Elmiko

Anyone else have a problem like this? I bought my '87 S4 in 2007. Clean Massachusetts title, no problems indicated on CarFax or Auto Check reports. In the years since, I've virtually been over every inch of the car over the past 10 years, and have never seen anything that made me wonder if it had even had a minor accident. I'm in the process of selling it now, and the prospective buyer ran a CarFax yesterday. The report now has an extra entry it didn't have in 2007, a total loss declaration by an insurance company back in 1995. I could understand it if the alleged incident had occurred a year before I ran the 2007 CarFax, but suddenly appearing over 12 years later? I've taken the car to a body shop I know near me and asked them to inspect it for evidence of severe damage and/or rebuilding. I feel like a complete idiot, both for representing the car as being in pristine condition, and perhaps for being a victim myself. If it had been in Alabama or another state with lax title laws, I'd suspect title washing, but the car had always been registered in Massachusetts, and I suspect that they have long had strict regulations regarding salvage titles. Has anyone here faced a similar situation?

XS29L9B

First, you didn't give the results of the inspection from the body shop, but that's fine. "Total loss" can take many shapes, including flood, fire, or other damage.

Speedtoys

Carfax is NOT an accurate picture.

It's only a record of what an insurance company may have reported publicly.

And that data could have taken years to get out.

Imo000

It could have been stolen and recovered after it was paid out OR the buyer manufactured a CrFaz report that shows the total loss to loser the price. OR screw up somehwere in the system.

GuardsTurbo

This happened a few years ago to me when I went to sell my BMW 745li. The car was in amazing shape and had a clean carfax when I bought it. My buyer ran the carfax and it came up as a lemon law buyback, I was completely shocked and also felt like an idiot because I misrepresented the car. I apologized to him and said I completely understand if he didn't want the car, but he still bought it. I don't know what to think in that kid of situation, scam?

linderpat

It is the dealers who report to carfax. If the work was not done at a dealership, then no report would be made. Insurance companies do not generally report. None of mine ever have.

Also, understand that carfx is a marketing tool - not a research tool. Way to sloppy with reporting from all of the different sources that could report. Indy shops where most work is done do not report. (although some might).

I'm guessing that in your case, the carfax is just plain in error. Have no idea how to correct it either.

Bigfoot928

A little over a year ago, I was looking at a car. The dealer gave me a Dr'd up carfax and I pulled my own just to verify. The car was a theft recovery so I passed on it. It is not that hard for someone to modify the Carfax report and then print it up or email it to someone. I usually print up the carfax on any car that I buy and put it in the folder with the other paperwork, especially on daily drivers knowing that I will only have it 3-4 years max.

djantlive

Just drive it and when it is time to sell, trade it. You can contact the shop that reports the total loss to see if they can provide you with a work order of what's done.

theporscheguy

I have had a few friends that have challenged noted information and had it changed however each situation is unique. I would do a little more research before assuming the report is accurate. Yes knowing the outcome of your recent inspection, if you care to disclose, would be of benefit.

Red Flash

Well, Carfax does somehow serve a purpose, but not always maybe the best indicator.

I bought my car in 2011. After I bought it, I ran a Carfax for fun and I found out that it had been reigsterd in like 10 different states!

Had I know that earlier, I probably would not have bought the car, which would have been ashame, because it's a real keeper...

rnixon

Have you asked CarFax about this? I'd want an explanation, and possibly more, from them.

Elmiko

I logged onto carfax and ordered the report on my car and it does show the addition of the insurance loss in 1995, so my buyer definitely is not trying to scam me. Regarding the comment about dealers being the ones who do the reporting, my 2003 911 had an IMS bearing failure in 2007 while still in the possession of the first owner. The engine was replaced by a major Porsche dealer here in New Jersey. It has never showed on carfax. When I had a PPI done, the shop told me that the engine serial number did not match. I contacted the dealer and they gave me the service record. This one worked in my favor-I bought a 911 with only 28,000 miles on the odometer but less than 10,000 on the engine. And, it was a later model engine with the larger IMS bearing.

Mark R.

So your buyer is not trying to scam you, but it may still be a Carfax error.

Did you happen to keep a hard copy of the Carfax report you ran back in 2007?
If so, you could use that to approach Carfax to inquire about this.

Was your body shop able to discover any evidence of a major repair?
Does the new Carfax give any information about the type of total loss (the cause)?

You could also run another AutoCheck report to see if it concurs (now shows it too).
That would tell you if it's a delayed reporting issue, and not a Carfax error.