carfax pleas

After seeing your post that the car is on a dealer's lot it is a no brainer for them to pull a carfax for you. I haven't seen a dealer that doesn't subscribe to carfax. Now, FWIW- Carfax does not guarantee there isn't something major wrong with the car. If an independent garage has done service on it the only way it will show up is if they enter the VIN # and update the car's history. Not likely to happen. If it has been submerged in a flood, rebuilt from an accident or anything where an insurance claim has been paid it will? show up. If it has been serviced at a dealer it may show up.

How do I know this? I bought a lemon because I believed the Carfax report. The best way to minimize your chances of buying one is to have a qualified technician go over the car. Check compression, pull wheels to check the brakes, look for damage underneath and signs of leaks. Pressurize the coolant system and make sure it doesn't leak. Check the coolant for signs of oil and conversely check the oil for coolant. Look for body panel replacements. Make sure it isn't bent so bad it dog tracks down the street. Yeah, it costs more than a carfax; maybe three to six times as much. But, as another poster has said, it may save you from a major headache.

Reply to
Anyolmouse
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IMO, the Carfax thing is good for the dealer. He may know the car is a lemon, but if it does not show upon the list, he has a winner to sell. I'm not willing to invest $30, but I'd bet my eight year old LeSabre will not show any problems even though it has had many. Why no show? Most service is done by local shops, not the dealer. AFAIK, none does any reporting. Carfax is a good idea that cannot work well. If anyone things I'm wrong, I'll give you the VIN and after the report, the list of problems and repairs.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

IMHO, the entire CarFax thing is a huge crock. I saw someone advertising to run a CarFax for $5 a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to run through 2 of my vehicles. The Trans Am came up clean, but the '97 Bonneville came up as having been in two pervious accidents. What are the details? The dates, that's it. Doesn't say what type of accident, how much damage, what damage, nothing. Just the dates they happened. So, a headlight lens could have been smashed, and someone put it through there insurance, or the front of the car could have been smashed in, but not enough to write it off. The car has been looked over thoroughly several times, so I know if there was significant damage, it was repaired very well, but still. Plus, like you said Ed, if either of those accidents were done at a normal shop that doesn't report it, it wouldn't show up at all. I totally agree with "Anyolmouse". If you are concerned, have a trusted mechanic look it over stem to stern, don't trust a company who has never even seen the vehicle.

Reply to
80 Knight

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