I've realized CarFax is just about useless..... - Page 3 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

bumblebeecamaro · 01-17-2020, 10:41 PM

Seems like several posts in this thread are pretty much insinuating one must use common sense... And well, if you don't then you shouldn't really complain. Well, I'll say this. Maybe I didn't or don't use my common sense if that makes anyone in this thread feel better about themselves. But my conclusion is this: I'm happy with my new car that looks really nice to me. That's what counts and that's what I'm going with. Any other conclusions can be made at will if need be.....

bumblebeecamaro · 01-17-2020, 10:47 PM

Here's my recently purchased '16 SS. I traded in my '12 Bumblebee SS after realizing it was going to be a huge money pit.... I love my new car! I got a really sweet deal on the car that only has 25K miles which is obviously very low for a four year old car. The car is in pristine condition....

pnwdan · 01-17-2020, 11:43 PM

I bought my 14 with a clean car fax.. one owner.. local car.. All service listed on the carfax.. Paint had the usual swirls and minor defects for a used black car but really good considering the color. Basically a unicorn in the Carfax world.

Fast forward about 9 months and I get hit in the right quarter panel. Buckled the quarter panel about 5 inches in, chipped the wheel, and bent the control arm a tiny bit. I was hit when getting on the gas so the rear just slid out of the other cars way. Could have been way worse had I been stopped.

I got it fixed. No big deal. I had it fixed by a certified GM repair shop in my area that does extremely great work. Removed the quarter panel and replaced with GM sheetmetal. Replaced the wheel and arm. No tweaking needed on the machine. Minor stuff considering. I get the car back. Looks perfect. I decide to run the Carfax a month later. Carfax now says the car has had severe structural damage... for a quarter panel, wheel, and control arm lol.

I also then went after the other insurance for diminished value. Had to fight it worse than usual. Turned out the car had been repainted due to being keyed and they claimed the value was already diminished. Shows up when the insurance runs their own report but didnt show on the carfax (by all accounts it should). I ended up getting my diminished value based on the carfax being clean at first and now not and also based on comps available in the area with similar carfax reports.

Bottom line.. It's all a joke. The problem is too many people treat it as the end all gospel and really like some have said here, it's just a tool.

ThatMaro · 01-18-2020, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Level300

Don't they have to disclose any accidents? I could swear there's some law around that.

I think they have to disclose whether or not the car has a Salvage or Rebuilt title.

ElderJ · 01-18-2020, 06:41 PM

Ha! A lot of CarFax hate in this thread.
For one, it's better than nothing.
Two, I don't use CarFax to find cars; I use it to weed out cars. Example: I find a nice car online, I'm interested in purchasing it, I run the CarFax to find out that it was used as a Taxi in New York City (true story by the way). So...we pass on that bad boy.
Example: I find a nice car online, I'm interested in purchasing it, I run the CarFax to find that it has only had 2 owners, was a lease vehicle, and no reported accidents. So I decide to go look at it.
In other words, I don't base my judgment on the CarFax; I just use it as a tool to weed out the crap cars. I still want to go hop in the thing, put her through her paces, and inspect it myself.

ElderJ · 01-18-2020, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatMaro

I think they have to disclose whether or not the car has a Salvage or Rebuilt title.

You may be correct. I'm almost certain that owners/dealers do NOT have to disclose accidents. They're still liable if they sell you a lemon or defective car that could risk your life, but car history isn't required save for what you're mentioning (title status).
I'm no lawyer, so this is all based on experience rather than legal precedence.

01-17-2020, 10:41 PM	#29
bumblebeecamaro Car Lover By Nature Drives: 2016 Hyper Blue Metallic SS Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Central FL Posts: 2,327 View My Garage	Seems like several posts in this thread are pretty much insinuating one must use common sense... And well, if you don't then you shouldn't really complain. Well, I'll say this. Maybe I didn't or don't use my common sense if that makes anyone in this thread feel better about themselves. But my conclusion is this: I'm happy with my new car that looks really nice to me. That's what counts and that's what I'm going with. Any other conclusions can be made at will if need be..... __________________

01-17-2020, 10:47 PM	#30
bumblebeecamaro Car Lover By Nature Drives: 2016 Hyper Blue Metallic SS Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Central FL Posts: 2,327 View My Garage	Here's my recently purchased '16 SS. I traded in my '12 Bumblebee SS after realizing it was going to be a huge money pit.... I love my new car! I got a really sweet deal on the car that only has 25K miles which is obviously very low for a four year old car. The car is in pristine condition.... Attached Images __________________

01-17-2020, 11:43 PM	#31
pnwdan Drives: 2014 2SS/RS Join Date: Jan 2018 Location: Washington Posts: 848	I bought my 14 with a clean car fax.. one owner.. local car.. All service listed on the carfax.. Paint had the usual swirls and minor defects for a used black car but really good considering the color. Basically a unicorn in the Carfax world. Fast forward about 9 months and I get hit in the right quarter panel. Buckled the quarter panel about 5 inches in, chipped the wheel, and bent the control arm a tiny bit. I was hit when getting on the gas so the rear just slid out of the other cars way. Could have been way worse had I been stopped. I got it fixed. No big deal. I had it fixed by a certified GM repair shop in my area that does extremely great work. Removed the quarter panel and replaced with GM sheetmetal. Replaced the wheel and arm. No tweaking needed on the machine. Minor stuff considering. I get the car back. Looks perfect. I decide to run the Carfax a month later. Carfax now says the car has had severe structural damage... for a quarter panel, wheel, and control arm lol. I also then went after the other insurance for diminished value. Had to fight it worse than usual. Turned out the car had been repainted due to being keyed and they claimed the value was already diminished. Shows up when the insurance runs their own report but didnt show on the carfax (by all accounts it should). I ended up getting my diminished value based on the carfax being clean at first and now not and also based on comps available in the area with similar carfax reports. Bottom line.. It's all a joke. The problem is too many people treat it as the end all gospel and really like some have said here, it's just a tool. __________________ 2014 2SS/RS LS3/M6

01-18-2020, 06:41 PM	#33
ElderJ Drives: 2014 Camaro 1LT Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Central Florida Posts: 372	Ha! A lot of CarFax hate in this thread. For one, it's better than nothing. Two, I don't use CarFax to find cars; I use it to weed out cars. Example: I find a nice car online, I'm interested in purchasing it, I run the CarFax to find out that it was used as a Taxi in New York City (true story by the way). So...we pass on that bad boy. Example: I find a nice car online, I'm interested in purchasing it, I run the CarFax to find that it has only had 2 owners, was a lease vehicle, and no reported accidents. So I decide to go look at it. In other words, I don't base my judgment on the CarFax; I just use it as a tool to weed out the crap cars. I still want to go hop in the thing, put her through her paces, and inspect it myself.