How to check a Texas car's inspection history for stored fault codes

By Chris Yates, Paris, Texas. Updated November 5, 2026.

Our used 2020 Nissan Pathfinder passed its Texas emissions test the afternoon we bought it from Royal Premier Motors in Dallas. The same state record lists a stored misfire code. Here's how to pull that record for any car before you buy, and which lines to read.

Where to look

1. Go to the Texas Vehicle Inspection History on mytxcar.org (AirCheck Texas, run by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality).
2. Enter the car's 17-character VIN. It's on the dashboard at the base of the windshield, the driver's door jamb, and the Buyers Guide.
3. You'll get a list of tests. Open each one to see its Vehicle Test Detail.

Cars registered in Texas counties that require emissions testing, which include Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton, have a test on file for most years. Start with the newest test and work back.

The lines that matter

• Test Date and Test Start Time. Was the car tested on or just before the day it's being sold to you?
• Station Name. Where it was tested.
• Odometer. Compare it with the mileage on your paperwork.
• Overall Result. Pass or fail.
• MIL Command Status. Whether the car's computer was commanding the check engine light on during the test.
• Fault Codes. Any trouble codes stored in the car's computer. This is the line most people never look at.

Why a car can pass with codes stored

On our record, MIL Command Status reads "Pass" and Overall Result reads "Pass," while the Fault Codes line lists three codes. The test passed because the check engine light wasn't being commanded on at that moment. The codes were still stored in the computer, and the light came on within days of the sale.

What our three codes mean

• P0300: random or multiple cylinder misfire detected.
• P0123: throttle or pedal position sensor A circuit, high input.
• P0223: throttle or pedal position sensor B circuit, high input.

Our car's earlier tests, in January 2025 and January 2026, showed no codes. Six weeks before the sale a Nissan dealer had diagnosed misfire codes and engine sludge. Comparing the tests over time is how you spot a change like that.

Check the mileage too

The test that afternoon read 112,602 miles. Our Buyer's Order listed 112,567, the same figure as the auction in June and the dealer's listing. A small difference like that isn't fraud, but it shows whether the paperwork was filled in from the car or copied from a listing.

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