WHAT IS A CARFAX REPORT AND WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW?

CARFAX IS A USEFUL TOOL. HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT CARFAX HAS NEVER INSPECTED A SINGLE VEHICLE THAT THEY PROVIDE A REPORT ON. ALSO, PLEASE NOTE THAT A CARFAX REPORT CAN CHANGE AFTER YOUR DATE OF PURCHASE. SO, A DECISION BASED SOLELY OFF OF A CARFAX REPORT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. ALWAYS JUDGE THE VEHICLE OF INTEREST ON ITS CURRENT CONDITION, NOT JUST PAST HISTORY.

ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO GET THE VEHICLE OF CHOICE CHECKED BY YOUR MECHANIC PRIOR TO PURCHASE.

TOTAL LOSS

An insurance or fleet company declares a vehicle a total loss when a claim exceeds approximately 75% of its pre-damage value or if the vehicle is stolen and not recovered. This damage threshold varies by company. These companies typically take possession and obtain the title. Not all total loss vehicles result in a DMV-reported branded title, like a Salvage or Junk title.

ACCIDENT DAMAGE

Various events could indicate an accident or damage in a vehicle’s history, such as: salvage auction, fire damage, police-reported accident, crash test vehicle, damage disclosure, collision repair facility and automotive recycler records.

BUYBACK/LEMON

A DMV or a state agency marks an official document or issues a Manufacturer Buyback/Lemon title when a vehicle has been repurchased by the manufacturer. Not all states issue manufacturer buyback titles and the specific requirements for a lemon law vehicle varies by state.

ODOMETER CHECK

CARFAX analyzes mileage data to help identify potential:
> Rollbacks – odometer tampering to conceal a car’s true mileage (i.e. Fraud or illegal activity)
> Rollovers – after reaching the maximum reading, the odometer restarts from zero (i.e. Mechanical or equipment limitation)
> Inconsistencies – conflicting mileage data means CARFAX cannot determine if it’s a potential rollback (i.e. Potential human error)

MANUFACTURER RECALL

Automobile manufacturers issue recall notices to inform owners of car defects that have come to the manufacturer’s attention. Recalls also suggest improvements that can be made to improve the safety of a particular vehicle. Most manufacturer recalls can be repaired at no cost to you.

AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT

Occurs when the driver, passenger or side airbag has been used or deployed during a crash or other incident. If an airbag has been deployed, it must be replaced by a qualified technician. Have this car inspected by a mechanic prior to purchase.

BASIC WARRANTY

Most manufacturers offer a basic warranty for new vehicles. These warranties vary by manufacturer and typically last for a certain amount of time and/or a set number of miles.

STRUCTURAL DAMAGE *

All levels of accidents, from minor to severe, can cause structural damage to a vehicle (i.e., damage to the frame or unibody). *

* Auction announcements of structural damage are in the form of words such as Airbag/ Unibody/ Frame/ Structural based on NAAA Auction Arbitration Rules. This simply means that the car has been in a previous accident and has sustained damage at one time. There is no distinction between a minor dent or a major accident when it comes to the use of these words. Due to Unibody construction, any vehicle that sustains any damage can be considered, even if the accident is as minor as an 1/8 inch-1 inch dent to the body or structure of the vehicle, or something much more serious.

CARFAX IS A USEFUL TOOL. HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT CARFAX HAS NEVER INSPECTED A SINGLE VEHICLE THAT THEY PROVIDE A REPORT ON. ALSO, PLEASE NOTE THAT A CARFAX REPORT CAN CHANGE AFTER YOUR DATE OF PURCHASE. SO, A DECISION BASED SOLELY OFF OF A CARFAX REPORT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. ALWAYS JUDGE THE VEHICLE OF INTEREST ON ITS CURRENT CONDITION, NOT JUST PAST HISTORY.

** Please understand that a Carfax Report is subject to change at any time without notice. Feel free to have the vehicle of choice inspected by someone you trust if uncertain. Carfax is a third party vehicle history reporting company, not affiliated with Major World Chevrolet LLC., Major World ,  Major World Chevrolet LLC, Major World  does not endorse Carfax, and disclaims any and all liability for any damage, economic or otherwise, which may result from the use or reliance on the information contained in the Carfax History Reports.