Carfax is Useless
- Thread starter loneryder
- Start date
The ideal buyer doesn't want your carfax, they want a physically clean car and the story that it "never needed anything" outside of routine maintenance, which they will poorly define in their head.
Having a stack of receipts will scare them away. There's a reason dealers throw them out.
If you do find that nerdy guy who appreciates your receipts, he will call you at three in the morning when the ashtray light burns out, six months later. I would volunteer receipts if asked but not before, it presents as a psychological bonus when the prospective buyer inquires.
I think VIP Tire reports to carfax, they do a maddening amount of paperwork for a simple state inspection. I suspect carfax pays them a pittance for this data.
Having a stack of receipts will scare them away. There's a reason dealers throw them out.
If you do find that nerdy guy who appreciates your receipts, he will call you at three in the morning when the ashtray light burns out, six months later. I would volunteer receipts if asked but not before, it presents as a psychological bonus when the prospective buyer inquires.
I think VIP Tire reports to carfax, they do a maddening amount of paperwork for a simple state inspection. I suspect carfax pays them a pittance for this data.
Your are going to equate automobile manufacturing to a throw away seven dollar commodity, a keyboard?As you type this post on something made in China
Dude, it's not a dish!
A carfax is never going to tell the whole story. I've seen that with the many ex-rentals I've purchased over the years. My recently purchased repaired salvage vehicle says nothing about that on the carfax.
I do like the carfax app for keeping my own personal maintenance records. It's wonderful for that.
I do like the carfax app for keeping my own personal maintenance records. It's wonderful for that.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2022
- Messages
- 526
Even if he's a very competent mechanic he probably isn't an expert auto body guy that can spot prior bodywork fixes,repainted panels etc. Need another expert for that.
Carfax should really only be used to rule cars out, not to make affirmative decisions about a purchase. Case in point: A dude in a Fiat changed lanes without quite clearing the front of my Canyon, so there was $1,200 I fixed out of pocket rather than getting insurance involved. Carfax has no idea. Granted, it's no big deal to the integrity of the truck that a small dent in the fender got popped out and a portion of the fender and bumper got painted. But when people fix more serious structural or suspension issues on their own, that can be a problem for the next owner, and Carfax will be of no help.
Owen Lucas
$100 Site Donor 2023
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2021
- Messages
- 2,583
I don't think dealer service reporting was as widespread in 2014 as it is today.
This isn't Carfax's fault. Unfortunately only 2/3 of dealerships about from what I've been told actually report issues or services. When I sold vehicles for a VW we had a potential customer come in to look at Trading his BMW 3 series. I and another sales associate took it for a spin. It drove perfectly. Come to find out he said that he had hit a deer at a nice clip. There was zero damage and everything lined up perfectly.
Buick exist as a brand for China GM not the US. They can’t kill it here for reputation there.
I was comfortable buying my used vehicles with all dealer services listed and they have lasted. No accidents is true on my current 2015 Pilot however previous 2007 Acura MDX blatant miss or the owner “knew a guy” who did cruddy auto body on the cheap.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
The flip side is them making a mountain out of a molehill
