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Where can get a valid, real Carfax???

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Old 01-06-2019, 12:48 AM
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ocmacman
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Default Where can get a valid, real Carfax???

Hi, I was trying to get a vehicle report from some of the vehicle report companies. What a damn scam these things are. I tried Vincheck and that was a joke. Just gave me a report that said..."yes damage check" and didn't give me any info. I tried Carfax and they tried to charge me 99.00 for 6 reports! gee wtf. Anyone used something that is legit?
Old 01-06-2019, 01:03 AM
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TheOtherEric
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Just buy 1 report from carFax. It's what like $30?
Old 01-06-2019, 11:05 AM
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pp000830
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Don't rely on Carfax for much insight other than salvage title in history as a 993 is a 20-year-old car that in most cases gets any service and repair from independent shops that don't report their work. A good body shop can identify bodywork easily and a test drive by a Rennlist member who knows how the car should drive and feel is the best indicator of overall condition.
Old 01-06-2019, 11:49 AM
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Chuck W.
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I have to agree with you.... it is getting very pricey. I have a AAA Premier Card and with that I can get one free CARFAX report each year and my wife (also has a Premier card) can get one too. They also offer Premier members a 40% discount on additional reports. If you have a Classic or Plus AAA card they offer a 20% discount but no free reports.
Old 01-06-2019, 01:38 PM
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fsa
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CarFax is not ironclad, beware, as has been written here. I had a '94 ZR1 that was smashed in the front, took almost a year to make operational, should have been declared salvage and a total loss. Other party's State Farm paid everything, Portland Police report, my USAA knew about all of this.
And, NOTHING appeared about this on CarFax when it was sold.
Old 01-06-2019, 02:40 PM
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HalfGerman
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Don't take carfax as 100% accurate. Had a car I bought with known damage, owner disclosed it and it showed up on the Carfax report. When I went to sell the car 4 years later the date changed and it made it look like the accident happened while I owned it.
Never noticed it as you don't usually run a report on a car you already own.
Old 01-06-2019, 03:30 PM
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ocmacman
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I didn't know that. I have the premiere AAA membership. I'll check into this.
Old 01-06-2019, 04:56 PM
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wallra
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I was going to say don't believe every thing you read on Carfax.
Old 01-06-2019, 05:01 PM
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LexVan
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Load the free MyCarFax app on your smartphone. Run the VIN or current plate #. You can get a lot of info for free. May be enough for your purpose, especially for a car to make an easy pass on with accident history (but no detail).
Old 01-06-2019, 06:07 PM
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IXLR8
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Valid? No such thing!

But I did get a CarFax on the 2015 GTS I just bought, more for the fun of it. Other than that, they only provide what they know about.

The car had a mere 101 miles on it and it was CPO'd, so I wasn't too worried.

I did run my Defelsko paint thickness gauge on it and connected my laptop and Durametric to it. All checked out 100%.

Maybe invest in some tools and do your own checks.
Old 01-06-2019, 09:14 PM
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centerpunch
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Although they are admittedly imperfect, I always make sure the current carfax is clear before buying a used car.

You do not want to learn it has a bad carfax history X years in the future when you are trying to sell it!
Old 01-07-2019, 03:02 AM
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evilfij
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Worth it to get both carfax and autocheck. They may miss some things, but better than nothing and obviously do your own inspection and/or have someone who knows what they are doing look at the car. There are very very few cars that have had paint work or damage I can’t detect.
Old 01-07-2019, 03:07 PM
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ilko
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+1 on Carfax AND Autocheck. I looked at a car once that had accident damage reported to Carfax. The Autocheck on the other hand didn't mention that accident but showed a salvage title from a different incident. Called the local DMV and sure enough, the car was marked as a total loss at one point. Both of those together would cost you under $100 and give you a peace of mind.

That said a thorough PPI is a must regardless. I was looking at a white factory non-sunroof 993 a couple of years ago that had no accident damage reported but the PPI revealed major damage to the front that was repaired poorly. Further investigation uncovered that a previous owner paid for the repairs out of pocket and obviously did it on the cheap...
Old 01-07-2019, 03:14 PM
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rg0115
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PM me the VIN and i can run you an Experian Vehicle check. It pulls the data from the same place as Carfax and autocheck. We use it for insurance claims.
Old 01-08-2019, 12:47 PM
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abiazis
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Car fax can have errors.....not foolproof and can be altered by a dealer


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