Carfax reporting question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 317
Likes: 2
From: Southern Mexifornia CA
Carfax reporting question
How do things get entered on a Carfax report? Does the body shop report it? Does the insurance company report it? Are they required to? I'm in the market for another Corvette so I am checking Carfax reports, but I always wonder if a car has been repaired without being reported to Carfax. Unfortunately, Corvettes do not have VIN numbers tagged on each body panel so you cannot easily tell if they have ever been replaced. With certified pre-owned Japanese cars it is easy to tell because all body panels have VIN tags and they all have to match or it cannot be certified.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 240
Likes: 11
From: Plano Texas
Oldtimer
Carfax searches various databases for records pertaining to the specific VIN #. For example, state departments of motor vehicles (DMV) databases contain accident events, registration events, safety inspections, etc. Dealer databases contain sales, repair and service records. Insurance databases contain collision and other damage claim records. I am sure that is not all of the databases searched, but you get the idea on how it works. If a car were to be damaged in an event where police are not called (for example, car runs into a tree on a country road) and the repair was done by shade tree operation and no insurance claim, then the event would probably not show up in Carfax report. In other words, sneaky owners can avoid having damage/repair events from showing up in a Carfax report.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 66
Likes: 1
From: North Carolina
I don't know exactly how it works either but I've heard first had of cases where there was some body repair (moderate damage involving body work and paint) that did NOT make it to Carfax.
On the other end of the spectrum . . . I tried selling a car on Ebay. I kept renewing the listing every week, not thinking anything of it, and before I knew it there were 22 entries on my Carfax! Each and every renewal somehow generated an entry. When you read my Carfax it looked like I was desperate! Watch out for that. They force you to enter you vin and that's where the trouble starts.
On the other end of the spectrum . . . I tried selling a car on Ebay. I kept renewing the listing every week, not thinking anything of it, and before I knew it there were 22 entries on my Carfax! Each and every renewal somehow generated an entry. When you read my Carfax it looked like I was desperate! Watch out for that. They force you to enter you vin and that's where the trouble starts.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,454
Likes: 6
From: Pittsburgh PA
Carfax searches various databases for records pertaining to the specific VIN #. For example, state departments of motor vehicles (DMV) databases contain accident events, registration events, safety inspections, etc. Dealer databases contain sales, repair and service records. Insurance databases contain collision and other damage claim records. I am sure that is not all of the databases searched, but you get the idea on how it works. If a car were to be damaged in an event where police are not called (for example, car runs into a tree on a country road) and the repair was done by shade tree operation and no insurance claim, then the event would probably not show up in Carfax report. In other words, sneaky owners can avoid having damage/repair events from showing up in a Carfax report.
True but doesn't have to be a "shade tree" operation. Someone can pay out of pocket at any shop if they have the money. I get requests to do cash jobs all the time because people are afraid their insurance rates will go up with a claim. I also don't believe all insurance claims get reported to these search companies. Also, rental cars are self insured and damage isn't reported. They can be basically total loss vehicles but have a clean title and car fax. I know cause I rebuilt a few.
I think it is of some use to research things like mileage, number of owners and what part of the country it lived in. Collision damage may or may not show up so I'd take a "Clean Carfax" with a grain of salt.
I see it as a gimmick for Carfax to take people's money and dealers to jack the price if they get a car with a clean one. This even though the car could very well have been damaged previously the same as a cheaper car with a dirty report. I have never seen where Carfax gaurantees or certifies a car. They just sell you a report of what they find.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
Likes: 487
From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
While dealers do keep a database of vehicle repairs based on VIN of their makes and models, that is only for work done there. Take your car to Joe's Garage and Septic Tank Pumping, and there will no information reported to Carfax.
Another problem with Carfax as it relates to odometer readings is that any typos made by the person entering that data will not typically get corrected. It's a PITA to deal with Carfax when corrections have to be made. Same thing when a vehicle has a computer replaced that holds the vehicle mileage. If that computer update isn't done at the time of replacement, the old (original) mileage is gone.
Even looking at ownership transfer is confusing. Every time a car changes hands, regardless if it's a private sale or assorted wholesale or auction sales, there is a record (or should be) on the report. That doesn't' mean much of anything in terms of how the vehicle gets used.
Carfax is not the all-knowing system. you still have to look at the car, drive it, and ask for copies of all maintenance records that may be available.
Pro
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 732
Likes: 3
From: Maryland
Another thing to keep an eye on is buying a fleet/rental vehicle. Most rental companies and one big family owned one cars are wrecked all of the time and they get fixed and nothing on the car fax. My families shop is fixing 8-10 of them a month.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
Likes: 33
From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
Carfax bullies dealers and others into using their services. The only thing I use them for is to check to see if I am being told the truth.
Example
When I bought my C4 it showed up as a possible four owner car. After talking to the owner he explained he bought the car as a second owner in St Louis, he then moved to the Illinois side of St Louis, then back to the Mo side, and then he had the car licensed in his wife's name in South Missouri at their summer lake home.
The car only had 57K on it so there was no need to question him.
Use carfax for only certain things but don't take it as gospel, if you do you may be scamming yourself.
My present car was advertised as a 2 owner car and Carfax siad it had multiple owners as well.
It turns out the Car was owned by the Dealer, in Ga, for a year then sold. It was then bought at auction by a St Louis company-Just Corvettes, and sold to the PO I bought it from.
It's sometimes hard to figure all this out but if you study the carfax thoroughly you can check it against what the owner may tell you.
Also when I bought my C4 I bought a package from Carfax to check VINS. They contacted me and wanted to know why I was running so many carfaxes
I ask them what's the problem, did I or did I not purchase these checks from you? GFY
Never heard back from them
Example
When I bought my C4 it showed up as a possible four owner car. After talking to the owner he explained he bought the car as a second owner in St Louis, he then moved to the Illinois side of St Louis, then back to the Mo side, and then he had the car licensed in his wife's name in South Missouri at their summer lake home.
The car only had 57K on it so there was no need to question him.
Use carfax for only certain things but don't take it as gospel, if you do you may be scamming yourself.
My present car was advertised as a 2 owner car and Carfax siad it had multiple owners as well.
It turns out the Car was owned by the Dealer, in Ga, for a year then sold. It was then bought at auction by a St Louis company-Just Corvettes, and sold to the PO I bought it from.
It's sometimes hard to figure all this out but if you study the carfax thoroughly you can check it against what the owner may tell you.
Also when I bought my C4 I bought a package from Carfax to check VINS. They contacted me and wanted to know why I was running so many carfaxes
I ask them what's the problem, did I or did I not purchase these checks from you? GFY
Never heard back from them
Last edited by RetiredSFC 97; Apr 8, 2012 at 11:04 AM.
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Pro
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 635
Likes: 0
From: Mc Farland Wisconsin
I am a claims adjuster at a pretty large insurance company, and we do not report to carfax. I do not know about other insurance companies however. As far as I know, it is the police dept's that do the reporting IF they are called to the scene.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 38
From: Newark DE
My car showed up as 4 owners but one was an auction and one was from the owner moving to another state. Also the DMV wrote the wrong mileage on my Mercedes and now it looks like it was tampered with. So you have to do some research.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,989
Likes: 352
From: Carson City Nevada
I don't even ask for a carfax report when I buy a car. I sure as hell wouldn't PAY to buy one! I kind of wish I was the guy that invented it, though. Probably laughs all the way to the bank.
Last edited by o2bnkc; Apr 9, 2012 at 01:32 AM.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 278
Likes: 1
From: Ware Shoals SC
I do know there is a delay in reporting. Maxie Price Chevy in Atlanta had a black C5 with less than 60k on it for cheap. I had some inquiring done and Maxie said a customer bought it new and a few months ago hastily brought it in and traded. After he had traded and the car was ready for resale, his recent accident shows up on carfax. If it had been a salvage buy back I'm guessing the title would have shown that unless he turned in the original title. Probably just an "impact" report but Price was in a hurry to get rid of it and discounted it deeply.
I don't consider getting one over on a dealer as all that unethical. I see it as karma but these dealerships pay a lot for carfax's unlimited program and this time it didn't protect them at all. Also read the fine print on the "buy back guarantee". Talk about hoop jumping.
I don't consider getting one over on a dealer as all that unethical. I see it as karma but these dealerships pay a lot for carfax's unlimited program and this time it didn't protect them at all. Also read the fine print on the "buy back guarantee". Talk about hoop jumping.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 1
From: Eureka California
A CarFax is a very simple scam to allow people to be screwed. If you do request a CarFax and it shows repaired damages and transfers of title, you can believe that part. However, if it shows no damage repairs, or transfers it doesn't mean squatt. You're buying a pig in a poke if you don't already know the history of the vehicle. Customer beware!
Pro
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 528
Likes: 0
From: Chicago IL
Carfax searches various databases for records pertaining to the specific VIN #. For example, state departments of motor vehicles (DMV) databases contain accident events, registration events, safety inspections, etc. Dealer databases contain sales, repair and service records. Insurance databases contain collision and other damage claim records. I am sure that is not all of the databases searched, but you get the idea on how it works. If a car were to be damaged in an event where police are not called (for example, car runs into a tree on a country road) and the repair was done by shade tree operation and no insurance claim, then the event would probably not show up in Carfax report. In other words, sneaky owners can avoid having damage/repair events from showing up in a Carfax report.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 73,568
Likes: 33
From: Somewhere in Mo
St. Jude Donor '09-'10, '14
here, from Carfax's website
And more info here
http://www.carfax.com/about/data_sources.cfx
CARFAX does not have the complete history of every vehicle. A CARFAX Vehicle History Report is based only on information supplied to CARFAX. Other information about the vehicle, including problems, may not have been reported to CARFAX. Use a Vehicle History Report as one important tool, along with a vehicle inspection and test drive, to make a better decision about a used car.
* Do CARFAX Vehicle History Reports have information about accidents?
Yes. If an accident has been reported to CARFAX it will be included in the CARFAX Vehicle History Report. CARFAX reports have information about accidents in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. We guarantee we will have information about the most severe accidents, ones for which the states or provinces have issued a branded title. We also have the largest publicly accessible database of less severe accidents which we have compiled from thousands of sources.
However, we do not have all accidents as many have never been reported, or may only have been reported to a source to which CARFAX does not have access. We recommend that any car be inspected by a qualified mechanic prior to purchase to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly and check for signs of unreported damage.
* I know this vehicle has had an accident. Why isn't it listed on the CARFAX Report?
CARFAX compiles the CARFAX Vehicle History Report from information it receives from thousands of sources. As extensive as our database is, we do not have all accidents as many have never been reported, or may only have been reported to a source to which CARFAX does not have access.
If you know a vehicle was involved in an accident and it is not on the CARFAX Vehicle History Report, please take a minute to let us know about it by emailing us through the "Email CARFAX" tab above.
* Does CARFAX get total loss data from insurance companies?
Yes. Some insurance companies report total loss information to CARFAX.
CARFAX also uses other sources to determine if a vehicle was declared a total loss by an insurance company.
* Do CARFAX Vehicle History Reports have information about accidents?
Yes. If an accident has been reported to CARFAX it will be included in the CARFAX Vehicle History Report. CARFAX reports have information about accidents in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. We guarantee we will have information about the most severe accidents, ones for which the states or provinces have issued a branded title. We also have the largest publicly accessible database of less severe accidents which we have compiled from thousands of sources.
However, we do not have all accidents as many have never been reported, or may only have been reported to a source to which CARFAX does not have access. We recommend that any car be inspected by a qualified mechanic prior to purchase to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly and check for signs of unreported damage.
* I know this vehicle has had an accident. Why isn't it listed on the CARFAX Report?
CARFAX compiles the CARFAX Vehicle History Report from information it receives from thousands of sources. As extensive as our database is, we do not have all accidents as many have never been reported, or may only have been reported to a source to which CARFAX does not have access.
If you know a vehicle was involved in an accident and it is not on the CARFAX Vehicle History Report, please take a minute to let us know about it by emailing us through the "Email CARFAX" tab above.
* Does CARFAX get total loss data from insurance companies?
Yes. Some insurance companies report total loss information to CARFAX.
CARFAX also uses other sources to determine if a vehicle was declared a total loss by an insurance company.
http://www.carfax.com/about/data_sources.cfx
