I went to a GMC dealership yesterday to trade my 2010 Yukon in for a new one. When they pulled the Autocheck on my current vehicle, it came back with 2 accidents on it. I told them that was wrong and left since they gave me a low offer because of the accidents. I went home and got the Autocheck papers I received from the dealer last year when I purchased my 2010 Yukon and it only states 1 accident. The “added” new accident was on 12/12/2015 and I had the Autocheck pulled for my 2010 Yukon the day before I purchased it on 5/4/2016 and it wasn’t on there. How is that possible for an accident to show up so many months later??? If a 12/12/2015 accident doesn’t even show up by 5/4/2016 I think there is a huge problem with that and something should be done! What can I do? I would NOT have purchased the vehicle with 2 accidents on it. I have emailed Autocheck but haven’t gotten a response yet.
Those services rely on state records. If the state’s database doesn’t get updated, then they don’t know about it.
It’s a good idea to check those services, because if the car was wrecked and the wreck was reported and the state updated its database properly, it will show up and give you information you need.
But a clean Carfax is not a guarantee that the car has never been wrecked.
One accident, two accidents, three accidents…
I would prefer buying a car with no accidents, but I’d rather a car with 2 or 3 minor parking lot type fender benders over a near total loss single accident.
Not all accidents are created equal…
and some aren’t reported at all. It’s better to have cars inspected by professional body shop guys than to put any stock in these reports.
I’d go elsewhere or sell the vehicle outright.
CSA
Autocheck and CarFax and the like are by no means perfect. As you are finding out, they can be a rather large liability to the seller. AFTER the fact.
My last car had a “clean” CarFax and I have since found the right rear fender has been repainted and the rear bumper cover as well.
I’d suggest arguing with the dealer that even with an accident or 2, the truck is in good shape and/or repaired well. Good repair work, to me is more important than the accident itself.
It might be worth talking to a lawyer.
I agree that the quality of the repair work is very important
A few years ago, my brother was interested in buying a car from his in-law. They told him upfront that it had been in an accident, and let him peruse all the maintenance records, and the paperwork from the body shop repairs.
I checked the car out thoroughly, determined the body shop had performed high quality repairs, and told my brother to buy the car.
Provided you plan to drive the car into the ground, I agree. If you’re one of those people who gets a new car every 2-5 years, then you’re gonna lose a lot of money if you buy a car at clear-title price and then discover it’s been wrecked.
Here’s how I see it:
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Autocheck, carfax, etc. aren’t even close to reliable. To me, they seem like a complete joke. I wouldn’t spend a penny on them. Any information somebody gave me from them would be taken with multiple grains of salt. It’s buyer beware, and these services don’t change that, as you have discovered.
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You should do a bit of research and verify if the second accident did, in fact, occur. There’s lots of stories out there about flat-out wrong information being put in those files, let alone information gaps. And if that second accident turns out to be fiction, then,
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I’d be getting a lawyer and going after Autocheck pretty hard for spreading lies that affect the value of my rather expensive equipment. Come to think of it, it’s amazing these services are even allowed to operate given the number of problems I’ve read about over the years.
I don’t know how helpful that was for you, or if it just let me get something off my chest, but there you go.
Some states require car dealers to disclose collision history on vehicles. This reduces the resale value and because of this they might make a low offer, this may suggest that they are not interested in the trade, there are plenty of used cars available to dealers.
You can hire layer, appraiser, investigator, exterminator etc, but it might be better to sell the vehicle in a private sale.
I don’t think a minor fender bender that has been professionally repaired will impact the value of the car. They probably will not show up on CARFAX or any car history sevices.
Things can work slow on the reporting end. That’s just the way of the world. AutoChek, Carfax, and so on should never be relied upon 100%. Read the fine print and you will see a “what’s reported to us” disclaimer. Some things are reported, some not. Add in the slow reporting also…
Many years ago just for hoots I ran 2 of my vehicles and a vehicle belonging to my youngest son through Carfax. CF showed incorrect issues with all 3 cars.
My SAAB was shown to be “Currently stolen”. According to the DMV; not and never has been.
My Subaru (repaired after a total…) was on a “clean” title for about 8 years instead of a Salvage Title.
Right away the Equifax fiasco comes to mind. Some agencies grab people’s information (in some cases without permission) and then somehow manage to screw it up. 
CSA
From what I’ve seen, you’re dead right. And unfortunately there isn’t a thing the average consumer can do about it except be wise to that fact.