Carfax

[thefultonhow]

Not so great after all...

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2 ... facts.html

[93Leg-c]

Yeah, according to Carfax, I was supposed to be the third owner of the ss I bought. After purchasing the car and going through the records, it turns out that I am the fifth owner! How did that happen? I've got no idea and it's not worth pursuing anyway.

Then, I was going to buy another Legacy. The owner said it was hit in the rear at 20 mph. Serious enough damage for a body shop to care for. But, nothing on the Carfax report. It appears that the accident never was reported through the insurance company so no report was filed.

[Legacy777]

So what is a good report to get?

Not promoting carfax, but that article just bitches a lot and doesn't give an alternative.

[thefultonhow]

I think the point is that most people treat Carfax as the last word, and that they are far from that and you should investigate a car very carefully before buying it. Sounds like common sense but a lot of people will say, "Oh, yeah, clean Carfax, I'll get it sight unseen" and then will have problems down the road. The article doesn't specifically say "Don't use Carfax at all" but it does say to make sure not to base much of your purchasing decision on a report. Go to a trustworthy mechanic and see what he says; go to your DMV and see what the title looks like; et cetera.

[Legacy777]

Yeah....but that's a little more difficult if you're looking to buy a car across the country...

[thefultonhow]

Well then don't buy a car that's across the country from you unless you can deal with the substantial risks or you know the person who is selling it.