Carfax VIN Check

[Guest jos2f]

Hey all,

I ran across a deal almost too good to be real on a car. Since I'm a tightwad (or so my wife says), I was wondering if anyone here had access to VIN checks via Autocheck or Carfax. If you do and wouldn't mind running a quick report, I'd greatly appreciate it. Please PM me for VIN if so. Thanks!

[TripleDigitRide]

I don't, but thought I'd pass something on.

I guess it couldn't hurt to run a check anyway, but I had a salesman at Carmax tell me that Carfax reports were not that reliable in Tennessee (and other states), because the state doesn't require such information to be reported for record keeping.

This may or may not be true, but I thought it was interesting. Maybe our local carsalesman, MagicCarpetRides can give us a little insight.

[Smith]

I'm pretty sure you can run it on Carfax and it will tell you a simple yea or nay, but you have to pay to see the details of the flags.

[BrasilNuts]

One of our members works for Carfax. I'll send him a email and see if he can help you out.

Edited May 31, 2009 by BrasilNuts

[R1100R]

Carfax is not worth a crap. All Auto Auctions use a service called Auto Check.

Carfax has caused auctions a loose a lot of money for being wrong. It is mainly used by car dealers as a selling tool.

You can go online and use Auto Check for a small fee.

[Guest tbllyons]

You are absolutely correct that there are 2 VHR companies. 1 is called CARFAX and the other is called Auto Check. You sound like you know a little about the car business, for instance Auto Check is affiliated with the Auctions. CARFAX is as well, I’m sure that you know that in the data industry no one company can get it right all of the time. That being said with over 20,000,000 pieces of data my money is on CARFAX. Auto Check is cheaper and I’m sure that we all know that cheaper is not always better. But don’t take my word for it run one of each and see for yourself. I mean no a fence to anyone with this I would help any of my fellow TGO members in any way I can. By the way CARMAX uses CARFAX exclusively.

You all have been a wealth of information to me; I hope that I have been able to be of help to you.

[Guest jos2f]

I agree that neither one is probably perfect. Basically I'm looking to run a VIN to make sure a car isn't stolen/flooded/abducted by aliens etc.

I posted on here hoping someone had access to unlimited VIN checks in which we could look up this one car that almost seems too good to be true.

[R1100R]

You are absolutely correct that there are 2 VHR companies. 1 is called CARFAX and the other is called Auto Check. You sound like you know a little about the car business, for instance Auto Check is affiliated with the Auctions. CARFAX is as well, I’m sure that you know that in the data industry no one company can get it right all of the time. That being said with over 20,000,000 pieces of data my money is on CARFAX. Auto Check is cheaper and I’m sure that we all know that cheaper is not always better. But don’t take my word for it run one of each and see for yourself. I mean no a fence to anyone with this I would help any of my fellow TGO members in any way I can. By the way CARMAX uses CARFAX exclusively.

You all have been a wealth of information to me; I hope that I have been able to be of help to you.

I work for Adesa AA and was with ABC Auto Auctions for years. I am

now mobilized for a year. We quit using Carfax four to five years ago. They are a great selling tool. They take for ever to update the data base. Auto Check is processed the same day it entered. Carfax is better than nothing.

If I was back home I would have been happy to have a look for you.

[Guest tbllyons]

I would be happy to help you out if you still need a VHR run.

[Guest tbllyons]

You are absolutely correct that most of the Auto Auctions stopped using CARFAX a few years ago. They are now using both CARFAX and Auto Check.

I want to thank you for what you are doing for the rest of us!!!!

[Guest Alpha Dog]

I'm the eternal cynic...

Unless it is mandated by law that everything has to be reported to Carfax (a private company), and I don't believe it is law that you have to report to them...

Then, all Carfax is reporting to you is what has been reported to them...

So, if people withhold info from Carfax, then it looks like your prospective car is "clean" when, in fact, it might not be...

Even if Carfax "harvests" info from insurance companies and police reports, which I doubt they can do, if something is not reported to insurance or police or to Carfax, how does the prospective buyer know?

Just a thought...