"BEWARE" of your CarFax Report

[gvic]

Before I purchased my 2013 Toyota with a "clean" CarFax report .... my mechanic found that the vehicle was involved in a minor rear-side accident and new parts and body work had been done. He also told me that accidents reported to CarFax are "ONLY REPORTED" when the accident is processed through the Insurance company.

In addition, I ordered a CarFax report on my 2012 Honda CRV and 8 months after I purchased this car the CarFax showed an accident. I have my Honda documents showing my CRV was a "Certified Pre-Owned" ! ! ! WOW ..... accident data is "VERY SLOW" ! ! !

Happy Traveling .... gvic

 

[dioxide45]

Agreed. Carfax can only report out what is reported to them. If an accident isn't reported, the Carfax won't show it. Best to always have your mechanic do a check for you. At least yours was finally reported, in some cases it would never happen. I don't think "Certified Pre-Owned" means it wasn't in an accident. It just means they have done a full inspection and it meets the manufactures requirement to be considered "certified"

 

[Phydeaux]

Before I purchased my 2013 Toyota with a "clean" CarFax report .... my mechanic found that the vehicle was involved in a minor rear-side accident and new parts and body work had been done. He also told me that accidents reported to CarFax are "ONLY REPORTED" when the accident is processed through the Insurance company.

In addition, I ordered a CarFax report on my 2012 Honda CRV and 8 months after I purchased this car the CarFax showed an accident. I have my Honda documents showing my CRV was a "Certified Pre-Owned" ! ! ! WOW ..... accident data is "VERY SLOW" ! ! !

Happy Traveling .... gvic

How else would CarFax acquire the data that a vehicle was involved in collision? This surprises you? Please, do tell.

Agree with the above. If a vehicle is Certified, this to you meant it should never have been involved in a collision? How did you arrive at that?

 

[pedro47]

TO THE OP. Thanks for sharing this information.

 

[ondeadlin]

I'm still happy to pay the fee to get as much information as I can. At least twice the Carfax has showed issues that led me to go in a different direction.

 

[gvic]

When you receive a vehicle "Dealer Inspected & Certified Pre-Owned" ..... I would think with their expertise would include a "visual inspection" associated with any accident or previous damage rather than just "promoting" this CarFax report to "supplement" their certification.

 

[DaveNV]

I've always taken a Carfax with a grain of salt, for exactly the reasons you state. If an accident isn't reported, it won't be on the report. So I use it to make there there were no KNOWN (aka MAJOR) accidents or repairs. The rest I leave to the mechanic who inspects the car before I buy it. Because even if there is a reported accident, there is no guarantee it was correctly repaired.

Dave

 

[davidvel]

We recently had a client who purchased a vehicle from a used car dealer. The dealer presented a "clean" Carfax report at the time of sale. The used car dealer also obtained an "inspection report" from a Lexus dealer (not the selling outfit), that showed no major defects. (Unbeknownst to the client, the inspection bought did not include looking for structural damage from prior accident, how convenient.)

After purchase, the client's credit union ran a new Carfax which revealed the auction yard designated the sale to include major structural damage. It was the client's belief, and we agreed, that the used car dealer intentionally obtained the report the same day they bough the car at auction, so it would not reveal the auction's notice.

Our research further revealed that this is a common scheme by used car dealers that buy damaged cars at auction. Fortunately, we were able to rescind the deal and obtain further damages for the client. (This was despite certain contractual language disclaiming reliance on reports, disclosures, etc.)

 

[VacationForever]

Another reason not to buy used car. I have turned in a couple of problematic cars to Carmax even though they were still under warranty and accident-free. Even for accident free cars, cars that can turned in are sometimes due to problems that were not fixed by dealerships service dept. I only buy new cars and it is worth the premium.

 

[elaine]

I find some used are well worth it-but we only buy certain models known for reliability and only from a reputable used car dealer (not a big box) with warranties still remaining or certified pre-owned (Volvo) with at least 3+ years left on warranty. Of course, an accident could slip thru anyone, but I trust these dealers to have eye-balled the cars. They are interested in repeat, long term customers and reputation. Our large used SUV was $21K with 20K miles when MSRP for new was $40K+ and best deal for new was about $32K. The price spread is enough to cover any "used" issues for us, IMHO. That was in 2009, still driving it.
The CARFAX on my Volvo was done after Volvo had done repair work (replaced rotors, tire) and reflected on the CarFax. I will definitely check the date on future carfax reports. I decided against other Volvos based upon Carfax reporting computer system checks on several occasions (meaning to me that some light continued to go off).

 

[AnnaS]

Thank you for sharing. I am not surprised. We have only bought a used car once many years ago (we had no problems). Even then - I did not trust it, (also took it with a grain of salt) but then again, I don't trust many people/businesses anyway.

 

[Phydeaux]

It should come as no surprise to anyone that automobiles rate of depreciation is nearly unmatched across all industries. For this reason alone, countless people purchase pre-owned, enjoying the fact that the original owner paid all that depreciation.

Personally, I find CarFax extremely beneficial for eliminating the leg work from the research end of a pre-purchase, namely, service history, and most importantly, number of previous owners. If someone knows little about how to spot auto body work, or mechanical problems, they well indeed be better off buying new. I have no issues with either, and am happy to purchase like-new vehicles at a fraction of the cost of new. In my life, I've never had a problem, however, I had plenty of problems with vehicles that I purchased new. That's when I woke up & smelled the coffee.

I would encourage people to continue buying new as that will provide a nice source of pre-owned vehicles for the rest of us.

 

[Phydeaux]

It should come as no surprise to anyone that automobiles rate of depreciation is nearly unmatched across all industries. For this reason alone, countless people purchase pre-owned, enjoying the fact that the original owner paid all that depreciation.

Personally, I find CarFax extremely beneficial for eliminating the leg work from the research end of a pre-purchase, namely, service history, and most importantly, number of previous owners. If someone knows little about how to spot auto body work, or mechanical problems, they well indeed be better off buying new. I have no issues with either, and am happy to purchase like-new vehicles at a fraction of the cost of new. In my life, I've never had a problem, however, I had plenty of problems with vehicles that I purchased new. That's when I woke up & smelled the coffee. Let the original owner make all those trips to the dealer to iron out manufacturer issues.

I would encourage people to continue buying new as that will provide a steady supply of pre-owned vehicles for the rest of us. And, we thank you!!

 

[dioxide45]

It should come as no surprise to anyone that automobiles rate of depreciation is nearly unmatched across all industries. For this reason alone, countless people purchase pre-owned, enjoying the fact that the original owner paid all that depreciation.

<<Snip>>

I would encourage people to continue buying new as that will provide a nice source of pre-owned vehicles for the rest of us.

The rate of depreciation is of course matched and surpassed by the timeshare industry.

[Repaired quote - mg]

 

[Timeshare Von]

My last two vehicles were certified pre-owns, including my current 2012 Santa Fe.

My 2004 Chrysler Sebring Convertible was bought in 2006 with around 20k miles. I finally traded it in on the Santa Fe in 2014 when my gimpy old lady knees couldn't withstand another winter getting out of the low sports car. It had nearly 150k on it when I traded it in . . . and without any major maintenance required.

I hope for a similar experience with my current SUV . . . got it with about 24k miles and already have 61k on it today! The price was similar to the Volvo story. It was nice to save nearly $15k vs. buying new.

 

[Phydeaux]

It should come as no surprise to anyone that automobiles rate of depreciation is nearly unmatched across all industries. For this reason alone, countless people purchase pre-owned, enjoying the fact that the original owner paid all that depreciation.

<<Snip>>

I would encourage people to continue buying new as that will provide a nice source of pre-owned vehicles for the rest of us.

The rate of depreciation is of course matched and surpassed by the timeshare industry.

You wrote it, I didn't

[Fixed your quotes, too - mg ]

 

[Egret1986]

I would encourage people to continue buying new as that will provide a nice source of pre-owned vehicles for the rest of us.

Agreed.

Life is fraught with risk. I've bought new and I've bought used. I don't like car payments. We haven't had a car payment since we bought a mini van back in 1996. I bought a sight unseen BMW hardtop convertible (goo goo ga ga) in 2010 off eBay and had it shipped to my home. eBayer had 100% feedback (987) and offered a CARFAX. It was a 2007 with 26000 miles. Beautiful car, like new condition with about 10 months of warranty left. I still have it. Love it. It's a rare color, which I couldn't find locally. I wouldn't have been able to own this car (without taking on car payments) if I had bought new. I researched and looked at cars for nine months to find my ideal car before pulling the trigger.

Some would say that was risky behavior in buying a car sight unseen from an unknown source. Perhaps. The gamble paid off with no regrets.

We put the refundable deposit down on the Tesla 3. If we go through with that purchase, it would be the first new vehicle in some time. Gotta save, save, save because I still don't want a car payment.

CARFAX has been helpful over the years. It can definitely weed out some really bad stuff, but not necessarily everything.

 

[WinniWoman]

We are in the process of buying our first used car ever. We found out on Saturday that hubby's 2004 RAV4 with 226,000 miles on it was going to need a rear end, and being we just already put close to $2000 into it- new tires, brakes, roters, etc., we decided not to put any more money into it, though I would have loved to keep it until we retired, since commuting beats our cars to hell. We have been through something like 14 cars in our 40 years of marriage. (We keep 3 cars at all times right now)

We put the RAV on Craigs List this past Sunday at 1:30 and by 1:40 we had tons of responses- people even bidding up for it! By Sunday at 4:30 it was taken away on a trailer by a used car exporter!

We had looked on line on Saturday and found it was not that easy to find a decent used car with low mileage for a price that makes it worth it not to buy new. Also, a lot of cars advertised on sites like Auto Trade and Car Max were not even available!

Hubby needs to have an SUV. We finally found a Santa Fe at a Hyundai dealership that is over an hour from our home. 2016, 33,000 miles, $16,400. Not certified, but still some warranty left. Because we would be a third owner, the 10 year, 100,000 mile power train warranty would not be in effect. Disappointing. It was originally a rental from Enterprise and had another owner for 7 months after that. It was turned back to the dealer the end of August 2017.

My husband works as an insurance adjuster and has worked in the auto industry all his life, so we did not have an independent car mechanic inspect it. Hubby looked over the car, and under the hood, and drove it, etc. The Car Fax is clean, but my husband did see evidence of a small accident- the front headlamp was scuffed and under the hood inside he could see evidence of a fender repair there. Also, he could see evidence of the wheels hitting the curb from bad parking. Wheel rash or something like that it is called. LOL!

Rental companies do their own repair work so any accident that would occur would not show up in a Car Fax report. Also, if the accident occurred during the second persons' ownership, she might not have reported it to the insurance company.

Other than that, he thinks the car is good. One thing he did not do was have them put it up on a lift. Me, on the other hand, I am a Nervous Nelly about buying a used car. But to buy a new one of these, or another decent brand SUV, would be about $10,000 more. No small chunk of change!

Supposed to pick it up this upcoming Saturday. My head is spinning from over analyzing the whole thing.

 

[Talent312]

When my Hyundai Sonata threw a rod, I had to act quickly... I would'a been happy with a used low-mileage SUV. We have a very reputable dealer in town that offers CarFax's, but my DW insisted on brand new. Plus, she wanted a nav-pkg for a car that would, in theory, be "mine" (I had a perfectly good Garmin). So, we ended up with a brand new Toyota Rav4 (with nav) at a dealer's internet-price and 0% financing.

.

 

[Phydeaux]

When my Hyundai Sonata threw a rod, I had to act quickly... I would'a been happy with a used low-mileage SUV. We have a very reputable dealer in town that offers CarFax's, but my DW insisted on brand new. Plus, she wanted a nav-pkg for a car that would, in theory, be "mine" (I had a perfectly good Garmin). So, we ended up with a brand new Toyota Rav4 (with nav) at a dealer's internet-price and 0% financing
.

Most people I know stopped using nav systems in their vehicles years ago and use their cell phones. I thought auto manufacturers dropped them. Curious what you paid for that nav package.

 

[Talent312]

Curious what you paid for that nav package.

It was part of an "EX" Connection upgrade which added about $1200.
Totally unnecessary, but as they say, "Happy wife = happy life."
.

 

[Phydeaux]

It was part of an "EX" Connection upgrade which added about $1200.
Totally unnecessary, but as they say, "Happy wife = happy life."
Every SUV that I test drove had some sort of video screen in the dash.
.

Of course, along with most any other vehicles these days. But, do these video screens incorporate a nav system? Most, I'm guessing, do not.

 

[VacationForever]

We still buy the NAV package with every car that we buy and we have been doing so since 1999. NAV with the car is alot more convenient then trying to attach a phone or tablet and glancing down at the mobile device for direction - just relying on voice does not work for me. The downside of NAV with the car is that the maps are usually more outdated than google directions on the tablet.

 

[Jan M.]

Through Carvana our son bought a used Hyundai Sonata last year and an Elantra this year. He got a fantastic price on recent model low mileage vehicles with both purchases and was extremely pleased with the ease and convenience of the whole purchase and delivery process with Carvana.

In late August we bought a brand new 2017 Toyota Camry. My husband intends to retire at the end of the year so we won't have his company car to use anymore. He gets a new company car every 18 months-2 years but this is the first brand new car he has ever bought! My ex-husband and I bought a new Volkswagen Beetle in 1971 which he kept in our divorce and at that time I bought a new 1976 Honda Civic! Only took me 41 years to buy another new car!

We have owned used vehicles all these years but always bought cars no more than 5 years old with low mileage plus they were higher end models like a Cutlass, a Caprice Classic, a Crown Victoria. When Carfax became available we used it and always had our mechanic look over the cars before we bought them. After my MIL passed we bought her 2005 Hyundai Elantra from the estate and that has been my car since 2009. I'm trying to decide if we should keep it, replace it or just sell it. I've read OP posts and they said they just rent a car on the rare occasions they need a second car rather than go to the expense of owning and maintaining a second vehicle once they retired. Thanks us living only about 20 minutes away from the Fort Lauderdale airport we can get inexpensive rentals so we are giving that a lot of thought.

 

[theo]

When you receive a vehicle "Dealer Inspected & Certified Pre-Owned" ..... I would think with their expertise would include a "visual inspection" associated with any accident or previous damage rather than just "promoting" this CarFax report to "supplement" their certification.

You might be inclined to think / want this, but it just ain't so...

The "certified" status indicates that there is no current problem with those items on the "certified" checklist. If a body repair was previously completed, with or without insurance involvement or a CarFax report, that is old news and irrelevant to becoming a "certified" pre-owned vehicle. After all, a vehicle likely had brakes, tires, maybe a battery replaced in the past too, but only current status and condition and functionality is addressed in the course of being "certified".