Where Does Carfax Get Its Vehicle Information? And How do they [Search] for Accidents?

What is Carfax?

Carfax is a company that provides web-based vehicle history reports.

The reports include information about the owners, maintenance, accidents, and other events affecting the value and operability of a vehicle. Carfax has compiled the world’s most comprehensive database of vehicle history since 1984, giving buyers an in-depth insight into used vehicles. Carfax Canada offers these web-based reports to Canadians through its Canadian version.

What Types of Vehicle Information Does Carfax Provide?

1. Vehicle history reports

Carfax provides two types of vehicle history reports: a free Vehicle History Report and a paid Plus or Deluxe Report. The free report includes information such as odometer readings, title information, accident records and maintenance history. The Plus or Deluxe Report goes further by providing additional details such as prior owners’ names and addresses, service records and recall information. Additionally, both reports provide an estimate of the vehicle’s value based on its mileage and condition.

2. Vehicle title history

Carfax provides vehicle title history information that includes:

– Title information: This includes the current title status, previous titles, and any liens or other encumbrances on the vehicle.

– Previous damage and odometer readings: This section provides details about previous accidents and any significant mileage discrepancies.

– Maintenance records: Carfax provides information about when maintenance was last performed on the vehicle as well as any relevant diagnostic codes that may need to be addressed by a mechanic.

– Odometer reading: The current odometer reading is listed along with a breakdown of miles driven since its last inspection or major repair job.

3. Insurance history

1. To access the additional history section of a CarFax report, you must first sign up for a free account.

2. Once you have an account, you can search for the vehicle you’re interested in and view its full history report.

3. The insurance history section will provide details about any total losses, structural damages, airbag deployments, odometer checks, accidents reported by owners or insurers and recalls from manufacturers associated with the vehicle in question (as applicable).

4. You can also assess the severity of any damage that has occurred over time by viewing photos of where it occurred and how it was repaired (if applicable).

4. Crash reports

Carfax provides a variety of crash report types, including:

– Declaration of total loss: A declaration that the vehicle is a total loss due to damage or other issues.

– Structural damages: Damage to the structure of the vehicle, such as frame or body damage.

– Airbag deployment: An airbag deployment can indicate significant impact force and potential injury risk for passengers in the vehicle.

– Odometer check: An odometer check indicates that an owner may have tampered with or obscured their car’s mileage reading.

– Accidents and other damages: Any reported accidents or other damages not related to structural damage or airbag deployment issues.

– Recalls from manufacturer: Recalls issued by manufacturers related to safety issues with specific vehicles can be found on Carfax reports as well as information about when they were issued and what repairs need to be done immediately if applicable..

5. Vehicle configuration info

Carfax provides a variety of vehicle configuration information, including:

– Odometer Reading: The current reading of the vehicle’s odometer.

– Title Type: The type of title issued for the vehicle, such as private or salvage title.

– Number of Owners: The number of people who have owned the vehicle since it was manufactured.

– Maintenance Records: Details on any maintenance that has been done on the car, such as oil changes and tire rotations.

– Accident History: Any accidents that have been reported involving this vehicle in the past (with details about severity).

6. Vehicle maintenance records

Carfax provides a variety of vehicle maintenance records, such as tire rotations, brake rotor replacements, transmission replacements, safety inspections and oil changes. Carfax reports may also include records of work done by previous owners or dealerships in order to better inform buyers about the history of a vehicle.

7. Emissions inspections

Carfax provides several types of emissions inspections, including:

– Vehicle registration renewals: This type of inspection reports on when a vehicle’s registration needs to be renewed.

– Accidents by owner: This section lists any accidents that have been reported by the car’s owner.

– Where events occurred: The detailed history section can provide information on where any emissions inspections, sales, and other events took place.

8. Odometer records

Carfax provides a variety of odometer records, including:

– Last Reported Odometer Reading: The last reported odometer reading as reported through Carfax’s sources. This can help detect rollback fraud, or odometer fraud, when the seller sets the odometer back to fetch a higher price for the vehicle.

– Ownership History: Information on how many owners the vehicle has had, when it was purchased and registered, and length of ownership. This helps you determine whether there have been any suspicious changes in mileage over time.

9. Manufacturer recalls

Carfax provides information on two types of manufacturer recalls: safety recalls and non-safety recalls. Safety recalls are issued to address a potential safety hazard with the vehicle, while non-safety recalls are issued for other issues such as defective parts or software updates. Carfax provides details about each recall including the date it was issued, what vehicles are affected, what needs to be done to correct the problem, and any relevant contact information for the dealership or manufacturer.

10. Safety recalls

Carfax provides information on several types of safety recalls, including:

• Airbag Recall: A recall on the airbag system that may cause it to fail during deployment.

• Brake Recall: A recall on the brake system due to a defect that could lead to adverse effects while braking.

• Electrical System Recall: A recall on any electrical components in the vehicle that may be prone to failure and cause safety issues for occupants.

• Engine Fire Recall: A recall on an engine fire risk caused by an engine part malfunctioning or failing over time.

• Fuel System Recall: A recall on any fuel system parts in the vehicle that could lead to a potential fire hazard if not repaired properly.

Where Does Carfax get its Vehicle Information?

Carfax gets its vehicle information from over 131,000 state vehicle bureaus, automotive auctions, insurance companies, vehicle repair and service businesses, rental agencies, inspection agencies and other sources throughout the United States and Canada.

How does Carfax Search for Accidents?

1. Carfax collects data from U.S. motor vehicle agencies, police departments, fire departments, collision repair centers, auto auctioneers and other sources for its vehicle history database.

2. Each report relies on data reported to Carfax for a unique 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) which includes information about a car’s history.

3. To search for accidents recorded in the VIN database, Carfax can use various criteria such as make/model/year of the vehicle or specific accident types like frontal impact or rollover crash events among others..

4 . Once an appropriate query is entered into the system , it will reveal any accidents that have been reported associated with that particular VIN number .