How useful have you found a report from CARFAX?

I just used this service 3 weeks ago to help buy a 1996 Mitsubishi Galant off a guy at work.

I found it very helpful. I found out when it had been maintenanced (once a year), if it had any accidents (no), how many owners it had (3), and a whole bunch of other info that was useful.

That being said, bear in mind that it only reports official transactions. If something wasn’t reported (an accident) or done under the table (Uncle Fred doing the oil change), it won’t be there.

And, of course, it’s always a good idea to take it on a test drive and have your mechanic give it the once over before you decide.

@cprevite How does it take to receive the info once you pay? Is it instant?

It is instantaneous if done all online. I think you can request paper copies mailed – but there’s no point. The report prints just fine off the net (mine was about 16 pages long).

Its not as accurate as everyone thinks unfortunately, one of my moms friends carfaxed her car for shits and giggles and it said it was never in an accident, this however is not true as she got into a very bad accident with it a little over a year ago.(it was reported and all btw)

Hmmm. Good to know uber.

Amazingly, I was able to get a CARFAX report on a car we are interested in from the dealer, for free. Even better we could access the report online w/out tipping our hand about the car we were interested in….

Even if all the info isn’t there…it is still nice to know that at first blush, the car doesn’t seem to have been in an accident. Or a flood. Or a hail storm. :)

@snoopy oh yea im not going to argue with that, its definitely a good way of finding out more information, just dont take everything as truth on them, thats all.

We just bought a used car and it had a clean CarFax provided by the dealer. However, there is some evidence of body work, but we have no way to know… :-/

My SO “collects” cars. By that, I mean he has bought 12 cars in the 6 years I have known him. he uses CARFAX frequently and most of the time it is helpful to him, unless the car is too old. (He likes antiques)

The phrase “tits on a bull” comes to mind.

Most of the cars I’ve had had so much stuff happen “off the record” that Carfax would have no way of knowing that I don’t bother any more.