Is Carfax that reliable?

[93B18]

Greetings, this is my first time posting on this board. Let me first say that there is tons of good info in the FAQ as well as the corresponding forums listed. I am prospective buyer looking to hopefully join the club too! This group seems to have a good general comaradarie (sp) in helping others find good "non-lemon" vehicles.

On with the question. Are the reports given by Carfax that thorough? I've heard that at times the Carfax report will only show records that have been reported to Carfax themselves. So if there are any major incidents (ie. accidents, flood damage, etc) with a certain vehicle that haven't been reported to carfax then it wouldn't all show up on their report?

I know that the vehicle should be checked using the prime list as well as going through a used car inspection at a reputable dealer. But other than that, are there any other available vehicle history reports that we can get from other agencies such as the DMV? TIA for your replies.

 

[PHOEN$X]

Carfax's data is only good as its sources--which includes the DMV. I had a car that was missing half its history because the DMV dropped a letter from the VIN when I took it in for emissions once. Also, there is generally a lag between when an event is recorded and when it is reported to Carfax. I guess it's kind of like your credit reports...how accurate is your information there?

 

[welles]

I've used Carfax several times over the years, and have found it to give a useful picture of the car's ownership. Keep in mind, though, that it only reports "matters of record" - title applications, emissions inspections, police accident reports, etc. So, it's not that something is "reported to Carfax", it's that it's been reported to some public repository that Carfax searches against.

What does this mean in practical terms? Primarily, it means that minor "fender bender" accidents - those not severe enough to make the car a constructive total - will not appear on a Carfax report, unless a police report was filed (which it typically wouldn't be for a minor accident).

Bottom line - Carfax is just another tool, not a be-all and end-all. Between it, talking with the current owner, reviewing maintenance records, and (most importantly) getting a thorough inspection by a knowledgable mechanic, you should be able to come away with a solid understanding of the car's condition and history.

 

[nsxtasy]

As noted above, Carfax is not perfect. If it reports a problem, it's worth looking into. If it doesn't report a problem, that doesn't guarantee that it's clean, although it increases the odds.

Originally posted by 93B18:
are there any other available vehicle history reports that we can get from other agencies such as the DMV?

No.

 

[93B18]

Got it. Thanks again for the replies.