Is it really worth $45. to buy a car report before buying? How extensive and accurate are these reports?

Accurate? Not very. If a previous owner does not report damage to his insurance company, Carfax will have no record of it. The Carfax report will be of use if it turns up something. No way to predict.

I use it as a first check. If something bad shows up, I move on to a different car. If nothing bad shows up, and I like the car, I have it inspected by a mechanic. The problem with Carfax is that it may not be complete, with missing information on accidents, etc. So if something bad shows up, yo…

thank you SteveF and texases for your comments.

You should be able to rely that what is reported on the Carfax is probably true. HOWEVER…What you can’t rely on is what ISN’T reported to Carfax. If it’s NOT reported to carfax then they can’t report it.

I would never pay $45 to see one report, but if I was going to be car shopping for private sales, I might invest in a $45 subscription so I could check out all the cars I look at. If I was shopping at a car dealership, I would ask to see the Carfax report. They usually subscribe, so viewing the re…

I doubt I will get a carfax on my next car. Last time I did, it didn’t show a wreck, luckily, the wreck damage was caught by a mechanic before I purchased the car. It was major enough to be a necessary repair, likely the door was replaced, etc., but fixed well enough that it merely gave me good l…

What do you want to buy? If the dealer can’t provide the report?? “buyer beware”. “As is” If you want something with a guarantee believe me that the seller knows all about the car… In short IT’S A BUYERS MARKET!! PUT UP THE PAPERS AND HISTORY OR FORGET IT!!

Shhhhh! You can use your inside voice in here and still get your point across.

I would use a Carfax report to rule out buying cars, but not to make me feel better about a purchase. Regardless, I would not pay $45 for a report. I think I spent ~$15 the only time I paid for a report.

Pretty much agree but I’d want to know the ownership history of a used car and what states it had been registered in. New Jersey and Florida are red flags plus cars coming from the coast that flooded recently. Dealers will provide it free but last time I had to buy it was $25 for 30 days use, some…

To check Carfax or not?

Maintenance/Repairs

MikeInNH October 14, 2011, 5:06pm 15

I agree with pretty much everything you said…except the ASE certified technician. The mechanic I use when I don’t want to do work…or the job is too big…he’s NOT an ASE certified tech…but he’ll run rings around ANY ASE tech in this area. In fact many mechanics will send him work they can’t do because of his knowledge and experience.

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To check Carfax or not?

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