deciphering a carfax report

Joined
21 October 2003
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401
Location
sunny so cal
I have a dillema, Im looking for a good condition NSX and I ran a carfax report on a car I am plannning to purchase. In the report it states that theres only 2 owners, but it also showed it was sold at an auto auction numerous times.

If the vehicle was sold at the auction, wouldn't that be also considered as a new owner?

Also, would any of you consider on purchasing a car that has a history being sold at an auction?

Please help
 
Some Used car mgrs. pick them up at auction just so they can drive them for a few months and "try" to sell it. If not, they will just run it back through the auction. Also, some dealers will buy one in a less popular NSX area and then bring the car to auction in a more friendly NSX area that may bring more dollars.
 
My 1.5 cents worth

It's a tough one to call, since there are so few NSXs in the country. In my opinion, a car that has been through several auctions in a short period of time, 4 - 12 months, is a difficult vehicle to sell. Actually that appears to be a fact.

Of interest to you and me (I am also looking for an NSX} is WHY it has been difficult to sell. Is it in the wrong geographical location? Is it a less desirable color/transmission/interior? Is it just the wrong time, economically, to sell a high priced item? Is there something wrong with it?

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to trace a car's history if it has passed through a series of auctions, as though it is simply a commodity. Sometimes you can get records from the original dealer, or even that factory, but beyond the late 90s, don't hold your breath. Computer systems have changed and frequently really old records are not converted to a new computer system.

I drove a '93 with a nearly perfect body -- hell it was perfect. However, the 3rd gear syncro was essentially gone. Car fax pointed to a possible odometer rollback (which I doubt, since it was very few miles and my best guess was someone misred a digit during an air check). I could live with that, but what I would not live with was the fact it has half a dozen 'owners' in a 10 - 12 month period. My conclusion is that was likely the tip of an iceberg, and chose not to pursue that vehicle further.

My 1.5 cents worth
 
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