Do I really need to pay for a Car Fax Report?

The National Insurance Crime Bureau or (NICB) has a free web site.
NICB’s VINCheck is a free service provided to the public to assist in determining if a vehicle has been reported as stolen, but not recovered, or has been reported as a salvage vehicle by cooperating NICB member insurance companies. To perform a search, a vehicle identification number (VIN) is required. A maximum of five searches can be conducted within a 24-hour period per IP address.
They also have top vehicles stolen by state.
https://www.nicb.org/
Pic from: nydailynews.com