How valuable is a Carfax really?
- Thread starter ZZman
- Start date
- Status
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Let's find out. Anyone have a Carfax subscription and wanna search?
My Sonata, rear ended and repaired in April 2017 - [VIN # removed]
My Camry, rear ended and totaled (not repaired) in February 2016 - [VIN # removed]
My aunt's 2016 Avalon, rear ended and repaired in December 2017 - [VIN # removed]
Might show repairs taking place later too, it took 5 or 6 trips back to the body shop for them to fix it right.
My Sonata, rear ended and repaired in April 2017 - [VIN # removed]
My Camry, rear ended and totaled (not repaired) in February 2016 - [VIN # removed]
My aunt's 2016 Avalon, rear ended and repaired in December 2017 - [VIN # removed]
Might show repairs taking place later too, it took 5 or 6 trips back to the body shop for them to fix it right.
Last edited by a moderator:
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
Used by dealerships to hose you on trade from a parking lot rub that got repaired good as new …
Being I buy mostly new … and maintain vehicles very well … not for me …
Being I buy mostly new … and maintain vehicles very well … not for me …
These days, it's a good selling tool just as a KBB, NADA, Edmunds, CR pricing report. CARFAx even has a section on their site to help one find the value/pricing of a vehicle.
Also, it's doesn't matter if any of us think a CARFAx(AutoCheck is another source) is of any value, it's what other think and that's more important. Many potential buyers may in fact just walk away.
I/we just sold our daughter's car and I spent the money to get the "IMPORTANT" information from CARFAx(not the free stuff that's of no value) just so the car would move out of my driveway. Otherwise, this could have taken a couple of months instead of the 4 weeks that it actually took to sell this car. And we/she got a decent price for her car!
This is how I look at it. The CARFAx Vehicle History Report stays with a vehicle for it's whole life. So if I buy a used car with a clean CARFAx Report(regardless of what the previous owner did/didn't do), and I sell it years later with current "clean" CARFAx (regardless of what I did/didn't do), then again, this clean report stays with the vehicle and is a good selling tool.
The CARFAx Report can also show "Open Recalls" & recorded maintenance(not DIY maint). But, I guess we as DIYers can actually update our own vehicle history into the CARFAx Report? There is another thread on this but, no instructions on how it is done/performed. I'd like to learn this!
Also, it's doesn't matter if any of us think a CARFAx(AutoCheck is another source) is of any value, it's what other think and that's more important. Many potential buyers may in fact just walk away.
I/we just sold our daughter's car and I spent the money to get the "IMPORTANT" information from CARFAx(not the free stuff that's of no value) just so the car would move out of my driveway. Otherwise, this could have taken a couple of months instead of the 4 weeks that it actually took to sell this car. And we/she got a decent price for her car!
This is how I look at it. The CARFAx Vehicle History Report stays with a vehicle for it's whole life. So if I buy a used car with a clean CARFAx Report(regardless of what the previous owner did/didn't do), and I sell it years later with current "clean" CARFAx (regardless of what I did/didn't do), then again, this clean report stays with the vehicle and is a good selling tool.
The CARFAx Report can also show "Open Recalls" & recorded maintenance(not DIY maint). But, I guess we as DIYers can actually update our own vehicle history into the CARFAx Report? There is another thread on this but, no instructions on how it is done/performed. I'd like to learn this!
Considered a trusted source to mass buyers. Leaves a warm and fuzzy with vehicles that happen to have clear ones to many.
The one on my vehicle reflected a great maintenance history but yes did not reveal obvious body repair i for a massive discount for at auction.
The one on my vehicle reflected a great maintenance history but yes did not reveal obvious body repair i for a massive discount for at auction.
Last edited:
I just bought a new truck . The sales guy ran the report on my old one . It had been wrecked by the previous owner . Heavy damage . He told me to sell it outright because his used car guy was not going to give me anything decent for it . I had already planned to go that route but I appreciated his honesty .
Not really, its a good tool to get an idea on the history of the car, but it doesnt replace a visual inspection. I got lucky on my GL that the Fax was accurate, but I did a pre purchase inspection on a 2015 428xi recently that had a clean car fax and the whole front end was resprayed, cheap condenser and radiator installed, and over white spray all over the black plastiucbottom splash shields.
I'm looking at a CarFax for my 2004 Silverado.
It says my truck is a one owner... except I'm owner #2.
One accident appears on the report, but the other accident does not. Both required a visit to the body shop.
It states that Midas has done work on it. I can assure you... Midas has never touched it.
None of the service work that the local Chevy/Cadillac dealer did to it under warranty appears.
For this vehicle, it's not very good. There's more missing and incorrect information, than there is correct information.
It says my truck is a one owner... except I'm owner #2.
One accident appears on the report, but the other accident does not. Both required a visit to the body shop.
It states that Midas has done work on it. I can assure you... Midas has never touched it.
None of the service work that the local Chevy/Cadillac dealer did to it under warranty appears.
For this vehicle, it's not very good. There's more missing and incorrect information, than there is correct information.
Originally Posted by BigD1
Helps me to stay away from the rust buckets from up north being peddled around here. Every car on one small used dealer lot was from the rust belt.
Hahahaha I bought a tow dolley from a guy here in Maine who did just this, dragging rusted out cars that don't pass our inspection down south. I can't imagine him getting them for free and selling them for $1500 would be worth his time, gas, and mileage--- 1700 miles round trip.
Carfax might be fun for window shopping (online) but the cruddy cars more than likely won't have their VINs visible in the ad. Plus you only need to find one buyer, if 100 skip a car with a bad carfax the last guy will bite because it's $500 cheaper.
Helps me to stay away from the rust buckets from up north being peddled around here. Every car on one small used dealer lot was from the rust belt.
Hahahaha I bought a tow dolley from a guy here in Maine who did just this, dragging rusted out cars that don't pass our inspection down south. I can't imagine him getting them for free and selling them for $1500 would be worth his time, gas, and mileage--- 1700 miles round trip.
Carfax might be fun for window shopping (online) but the cruddy cars more than likely won't have their VINs visible in the ad. Plus you only need to find one buyer, if 100 skip a car with a bad carfax the last guy will bite because it's $500 cheaper.
I don't think it's fool proof, but it does give you some indication of where the cars been. I had one ran for the Porsche I recently purchased and every time the car was at the dealer for a repair it was reported to carfax, in detail. And all the times it was registered, that showed up.
So for some applications I think it's pretty valuable.
So for some applications I think it's pretty valuable.
I recently sold our 2017 Accord Sport SE on Craigslist. Lots of requests for Carfax. I don't even know much about Carfax.
One guy just asked for the VIN and he checked it.
A dealer bought it and had a Carfax on it.
I just rolled with the blows.... Got a check for $19K; paid $22.3K a little over a year earlier. Almost 19K miles; car was perfect except for a little curb rash.
One guy just asked for the VIN and he checked it.
A dealer bought it and had a Carfax on it.
I just rolled with the blows.... Got a check for $19K; paid $22.3K a little over a year earlier. Almost 19K miles; car was perfect except for a little curb rash.
To me it's just a rough guideline to get a feel of how many owners the vehicle had, if it was a rental and if it ever saw dealer service. I can tell you I've never had non-dealer service or body work that showed up in CarFax.
VIP tire sells their info to carfax, so I can see if a car had an oil change or state inspection done there.
If it helps keep the lights on (and potentially deliver better service) what do I care? The only hassle is playing 21 questions when I know I'm not going to have them do any heavy work.
If it helps keep the lights on (and potentially deliver better service) what do I care? The only hassle is playing 21 questions when I know I'm not going to have them do any heavy work.
The last car I bought while spending money for a Carfax proved it was 2 owner and had annual maintenance at the dealership every year from 2002-2015. That was very helpful to me as the 2nd owner only had the car for 4 months and didn't know anything about the previous maintenance history. This was a 39K mile car too....and the annual maintenance history on the CarFax at the same/selling dealership proved the mileage was accurate and when they performed the 10K, 20K, 25K, and 30K mile maintenance. In fact, they performed those maintenance tasks well before they were actually due. The 10K service was done at 5K...and so on. The oil changes were done every 2500 miles. So to me very helpful that the car was taken care....none of which was known or relayed by the 2nd owner. The CarFax also supported that the car was on the original brakes at 39K miles. And I noted the original factory dated year 2000 tires were still on the rear....also helping to prove mileage.
Last edited:
- Status
