CarJam

What CarJam does

CarJam Online Limited, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Parnell, Auckland, operates carjam.co.nz, New Zealand's largest vehicle history and background-check platform. The platform aggregates records from multiple government and proprietary sources, including the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), NZ Police, NZ PPSR, AU PPSR, Japanese MLIT data, and USA NMVTIS, to deliver unified reports covering stolen status, money owing (including hidden debts on past plates), WOF/COF compliance, ownership history, odometer verification, RUC tracking, and import history for vehicles originating from Japan, the USA, and Australia. The service runs on a freemium model: free basic reports (stolen checks and cached basic facts) drive acquisition, while paid full reports, specialized regional reports, and a NZ$4.99/month membership subscription generate recurring revenue. A commercial Business Account tier offers component-based pricing (NZ$0.20–NZ$3.40 per data element), unlimited user seats, API access, and a $250,000 ownership guarantee, targeting the 5,000+ business accounts including dealers, fleet operators, automotive workshops, and financial institutions. Customer reach spans 523,360+ registered members and 5,000+ business accounts, with the platform also operating an integrated CarZar vehicle listings marketplace and a developer API for third-party software integration. The company is privately held, self-funded since inception, operates with a 1–10 employee footprint, and is led by CEO Paul Richard Osborne.

Name

CarJam

Legal name

CarJam Online Limited

Website

https://carjam.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CarJam (CarJam Online Limited) is a New Zealand vehicle history platform that aggregates NZ, Japan, USA, and Australia government data into stolen, money-owing, ownership, and import reports for individual buyers, dealers, fleets, and automotive businesses across 523,000+ members and 5,000+ business accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vehicle History Reports

SIC

Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500)

akta.pro primary industry

Vehicle Inspection, Grading & Condition Reporting Services (TLABAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) & Driver Screening (BPACALAG)

Keywords

• Vehicle history reports
• Stolen vehicle checks
• Money owing checks
• PPSR searches
• Vehicle valuations

Headquarters

HQ city

Parnell

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vehicle History Reports: Individual one-time purchases of vehicle history reports for New Zealand, Japan, USA, and Australia vehicles. Casual users pay higher prices (NZ$13.95 NZ report), registered users get discounted rates (NZ$12.95 first report, NZ$10.95 within 14 days).
2. Membership Subscription: Email Subscribe service at NZ$4.99 per month providing free cached reports, additional alerts beyond free notifications, and membership benefits including Consumer Information Notice and Vehicle Listings.
3. Business Account Reports: Commercial tier pricing with per-component options (Basic Facts NZ$0.20, Ownership History NZ$0.80, Money Owing NZ$3.40, Market Valuation NZ$3.40, etc.). Business accounts enable bulk lookups and API integration.
4. Specialized Add-on Reports: Japan Vehicle History (NZ$40.45 casual), USA Vehicle History (NZ$14.95 casual), Australia Write-off Damage report (NZ$5.95 casual), PPSR Search (NZ$1.95), Market Valuation (NZ$4.95).
5. Dog & Lemon Guide Reviews: Sale of car review publications from the Dog & Lemon Guide at NZ$4.95 per review, integrated into the vehicle report offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CarJam is an online vehicle history platform that aggregates data from NZTA, NZ Police, NZ PPSR, AU PPSR, Japanese government sources, and US NMVTIS into unified vehicle background reports. The core NZ Full Vehicle Information Report covers stolen status, money owing (including past-plate checks), ownership history, WOF/COF compliance, odometer history, RUC tracking, and market valuation, with supplementary Japan, USA, and Australia history reports for imported vehicles.

Product overview

CarJam is a vehicle information and history check platform providing background reports on vehicles. The core product is the NZ Full Vehicle Information, Stolen, History, Money Owing Report, supplemented by regional vehicle history reports for Japan, USA, and Australia imports. Additional services include ownership and driver licence verification, PPSR searches for money owing, vehicle valuations, Dog & Lemon Guide automotive reviews, vehicle sales agreements, batch reporting for bulk lookups, NZ Fleet data, a CarZar marketplace for vehicle sales, and membership subscriptions. The platform also offers developer API access for integration into third-party software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CarJam: The primary brand providing vehicle history reports, including New Zealand, Japan, USA, and Australia vehicle information, stolen checks, money owing checks, ownership history, WOF/COF checks, and vehicle valuations.
• CarZar
• CarJam Fleet

Products and services

• NZ Full Vehicle Information, Stolen, History, Money Owing Report Comprehensive vehicle background check providing NZ vehicle information, stolen status, history, money owing checks, ownership history, WOF/COF details, registration and licence status, road user charges, odometer history, and vehicle valuation for individual vehicle buyers, sellers, and commercial users.
• Japan Vehicle History Report Vehicle history report covering accident/collision damage, theft, fire/water/flood/hail damage, odometer readings, radioactive contamination status, recall information, commercial usage, and average market price from Japan before importation, designed for buyers of Japanese import vehicles.
• USA Vehicle Information and History Report Vehicle history report providing title problem checks (over 60 checks), prior damage checks, odometer checks, salvage/theft/lien checks, and other historical events in the USA before importation, sourced from NMVTIS, for buyers of USA import vehicles.
• Australia Vehicle Write-off Damage, Stolen and Money Owing Report Report covering Australian vehicle damage and write-off information, vehicle description, registration information, stolen status, money owing, and recall information for buyers of vehicles imported from Australia.
• NZ Market Valuation Vehicle valuation service providing current retail market value and future 1-year and 2-year projected values for individual vehicle buyers, sellers, and commercial users.
• PPSR Search Personal Property Securities Register search for money owing on motor vehicles, aircraft, debtor persons, debtor organisations, and financing statements, sold as a standalone PPSR check.
• Driver Licence Verification Service (DLVS) Account-holder service to confirm current driver's licence record details, restricted to business customers for motor vehicle test drives, sale agreements, AML safeguards, and credit opening.
• Membership Subscription Monthly subscription service at NZ$4.99 per month providing free cached reports, additional alerts (ownership changes, stolen reports, RUC expiry, sale listings, report purchases, photo postings), Consumer Information Notice, and vehicle listing benefits.
• Business Account Business account tier offering component-based pricing, unlimited account members, $250,000 ownership guarantee, MR13C Change of Ownership forms, and S241 authorized access to ownership information for commercial vehicle dealers and fleet operators.
• Batch Reports Bulk report submission service allowing users to submit multiple plates and VINs and receive data in CSV or XML format, for business and commercial users with high-volume lookup needs.
• NZ Fleet Data Point-in-time snapshot of all vehicles currently registered in New Zealand, updated monthly from the Motor Vehicle Register, branded as CarJam Fleet for fleet operators and commercial data buyers.
• CarZar Vehicles for Sale Marketplace Marketplace for vehicles listed for sale, allowing users to browse listings and list their own vehicles for sale with integrated CarJam report access.
• Dog & Lemon Guide Reviews Witty, astute automotive reviews and car buyer's guides from the Dog & Lemon Guide, including reviews for vehicles from 1980 to present, integrated with CarJam reports.
• Vehicle Sales Agreement Legal agreement template for vehicle purchase/sale with terms and conditions to protect both buyer and seller, free for registered and business users.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ registered debts identified on vehicles annually; 255,000 debts hidden on past plates detected
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NZTA (New Zealand Transport Agency)coreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized access to Motor Vehicle Register under Section 241 of Land Transport Act 1998. NZTA provides core vehicle registration data, WOF/COF inspection records, and first registration information. CarJam is an authorized provider of ownership records including names and addresses for approved entities.
• NZ PolicecoreTechnology or IntegrationAccess to Police stolen vehicle database. CarJam has been delivering stolen vehicle information for free since 2008. Real-time stolen status checks integrated into all vehicle reports.
• NZ PPSR (Personal Property Securities Register)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with government PPSR for money owing/security interest checks. Searches current plate, VIN, chassis, and all past plates for registered securities. CarJam checks for hidden debts that could result in repossession.
• AU PPSR (Australian Personal Property Securities Register)coreTechnology or IntegrationAccess to Australian PPSR for money owing checks on imported Australian vehicles. Includes write-off damage information, stolen status, and recall data from Australian sources.
• Japanese Government Sources (MLIT)coreTechnology or IntegrationData from Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for Japan vehicle history including accident damage, malfunction, theft, fire/water damage, odometer records, recalls, and auction records. Human operators process data during Japanese business hours.
• USA NMVTIS (National Motor Vehicle Title Information System)coreTechnology or IntegrationAccess to NMVTIS through AAMVA connection for USA vehicle history including title records, accident history, junk/salvage/insurance records, theft records, and odometer data. Approved NMVTIS data provider.
• One Partner LimitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVehicle finance partner providing financial services for vehicle purchases. One Partner Limited is a registered Financial Service Provider (FSP403346) and member of Financial Dispute Resolutions Scheme 5608. Offers vehicle finance options for buyers.
• Dog & Lemon GuideminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with the Dog & Lemon Guide to provide car reviews integrated into CarJam reports. Registered users receive one free review with first full report purchase. 1,549+ reviews available.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Carfax: Carfax is the global category leader in vehicle history reports, operating across the US, Canada, and Europe. It is the most direct comparable to CarJam — both aggregate multi-jurisdiction government and proprietary data (title, accident, odometer, ownership) into consumer and B2B reports with similar pricing and data sourcing models.
• AutoCheck (Experian): AutoCheck is Experian's vehicle history report product, competing head-to-head with Carfax in the US. Comparable to CarJam's tiered report offering, Experian-owned data integrations, and B2B/dealer distribution; reflects a similar model of monetising aggregated vehicle records.
• carVertical: carVertical is a European-based vehicle history platform that aggregates data from multiple countries. Highly comparable to CarJam's multi-jurisdiction model (pan-European vs. trans-Tasman + Japan), offering both consumer reports and a B2B API for dealer and partner integrations.
• MotorWeb (NZ): MotorWeb is a NZ-based vehicle information service providing reports for dealers, finance, and insurance customers. Closest in-market competitor to CarJam, with similar reliance on NZTA data and a B2B-led distribution model.

Emerging players

• NMVTIS / VINCheck (NHTSA): The National Motor Vehicle Title Information System provides a free baseline US vehicle history check. CarJam integrates NMVTIS data to power its USA import reports, illustrating both the relationship and the competitive threat of a free government check layer to paid report revenue.

Regional players

• REVS Check (NSW) / PPSR Check: Australian vehicle history providers covering Australian write-off, stolen, and finance data. Directly comparable to CarJam's Australian report offering, but operating only in the Australian domestic market rather than the NZ import flow.

Broad incumbents

• AA (New Zealand Automobile Association): AA NZ offers vehicle inspection and Used Car Checks as part of its broader motoring membership. Comparable to CarJam's pre-purchase vehicle verification use case, but operating as part of a much larger membership organisation rather than a specialist data platform.
• Turners Automotive Group: Turners is NZ's largest vehicle auction and dealer group, providing vehicle history and condition reports for its own inventory. Comparable to CarJam's dealer-facing use case (bulk lookups, stock verification), but represents a customer/adjacent rather than direct competitor.

Others

• Trade Me (vehicles marketplace): NZ's largest online marketplace for used vehicles. CarJam's CarZar listings appear alongside Trade Me listings, and CarJam reports are commonly used for Trade Me purchases. Comparable as a transaction funnel rather than a direct data competitor.
• VINaudit: VINaudit is a US vehicle data provider that supplies NMVTIS-backed reports to partners including CarJam. Comparable as a data infrastructure provider in the vehicle history ecosystem, illustrating CarJam's integration with upstream data suppliers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carjam
• Facebookfacebook.com/CarJamNZ
• Instagraminstagram.com/carjam_nz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CarJam