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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 28
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OP
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 28 |
I purchased the carfax plan. I ran the vin # for a car. The carfax reported no accidents and states: "Three-year Protection Plan:
During the next three years, should you discover a problem title in this vehicle's history which was not included in this CARFAX Report, CARFAX will pay you 10% of the vehicle's wholesale value - up to $5,000!"The car that I ran the carfax check on has over $1000 in rear end damage. It was wrecked 10 months ago and I have the accident report to prove it. Will Carfax stand behind this 3 year guarantee? 
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Joined: Jun 2000
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Master P
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Master P
Joined: Jun 2000
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Is that a "problem" that would be reflected on the vehicle's title?
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,461
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They have a disclaimer in the report which says "Carfax does not get accident report information
from all states"...
Brian
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Joined: Jun 2001
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Yeah, but even so, it's still not included. Even if they don't get information from all states, if they want to run a reliable report they need to include it whatever way they can. If that's the case, then why should the general public and auto dealers rely on Carfax if their reporting isn't accurate?
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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,493
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"..problem in the vehicle's title" is what Carfax says. A car can have $1000 in engine damage and it won't be on the title.
Carfax is meant to see if a car was "salvaged" or "flood damaged". Not every single accident will appear.
I say this not to defend them, just what to expect if you challenge them.
2000 SE fleet, V6, ATX, ABS, no spoiler, T-Green/tan. Built 01/2000 in MO.
Added 12 spoke factory SE rims, K&N. Biggest mod: ESP Plan!
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 246
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In my province, If a vehicle is damaged below a certain percentage of the new vehicle's value, a dealer can fix it without declaring the damage on the title.
I know of one example. A new Ford Explorer had front end damage (approx $3000) fixed and the vehicle was sold with no notes on the bill of sale. Because the value of the new vehicle was so high campared to the damage, the dealer did not have to declare it. It was not until the owner's friend, who owned a body shop, saw the damage, did the owner even know about it.
Although it would be the right thing to do, The dealer was not required to accept the vehicle back and didn't. They were stuck with it.
99 SVT #2602/2760
Silver Frost
Some days you're the bug. Other days you're the windshield
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Joined: May 2002
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Carfax only has reported accidents.. We have an 86 mark 7 it has been in 4 accidents b4 we got it carfax says its clean if it dont go through insurance it done show up on carfax
99 Silver frost Contour LX ztec..
35% tints all around..
Aiwa Deck w/ Infinity reference all around......
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 28
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OP
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 28 |
The vehicle that I did the CarFax on was my own Contour. My contour got rear ended at a red light. I had an accident report did. The Ford dealership gave me a estimate for $1059.12. The insurance company paid me the $1059.12.
The accident happened August 13th of last year. I guess it takes time for a accident report to show up. It could just be a case of sloppy paper work. I was sure the accident report would show up on a CarFax.
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 956
Moderator
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Joined: May 2001
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Hey E-7.. would you run a VIN for me ?? I am about to purchase this beater... just want to check if everything is ok...  JM1BG2246N0508240 I'd really appreciate that... thanks....
** CT - USA **
* 96 Contour Gl 2.0
5 Speed Manual / Clarion CD Change
8" Subwoofer & Sony Amp (LOUD !!)
The Cleanest !!!
* 92 Mazda Protege
5 Speed Manual / 1.8
* 94 Yamaha Virago 535
(better than Viagra !!)
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Joined: May 2002
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/rant ON
This is yet another reason why I get frustrated with people that expect CarFax to be the definitive answer to whether to buy a specific vehicle.
Not all accidents result in damage that will be noted in records maintained by official sources. Not all payouts for damage will be from insurance companies that pay to be part of a large mainframe data dump. The CarFax section on accident damage talks about MAJOR accident damage...to me I would read that as being something beyond run of the mill fender-bender.
I look at this question as being yet another area where people ought to re-evaluate some of what they take as gospel...like with the odometer rollback question from a few weeks ago on a Miata site- the only odometer records I would consider official are those that go with a title transfer. There is an increased likelihood of entry error if you relay on the smog check people to key it in annually. In the instance that came up, there was a series of entries that went from 28,xxx to 78,xxx back to the reading on the car that was in the low 30's...my guess is that the 78 was a typo because of the relative proximity of the dates.
Is it a good tool? Absolutely. Should it be definitive? NO! It provides the basis upon which some investigation may be necessary if you have questions.
/rant OFF
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