CARFAX Reports

RustyX5M · 11-30-2017, 10:14 AM

A while back I had some very minor front bumper damage in a parking garage which caused a small crack & dent around the front reflector. The damage was maybe about a 1/4 golf ball size indentation and cracked the housing for the reflector.
I went to a couple smaller mom & pop auto body shops in my area to get a couple quotes on what it would take to repair it. The larger shops typically quoted out a new bumper (~$2K), while the smaller shops were comfortable with patching (~$450).

Being that the damage wasn't sever or noticeable enough to really bother me I left it be for the time being.

Fast forward a couple months (to now), while looking to trade the car in, one of the dealers informed me that I had an accident on my Carfax record. Obviously shocked since the car has ever been in an accident, I boiled it down the the ESTIMATES that I got for the front bumper. Insurance was never involved and work was never done on the vehicle.

I contacted all of the shops which are all admit that they do not report to Carfax. I've also been in contact with Carfax who claim that too much of the data fits my car so they can not remove it.

After a little research I've discovered that Carfax data mines, in which they pay companies for your information, not a huge shocker, but being that most auto body shops use the same software to run numbers for quotes it makes it fairly easy for Carfax obtain it.
This erks me a lot since they do not provide any further details on the "damage".

*PSA*
So regardless of the severity of the damage, or whether you go through insurance or not, or even if you decide not to get the work done, Carfax can pull that information and mark it on your vehicles records.

Now for my dilemma...

Do I get the work done or not before trading in the car?

Is it better to have the car looking it best to eliminate any dealer leverage, OR leave it as is since the mark is already on the Carfax report and the dealers going to f#$* me anyways for trading it in?

jandref321 · 11-30-2017, 11:19 AM

That’s shitty. I assumed shops automatically reported it or insurance did but I’ve have vehicles in actual accidents that never got reported to car fax. I’ve also purchased a vehicle with a clean carfax then tried to trade into BMW a couple years later only to find out that the accident the previous owner had was reported a year after I got the car...wtf. BMW wouldn’t take the trade in since they say they can’t sell a vehicle without a clean car fax. They offered junk value to sell at auction and I ended up selling private party for five times their offer.

RustyX5M · 11-30-2017, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jandref321

That’s shitty. I assumed shops automatically reported it or insurance did but I’ve have vehicles in actual accidents that never got reported to car fax. I’ve also purchased a vehicle with a clean carfax then tried to trade into BMW a couple years later only to find out that the accident the previous owner had was reported a year after I got the car...wtf. BMW wouldn’t take the trade in since they say they can’t sell a vehicle without a clean car fax. They offered junk value to sell at auction and I ended up selling private party for five times their offer.

Yet I'm sure BMW would buy an auctioned vehicle with unreported damage, fix it up, and resell it as a clean vehicle.

Every body shop I talked to despises Carfax, and were completely unaware that their records were getting sold (or so they claimed). Though I'm sure they all signed the agreement when they registered the software that discloses the information.

It's definitely a double edged sword, though just feels shady that they are reporting small estimates without documentation or consent on my behalf.

Poppyboy · 11-30-2017, 12:41 PM

Carfax is the most evil enterprise in existence today, operating with total impunity. I’ve been screwed over numerous times, including them reporting a prior owner’s accident damage two years after I bought the car and three years after the accident. You have no realistic choice but to sell privately, and stay away from the scumbags in the business who offer you crap for your trade-in.

socale39 · 11-30-2017, 06:14 PM

Autocheck is what I’ve used in the past.

Poppyboy · 11-30-2017, 11:42 PM

Unfortunately, Carfax is the go-to vehicle history report for the industry, regardless of accuracy. If you have a car with any negative info, you’re toast, at least from a trade-in standpoint. Your only choices to sell your car will be 1. take the 30%+ hit on trade 2. sell your car privately or 3. be buried in it. Check out certain auctions on Bring-a-Trailer to see how sellers get crucified because of negative info on a Carfax report.

RustyX5M · 12-05-2017, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poppyboy

Unfortunately, Carfax is the go-to vehicle history report for the industry, regardless of accuracy. If you have a car with any negative info, you’re toast, at least from a trade-in standpoint. Your only choices to sell your car will be 1. take the 30%+ hit on trade 2. sell your car privately or 3. be buried in it. Check out certain auctions on Bring-a-Trailer to see how sellers get crucified because of negative info on a Carfax report.

I'd rather not...

What I have a hard time getting past, through my numerous conversations & complaints with Carfax, is the fact that they can not provide me proof of their claims for "confidentiality" reasons. Which I find complete BS since its my car which they are pulling info from and representing without my permission.

-c- · 12-05-2017, 10:57 PM

Shouldn't matter to much as it would say the damage is superficial. Even Bmw can sell a bmw as a CPO with warranty even if it's been in a small accident that didn't cause any harm to the structure.

My old 2006 CPO z4 has a carfax that showed front end damage but was superficial. Was fixed and BMW CPO'd the car and I bought it and the dealer gave me a great trade in price when I bought my 135is from them.

If their was any structure damage that would give you a big red mark.

Dealers that use the superficial ascendent to give you thousands less are just lousy dealers. It should effect you maybe a couple hundred max. When my 135is I had was hit in the rear, just a new bumper and repaint which was on carfax when I traded it in and my trade was the same as If it was not in a wreck. Dealer told me they just wont deal with serious wrecks or if airbags where deployed. But they had a buyer lined up anyway so no skin off their back.

If that dealer won't play ball find another one.

Naz24 · 12-06-2017, 08:41 AM

Well here's an interesting point. I've been considering getting my front bumper and side fender flares repainted due to rock chips... Is this something my shop may report to carfax?? such bullshit, i've never heard of anything being reported besides police reports

RustyX5M · 12-06-2017, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naz24

Well here's an interesting point. I've been considering getting my front bumper and side fender flares repainted due to rock chips... Is this something my shop may report to carfax?? such bullshit, i've never heard of anything being reported besides police reports

I'm not sure where the threshold is to where Carfax gets notified. My Carfax now says "front damage reported" after receiving my estimates. I'm guessing since one of the shops quoted out a replacement bumper due to the cracked reflector housing this could have tipped the $ scale where Carfax gets flagged. ...purely speculation though.

I can't imagine rock chip touch-ups would go on your Carfax. ...then again, I didn't think estimates would either.

Naz24 · 12-06-2017, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyX5M

I'm not sure where the threshold is to where Carfax gets notified. My Carfax now says "front damage reported" after receiving my estimates. I'm guessing since one of the shops quoted out a replacement bumper due to the cracked reflector housing this could have tipped the $ scale where Carfax gets flagged. ...purely speculation though.

I can't imagine rock chip touch-ups would go on your Carfax. ...then again, I didn't think estimates would either.

Carfax is really a bunch of hacks. uninformed buyers depend on it purely due to marketing techniques of that goddamn fox.

I always carry a paint thickness meter to determine if a car has been repainted or not, you can tell a lot more with that.

Poppyboy · 12-06-2017, 11:55 AM

The only other thing I can think of to mitigate an accident being reported is to have documentation up the wazoo which reconciles the work done as minor, matching the referenced date. Even then, many dealers will still try to murder you with their offer, as it’s a “story” requiring explanation. Try to divorce the logical explanation from your line of thinking, and that’s what these dealerships are using against you. Bad people.

Kraftwerk AG · 12-19-2017, 11:32 AM

Carfax Reports Can't Be Used as Evidence in Court

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...ports-hearsay/

11-30-2017, 10:14 AM	#1
RustyX5M Private 3 Rep 65 Posts Drives: e70 x5m Join Date: Nov 2015 Location: Washington iTrader: (0)	CARFAX Reports A while back I had some very minor front bumper damage in a parking garage which caused a small crack & dent around the front reflector. The damage was maybe about a 1/4 golf ball size indentation and cracked the housing for the reflector. I went to a couple smaller mom & pop auto body shops in my area to get a couple quotes on what it would take to repair it. The larger shops typically quoted out a new bumper (~$2K), while the smaller shops were comfortable with patching (~$450). Being that the damage wasn't sever or noticeable enough to really bother me I left it be for the time being. Fast forward a couple months (to now), while looking to trade the car in, one of the dealers informed me that I had an accident on my Carfax record. Obviously shocked since the car has ever been in an accident, I boiled it down the the ESTIMATES that I got for the front bumper. Insurance was never involved and work was never done on the vehicle. I contacted all of the shops which are all admit that they do not report to Carfax. I've also been in contact with Carfax who claim that too much of the data fits my car so they can not remove it. After a little research I've discovered that Carfax data mines, in which they pay companies for your information, not a huge shocker, but being that most auto body shops use the same software to run numbers for quotes it makes it fairly easy for Carfax obtain it. This erks me a lot since they do not provide any further details on the "damage". PSA So regardless of the severity of the damage, or whether you go through insurance or not, or even if you decide not to get the work done, Carfax can pull that information and mark it on your vehicles records. Now for my dilemma... Do I get the work done or not before trading in the car? Is it better to have the car looking it best to eliminate any dealer leverage, OR leave it as is since the mark is already on the Carfax report and the dealers going to f#$* me anyways for trading it in? Last edited by RustyX5M; 11-30-2017 at 11:05 AM..
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11-30-2017, 11:19 AM	#2
jandref321 Captain 344 Rep 728 Posts Drives: 2012 X5M Join Date: May 2014 Location: United States iTrader: (1)	That’s shitty. I assumed shops automatically reported it or insurance did but I’ve have vehicles in actual accidents that never got reported to car fax. I’ve also purchased a vehicle with a clean carfax then tried to trade into BMW a couple years later only to find out that the accident the previous owner had was reported a year after I got the car...wtf. BMW wouldn’t take the trade in since they say they can’t sell a vehicle without a clean car fax. They offered junk value to sell at auction and I ended up selling private party for five times their offer.
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11-30-2017, 12:41 PM	#4
Poppyboy Captain 194 Rep 828 Posts Drives: 2011 X5 3.5i w/ SA Package Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Lincolnshire, IL iTrader: (0) Garage List 1976 Triumph TR6 [10.00] 1993 Bentley Turbo R [10.00] 2011 X5 [10.00]	Carfax is the most evil enterprise in existence today, operating with total impunity. I’ve been screwed over numerous times, including them reporting a prior owner’s accident damage two years after I bought the car and three years after the accident. You have no realistic choice but to sell privately, and stay away from the scumbags in the business who offer you crap for your trade-in. Last edited by Poppyboy; 11-30-2017 at 12:44 PM.. Reason: Typo
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11-30-2017, 06:14 PM	#5
socale39 Major 209 Rep 1,044 Posts Drives: 04 545i SMG Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: California iTrader: (0)	Autocheck is what I’ve used in the past.
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11-30-2017, 11:42 PM	#6
Poppyboy Captain 194 Rep 828 Posts Drives: 2011 X5 3.5i w/ SA Package Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Lincolnshire, IL iTrader: (0) Garage List 1976 Triumph TR6 [10.00] 1993 Bentley Turbo R [10.00] 2011 X5 [10.00]	Unfortunately, Carfax is the go-to vehicle history report for the industry, regardless of accuracy. If you have a car with any negative info, you’re toast, at least from a trade-in standpoint. Your only choices to sell your car will be 1. take the 30%+ hit on trade 2. sell your car privately or 3. be buried in it. Check out certain auctions on Bring-a-Trailer to see how sellers get crucified because of negative info on a Carfax report. Last edited by Poppyboy; 11-30-2017 at 11:45 PM.. Reason: Typo
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12-05-2017, 10:57 PM	#8
-c- Colonel 886 Rep 2,736 Posts Drives: bmw Join Date: May 2010 Location: Chicago iTrader: (5)	Shouldn't matter to much as it would say the damage is superficial. Even Bmw can sell a bmw as a CPO with warranty even if it's been in a small accident that didn't cause any harm to the structure. My old 2006 CPO z4 has a carfax that showed front end damage but was superficial. Was fixed and BMW CPO'd the car and I bought it and the dealer gave me a great trade in price when I bought my 135is from them. If their was any structure damage that would give you a big red mark. Dealers that use the superficial ascendent to give you thousands less are just lousy dealers. It should effect you maybe a couple hundred max. When my 135is I had was hit in the rear, just a new bumper and repaint which was on carfax when I traded it in and my trade was the same as If it was not in a wreck. Dealer told me they just wont deal with serious wrecks or if airbags where deployed. But they had a buyer lined up anyway so no skin off their back. If that dealer won't play ball find another one.
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12-06-2017, 08:41 AM	#9
Naz24 Lieutenant Colonel 1628 Rep 1,727 Posts Drives: W205 AMG C63 / E70 X5M Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: North/Central NJ iTrader: (1)	Well here's an interesting point. I've been considering getting my front bumper and side fender flares repainted due to rock chips... Is this something my shop may report to carfax?? such bullshit, i've never heard of anything being reported besides police reports __________________ 2017 C63 2012 X5M SOLD: 2015 M3; 2007 X3 M Sport; 2014 X3 M Sport 35i; 2004 X5 4.4i; 1994 325i
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12-06-2017, 11:55 AM	#12
Poppyboy Captain 194 Rep 828 Posts Drives: 2011 X5 3.5i w/ SA Package Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Lincolnshire, IL iTrader: (0) Garage List 1976 Triumph TR6 [10.00] 1993 Bentley Turbo R [10.00] 2011 X5 [10.00]	The only other thing I can think of to mitigate an accident being reported is to have documentation up the wazoo which reconciles the work done as minor, matching the referenced date. Even then, many dealers will still try to murder you with their offer, as it’s a “story” requiring explanation. Try to divorce the logical explanation from your line of thinking, and that’s what these dealerships are using against you. Bad people.
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12-19-2017, 11:32 AM	#13
Kraftwerk AG Major 460 Rep 1,025 Posts Drives: Mein F Fünfundachtzig Einhorn Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: RIP Florian Schneider-Esleben iTrader: (8)	Carfax Reports Can't Be Used as Evidence in Court http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...ports-hearsay/
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