Carfax- 100% reliable?
#4
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 249
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From: Sarasota, Fl
ETA: I'm not saying they are worthless, they do catch lots of stuff on them, but 100% reliable, no.
Last edited by FullAuto9; 08-06-2011 at 08:36 AM.
#5
If the dealer that preformed the warranty work is not signed up with CarFax it will not be reported. You would be better off checking with a dealer's service department on the car you are interested in.
#6
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 780
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From: Staten Island, NY
they only show what was reported to them, and a recent incident won't show, also I bought a durango a while back (for parts) that was crushed by a tree, the owner only had liability, never reported it and it never showed anything. I only look at them for the motor vehicle records, salvage, TMU, flood etc. accidents happen and don't neccesarily mean the car is a p.o.s. call a dealer for recall/service info and look at the car with someone knowledgable, in my opinion.
#7
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 694
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From: Richmond, Virginia
Mistakes happen too. I had a friend trade a car in that had been owned by them since new and never in an accident but when the dealer ran a car fax, for trade in purposes, it came up as being in a wreck. Come to find out the insurance company reported the wrong car. It was their sons truck that had actually been in the wreck not the car.
#9
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Joined: Jan 2007
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The smart thing to do is to take it to a reputable mechanic and have them check it out bumper to bumper.
Money well spent.. My son learned his lesson.
#10
I looked at a used Honda Civic last year being offered by a private party. I knew as soon as I pulled up that the front end had been painted. Further inspection showed plently of evidence of a pretty decent front end hit. The owner produced the "clean" Carfax report that the used car dealer he bought it from the year before had produced for him. I'm 99.9% sure somebody facked the report. This guy honestly didn't know. So beware.



