In most US states, CARFAX receives vehicle incident information when an official police report is filed. However, not all incidents are reported to the police. Depending on the requirements of a particular state for reporting incidents, the level of detail in reports varies from state to state.
Occurs when the driver, passenger, or side airbag deploys during a collision or other incident. If an airbag deploys, it must be replaced by qualified technicians. Before buying such a car, it is necessary to check it in detail with a competent mechanic. CARFAX has recently started recording airbag deployments. For more information on how to check if the airbags are working, see the “Airbags” section.
Auto auctions report odometer (mileage) information to the CARFAX database on cars that are bought and sold at auction. More than 30% of cars sold by dealers were bought by them at auto auctions.
Vehicles sold to car dealerships are often fully covered by insurance companies. Most of these vehicles are
converted and sold as complete vehicles
dismantled and sold by parts
destroyed and sold for scrap
It is worth noting that cars that do not have a history of damage recorded in CARFAX also fall into disassembly.
The vehicle is delayed at customs if, during its registration, the owner cannot prove that the vehicle belongs to him. This CARFAX entry will remain for three years or until the vehicle is deregistered in that state.
The vehicle was previously registered (obtained by Title) outside of the United States and may not meet US safety and emissions standards.
If the value of the damaged vehicle plus the cost of repairing it exceeds the estimated value of that vehicle before the damage, then the insurance company declares a “total loss of the vehicle”. Canadian cars declared completely lost require a thorough technical inspection before they can get back on the road.
Many manufacturers have certified programs that advertise used vehicles that meet the manufacturer’s high standards. Different programs have different certification processes.
Such factories specialize in the restoration of vehicles damaged in road accidents or other accidents. CARFAX would like to point out that a complete inspection of this vehicle by your dealer or professional mechanic is required.
The vehicle has been registered for commercial use.
Vehicles that are used in crash tests must be sold for scrapping. The organizations that test these vehicles report these vehicles to CARFAX so they never hit the road.
A speculator here is a private person who buys cars in quantities that require a dealer license and then acts as a private seller with the intent to sell to unsuspecting buyers for a handsome profit. Speculation is illegal in most states. CARFAX analyzes individual events in a vehicle’s history to determine if the vehicle was sold by scalpers. For example, a car that was sold at auction, but did not receive a title within a specified period of time, raises suspicion.
When the owner reports to CARFAX or the DMV that the car has been damaged. The level of damage can vary from small to large. CARFAX recommends that you have this vehicle inspected.
Refers to the date the CARFAX entry was made.
Dealer service companies assist auto dealers in managing their physical assets. These companies provide information services in the areas of mass marketing, service notification, labeling and advertising. Not all service companies
One or more critical components of the vehicle have been severely damaged and the cost of repairing the vehicle to ensure safe operation exceeds its market value. When you see this entry in CARFAX, it means that the car can only be used as parts or scrap metal. It is impossible to remove this entry from the history of the car and return it to the roads.
A car with a 5-digit odometer (odometer) cannot accurately track mileage past 99,999 miles because the odometer resets to zero. This record is issued by CARFAX when the seller files a Federal Odometer Act stating that the reading has exceeded the odometer’s mechanical limits.
In most states, the law requires owners of vehicles under 10 years old to report odometer (mileage) readings. Cars older than 10 years are often exempt from this requirement and their owners are not required to report mileage.
An emissions test carried out during the inspection of the vehicle showed that the vehicle emits more harmful substances than the standards allow and / or contains modified parts or they are completely absent. Repeated emissions inspection failures may indicate that the vehicle has engine problems and CARFAX recommends that the vehicle be thoroughly inspected.
The Federal Odometer Condition Act requires the seller to report the mileage for the Title when ownership of the car is transferred. This law was passed by Congress to prohibit tampering with the odometer and protect buyers from mileage fraud. In accordance with this act, sellers are required to disclose all information related to the odometer (mileage) of the car. This CARFAX information pertains to Mechanical Limit Exceeds and Incorrect Mileage Readings.
CARFAX receives fire damage information from most US jurisdictions. These messages are taken from the reports of the fire departments.
This entry appears in CARFAX when the first owner receives the Title from the DMV (Motor Vehicle Management Department) as proof of ownership.
Fleet management companies manage, insure, maintain and repair corporate and government fleet vehicles. These companies are usually insured. Some fleet management companies provide CARFAX with information about repairs and damage to their vehicles.
The car is registered or sold to a company that manages fleet vehicles.
The state issues flood records when a vehicle is in a flood zone or receives extensive water damage.
In most cases, the vehicle is checked for damage to the body frame after accidents or other incidents. Any accident, from small to large, can cause damage to the body frame, which in most cases can be repaired. CARFAX recommends checking the body frame before purchasing such a vehicle.
CARFAX reports reflect important information in the “Important Comments” column of the “Detailed Vehicle History” section. Comments differ depending on the information provided by the source.
The vehicle was previously registered (obtained by Title) outside of the United States and may not meet US safety and emissions standards.
An environmental pollutant is a vehicle that not only fails an emission inspection, but exceeds the regulations by 18 times or more. In California, the use and sale of such a vehicle is illegal and cannot be registered with the DMV (Motor Vehicle). CARFAX recommends that you check the latest vehicle inspection reports to ensure that any problems have been corrected.
The vehicle was severely damaged in a hailstorm. In most states, such a record is issued when the cost of restoring a car after a hailstorm to its safe operation exceeds the market value. CARFAX recommends that this vehicle be further inspected.
CARFAX receives data from thousands of information sources. Read more about these sources in the CARFAX Information Sources section.
Many states and countries require emissions testing every year or every two years. During such an inspection, the odometer (mileage) readings are also recorded.
a car receives such a record if the repair of the damage exceeds 75% of the value of that car before the damage. This percentage may vary from state to state. Mostly in the states, this entry is used to indicate a car that is not worthy of American roads. Some states equate this entry with the write-off entry.
When someone buys a car on lease (credit) from a dealer, the dealer is actually selling the car to the leasing company. After that, the leasing company accepts payments for the car from the new owner for 24, 36, 48 or more months. The leasing company can be an independent auto dealer or auto manufacturer.
Record Lemon receives a vehicle with serious problems, which was bought by the manufacturer. The government issues official bulletins with a list of cars to be returned to the manufacturer. Each state has different requirements for this status. Most manufacturers are not recalling their vehicles because of such a record.
LienA lien is an owner’s right to a piece of property. When a financial institution lends money to buy a car, it is entitled to part of that vehicle (as collateral).
LoanA loan is the receipt of money from a financial or other institution with an agreement to pay back the full amount plus interest after a certain time. Loans are usually secured by personal property such as a car or house. Until the debt is repaid, the lender has a lien on this property and can receive it if the conditions for repaying the loan are not met.
The vehicle was severely damaged in the fire. In most cases, such a record is issued if the cost of repairing the machine exceeds its original cost.
When three or more major parts of a car are taken out of an auto disassembly.
This record is issued by a state agency or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) when the vehicle is purchased by the manufacturer.
Auto manufacturers issue recall bulletins to inform car owners about the presence of defects in the car that were discovered by the manufacturer. Reviews can also refer to improvements that can be made to improve the safety of a particular vehicle. Most manufacturer reviews will be fixed for you free of charge.
These are cars that are sold directly by manufacturers. These cars are usually only available to auto dealers at special auctions. Usually such cars are registered in leasing or as rental vehicles.
Auto manufacturers provide recommended maintenance lists for each model. These lists inform car owners about what maintenance needs to be done after a certain mileage. These lists can be found in the user manual.
When the later odometer reading is less than the earlier one. But CARFAX asks you to pay attention that it is impossible to determine for sure whether this is evidence of a rollback of the mileage or a mistake of the officials who filled out the documents. In this case, check the mileage with your dealer or a qualified technician.
The vehicle management department registers cars for owners, and also issues titles. Any entry or registration found on a CARFAX report does not necessarily indicate a change in ownership. New entries or registrations may appear in the report in the event of a change in name, address or leasing company; type of ownership; car status; registration activity; PTS correction; loss records.
This is a non-profit organization whose job is to fight unscrupulous insurers and car owners who organize
When a car is sold to a new owner, the title must also be handed over to him at the vehicle department.
The vehicle is registered with a non-profit agency.
When the seller signs the certificate, according to the act of odometer readings, that the mileage reading is not true. This can happen if the odometer is twisted, broken or replaced.
The Oficina Coordinadora De Riesgos Asegurados S.C. (OCRA) is a Mexican non-profit corporation created to prevent car theft in order to deceive insurance companies (or in conjunction with them). It manages and controls databases of stolen and exported vehicles. OCRA provides information to CARFAX so that users can better understand the history of their vehicle.
If the recent mileage reading is less than the later one, then it is possible that the mileage has been twisted. CARFAX analyzes the mileage history and the sources of this information to report a possible mileage rollback problem.
CARFAX defines an owner as the individual or company that uses the vehicle. Not all entries in the report indicate a change in ownership. In order to tell you the most accurate number of owners, CARFAX technology analyzes all events in the report. Approximate ownership history is available for vehicles after 1994 and registered in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is common for dealers to register as vehicle owners, and in states such as Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota, this is mandatory. Please keep this in mind when looking into ownership history.
The vehicle is registered by the owner for personal use.
This is a retired car that has been restored. Such machines very often have numerous damages before restoration and are restored using old parts. Most states require these vehicles to be inspected before they are allowed on the road.
When a vehicle is moved from one state to another without changing ownership.
The vehicle is registered with a car rental agency.
This happens when the owner of a car bought on credit does not pay money and the title is held by a credit institution.
Most of the cars sold at this auction are declared completely lost by the insurance companies. Most of these cars were heavily damaged, but there are exceptions. For example, recovered stolen cars are often reported as completely lost regardless of the damage. “Kulibins” and auto dismantlers are happy to buy these cars at auctions in order to remake or disassemble for spare parts. CARFAX recommends that these vehicles be closely inspected.
Such a record is assigned to the car if the cost of its repair exceeds 75% of the original cost. This percentage may vary from state to state. Some states equate this entry with a Junk entry. The following states also use this notation for stolen cars: AZ, FL, GA, IL, MD, MN, NJ, NM, NY, OK, and OR.
The vehicle has been scrapped, destroyed and should not be returned to the roads.
These companies are expanding warranty plans for buyers of new and used cars as insurance against mechanical breakdowns. These companies transmit information when a contract is signed or when they pay money for repairs. Not all companies report information to CARFAX.
A vehicle is declared stolen when it is reported to the state’s DMV or insurance company. It is very important to check the status of a stolen vehicle with NICB before purchasing to protect yourself. Buying a stolen car, you risk losing it without compensation.
The car is registered as a taxi or rental car.
A title is created to provide the owner with proof of ownership. Each PTS has a unique number. Any entry or registration with CARFAX does not necessarily mean a change in ownership. In Canada, the proof of ownership is a registration and a sales invoice.
An insurance firm or fleet management company declares a total loss of a car if the cost of restoration exceeds 75% or the car is stolen. This percentage varies from company to company. Not always completely lost vehicles are those reported by the DMV (Motor Vehicles). This occurs when the company’s definition of total loss differs from that of the DMV.
The U.S. The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) of 1994 is a law that restricts the use of personal information such as name and address for certain purposes. Therefore, it is CARFAX policy to report cars, not people.
This 17 digit number is unique to each machine. It defines the characteristics of the machine, including the manufacturer, year, model, body, engine, and serial number. This number is searched in the CARFAX database.
The car could be bought by the manufacturer. Manufacturers often buy cars back from the owner if there is too much trouble or to please the customer.
Some companies provide CARFAX with data about their fleet. To reveal the true condition of the car, these companies sometimes sell damaged cars from their fleets instead of repairing them themselves.
Mileage twisting was reported and this fact was verified by government agencies.