Carfax is only as good as what's reported to them. They data mine the insurance companies, state DMVs and manufacturer warranty records to generate their reports. Unfortunately, there's plenty of shady types out there who will do their best to cover their tracks and that's where Carfax is useless.
I saw one truck which sustained major damage while on a car carrier. The truck driver was already on probation with the truck line and would have lost his job if it were reported. He dropped the truck off at a body shop which repaired it at his expense and they did a damn good job, too. He then loaded it back up and delivered it as new. It went through PDI with no red flags being raised. The truck was sold, the new owner was installing speakers in the front doors and found evidence of the bodywork. Guess who got stuck with it after it was sold and the damage was discovered? Yup.
ShadowSix wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:
spitfirebill wrote:
ShadowSix wrote:
In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:
Not necessarily true, in Ohio if a car is forfeited to a towing company it gets a salvage title. I currently have a '91 Accord that got a salvage title this way. I'm sure this only happens with older cars though, I can't see anyone forfeiting a $10,000 car.
Here (SC) you don't get a salvage title. I just don't recall what its called.
Um, disagree.
I don't think he meant that there's no such thing as a salvage title in SC, I think he just meant that in cases like mine (un-damaged car was forfeited to towing company) the title they give you in SC is not called a salvage title.
That would be nice because there is a significant slice of the population who are knowledgeable enough to know what a salvage title usually means (a car that was crashed, totalled, and repaired) but ignorant enough to automatically avoid ANY salvage titled car.
Exactly what I meant. I had a chance to buy a 1980 Spitfire from a towing money that had got a lien on it for storage. It was going to be a legitimate title. Yes I know the SC does have salvage titles for wrecked cars.
Which reminds me, the Spitfire had been rolled, that's why it was towed. But the damage was minimal if you can believe that. dent on fender and bent windshield frame I guess the kid didn't have insurance or this car would likely have been totaled due to the windshield damage. The car was $100. I wanted it for the OD transmission, but it would crank and run, although badly. Even had a weber DD card.
a few things
1. Carfax is a joke. Experian's autocheck comes up with much more info.
2. My old van was "totaled" by the other person's insurance. I "bought" it back from them. My title was never surrendered nor marked because in WI they don't brand titles on cars over 7 yrs old apparently. Sold it that way, yes I disclosed the accident to the buyer since it hadn't been repaired it was obvious, but minor.
3. We are friendly with a junk car buyer. A few years ago he picked up a couple of convertible 3rd gen camaros. he gave us one RS to rebuild the Z. we ended up just buying new pieces for the Z and left the undamaged RS intact, we got to keep the RS however it got a salvage title because that was its intended purpose, to be junked. we ended up having to drive it to get it inspected and still got a branded title even though it was not even scratched when we got it (still have it)
