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I fail to understand the attack on Carfax? Where else will a consumer learn whether the subject car had 10 owners, or was sold in an auto auction, or was the subject of a crash report, or have the same mileage it is claimed to have 5 years ago?
I wouldn't buy a car based on the results alone, but why wouldn't one want to have this information for $15 or whatever it costs? For those who hate carfax, if you bought a used car, how would you find out if it had 10 owners in 5 years, or was transferred 5 years ago with the same miles it supposedly has on it now?
In a rare occurrence, we actually agree. I think the type of logic portrayed is as flawed as the "I hate GPS" logic.
Yes, if you expect the Carfax to be the one and only tool you use when buying a car, I can understand how you'll be let down, just as you will be if you always blindly follow the GPS without using your head.
If you utilize it for what it is however, just one more tool in the toolbox, it can greatly benefit you, and make buying a used car that bit more secure.
I go back to my question: how would you find out if it had 10 owners in 5 years, or was transferred 5 years ago with the same miles it supposedly has on it now?
Even with a good inspection, I would not want to buy a car that had a big question mark about whether it had been stored for 5 years without being run or serviced or had its mileage turned back or had multiple owners within a short period of time. No used car inspection is going to remove an oil pan and look for corrosion on a crankshaft and cylinder walls which is what happens when a car sits for a couple of years.
All of those things would disqualify a car for me and all of them are pretty reliably reported by Carfax. I still don't get it. Its Maybe a $15 expenditure on a car costing thousands or tens of thousands.
"how would you find out if it had 10 owners in 5 years"
if the seller has the title since the car was manufactured, it is pretty much a single owner car
"or was transferred 5 years ago with the same miles it supposedly has on it now"
carfax provides odometer rollbacks report.... for FREE. As well a few others
"how would you find out if it had 10 owners in 5 years"
if the seller has the title since the car was manufactured, it is pretty much a single owner car
Probably part of the appeal of a "one owner" car. Before Carfax this was the only assurance one could get.
For me, I have access to a data base for cars which shows every owner including name, address, phone number exactly as they appear on the actual registrations. And, I'll call a previous owner and ask them how the car drove and why they sold it, etc. But, unless its a "one owner" car, you have no idea if it is 2 owners or ten. And, you can't trust a dealer. They are going to give you a dealer title anyway.
So I go back to Carfax and how valuable it is to know how many owners there were and how long they owned it.
I have known several people who bought used cars at auction to resell. They bought cars which had been totalled. They all had major collision damage, some had engines replaced, some seemed to have never had the oil changed, all types and conditions. They all had one thing in common: a good-looking carfax report. Because of its unreliability, carfax just gives people a false sense of security regarding the purchase. If you want false security, go with carfax. If you want to know how the car has been cared for, the best you've got is a thorough inspection.
I have known several people who bought used cars at auction to resell. They bought cars which had been totalled. They all had major collision damage, some had engines replaced, some seemed to have never had the oil changed, all types and conditions. They all had one thing in common: a good-looking carfax report. Because of its unreliability, carfax just gives people a false sense of security regarding the purchase. If you want false security, go with carfax. If you want to know how the car has been cared for, the best you've got is a thorough inspection.
Moderator cut: Not necessary
People use Carfax to disqualify cars, not to qualify them. I never heard of anyone who bought a car because of a good Carfax report. I'd bet 90% of all cars have a good report and its accurate and they should have a good report because the miles are right and no wrecks, etc. But a bad report and you start over. Isn't that the whole point? How would any report qualify a car? Probably 90% of all cars will have a good report. How would a good report help you? You look at it, you drive it, you have it inspected by a good mechanic, and, if it has a bad Carfax report you don't buy it. False security? Never heard of that one.
Last edited by bmwguydc; 10-28-2010 at 02:18 PM..
Reason: Let's discuss the topic, not other members. Thanks.
I don't think you get it. People use Carfax to disqualify cars, not to qualify them. I never heard of anyone who bought a car because of a good Carfax report. I'd bet 90% of all cars have a good report and its accurate and they should have a good report because the miles are right and no wrecks, etc. But a bad report and you start over. Isn't that the whole point? How would any report qualify a car? Probably 90% of all cars will have a good report. How would a good report help you? You look at it, you drive it, you have it inspected by a good mechanic, and, if it has a bad Carfax report you don't buy it. False security? Never heard of that one.
Moderator cut: Not necessary
In my opinion, it is a useless tool because of inaccuracy, including reports that look good as well as information I have seen that is wrong.
Last edited by bmwguydc; 10-28-2010 at 02:17 PM..
Reason: Let's discuss the topic, not other members. Thanks.
I don't know if they are trustworthy. At the bottom of their page they have "free" services listed. It asks you for your VIN and then it takes you to a page where they ask you for $35 (not $15). I don't understand why they think $35 is the same thing as FREE. There's a big difference. A $35 difference. Based on how shady and misleading their webpage is I don't know if their information would be accurate or not. SHADY.
I don't know if they are trustworthy. At the bottom of their page they have "free" services listed. It asks you for your VIN and then it takes you to a page where they ask you for $35 (not $15). I don't understand why they think $35 is the same thing as FREE. There's a big difference. A $35 difference. Based on how shady and misleading their webpage is I don't know if their information would be accurate or not. SHADY.
It is a shame it is so expensive to access this valuable information.
I want to know how many owners a car has had and that the mileage was incurred ratably over the live of the car. This is very helpful. Maybe with that much cost it should be the last thing you do before you buy. I think you can get the info for more like $15 which is well worth it IMO.
I would google "carfax not accurate" and be prepared for an eyeful.. one of the web sites it is only accurate 60 percent of the time..
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