, year, engine, fuel, body and plant. Check it against the advert and the customs papers before you agree a price.
Safety recalls
We list safety recall campaigns recorded for the make, model and year. A car bought abroad and shipped to Nigeria rarely comes with its recall letters, so ask a dealer of the brand to confirm the work was done.
Flood damage
Check whether the car carries flood or weather damage records where available. Flood cars from US storms have been repaired and shipped to Nigeria before, and a flood car can fail electrically long after the sale.
Stolen car check
We check the VIN against stolen-vehicle databases from the US, the EU and worldwide. Cars stolen abroad have been shipped to Nigeria and seized from the buyer, so run this check before any transfer.
Photos
Where available, we include earlier photos of the car, for example from auctions. They can show damage, repairs or a different colour that the seller has not mentioned.
Market value
We estimate a fair market value from comparable cars, so you can tell whether the asking price is reasonable for the year, mileage and specification.
Trusted in 47+ countries, including the ones Nigeria imports from
Carlytics brings together vehicle records from 47+ countries, with 900M+ vehicles in its database, across Europe and North America, plus factory decoding for cars built in China, Japan and Korea. For a tokunbo car, that is where its earlier life was recorded.
Access data from national registries,
insurance databases, law enforcement and more.
How It Works
Carlytics checks a 17-character VIN in seconds by cross-referencing 900M+ records from 47+ countries. Enter the VIN from the windscreen, the door pillar or the customs papers, check the free preview, then unlock the full vehicle history report for ₦9,900.
From VIN to report in a few minutes. Check the free preview before you pay.
Enter the VIN
Type the 17-character VIN (chassis number) from the car or its papers. A Nigerian plate number is not enough on its own.
Check the preview
Confirm the make, model and year match what the seller told you before you pay anything.
Get the full report
Mileage and accident records where available, theft, recalls and value, in one report with a PDF you can forward.
Decide with evidence
Take the report to the inspection, ask the seller about every gap, and only then transfer money.
Why check a VIN before buying a car in Nigeria?
Nigeria spent ₦1.58 trillion importing passenger cars in 2025, and most of them arrived used. A car's history abroad does not follow it to Nigeria on paper; it follows it through the VIN.
Mileage on tokunbo cars
An odometer can be wound back between the last reading abroad and the sale in Nigeria. Dated mileage records, where available, show whether the dashboard fits the car's past.
Accidented and flood cars
Salvage and flood cars are bought cheaply abroad, repaired and sold here as clean tokunbo. Accident and damage records, where available, show what happened before the car was shipped.
Stolen abroad
Vehicles stolen in Canada have been traced to Nigeria and handed back to their owners. A theft check before payment protects you from losing the car and your money.
Year and model on the papers
Customs rules and duty depend on the year of manufacture and the exact model. The decoded year and specification help you test what the papers say.
Ready to check your vehicle?
Enter the VIN number below to get a free instant report.
Sample Vehicle Report
Every Carlytics report covers 24 sections including decoded specs, mileage history, safety recalls, theft status, market value, and cross-border import records. The full report costs ₦9,900 and is available instantly as an interactive page and downloadable PDF.
Here's an example of the comprehensive vehicle report you'll receive. Our reports provide detailed information to help you make informed decisions about any vehicle.
Toyota Corolla (2012)
1.8 L • Petrol • Automatic • Sedan
Vehicle Information
Official records
Vehicle Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check a BYD by its VIN?
Is my BYD fully electric or a plug-in hybrid?
Can the VIN show the battery size or battery health?
Who sells BYD in Nigeria?
Is my BYD a grey import?
Do BYD cars have recalls?
How much does a BYD report cost?
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