Carfax maintenance records

somerset9 · Jun 10, 2018

How important is it to you that a CPO car with a 2 yr/24K warranty has had oil changes at least every 8-9000 miles? I'm looking at a few local options and they're either configurations that I do not like or have a bit of a dodgy ownership history on Carfax.

vj123 · Jun 10, 2018

Vehicle history will be an important factor for me. Personally, i would buy it from a private seller (who has the complete history) than a CPO. If the previous owner was doing his own maintenance (which many people might), you might not see those in Carfax.

Golfs everyday · Jun 10, 2018

My cars will not have much of a CarFax history because I do the maintenance on my own.

If I was going to buy a used car from a dealer then CarFax maintenance history will be important but you all know how botched dealer maintenance can be. I look more for the accident history (which you also need to take with a grain of salt because not all accidents may be reported or updated when you see the report).

BxGTI · Jun 10, 2018

Golfs everyday said:
My cars will not have much of a CarFax history because I do the maintenance on my own.

If I was going to buy a used car from a dealer then CarFax maintenance history will be important but you all know how botched dealer maintenance can be. I look more for the accident history (which you also need to take with a grain of salt because not all accidents may be reported or updated when you see the report).

For the sake of maintenance records you can input the data yourself on myCARFAX app, that’s how I keep my reminders for my next oil change, filters etc.. if ever sell the car everything will be there and in theory should show up on the paid CarFax

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Shane_Anigans · Jun 10, 2018

somerset9 said:
How important is it to you that a CPO car with a 2 yr/24K warranty has had oil changes at least every 8-9000 miles? I'm looking at a few local options and they're either configurations that I do not like or have a bit of a dodgy ownership history on Carfax.

If it's a CPO car, then their ownership history can't be that dodgy. VW (like all other manufacturers) have standards for CPO cars.

Golfs everyday · Jun 10, 2018

BxGTI said:
For the sake of maintenance records you can input the data yourself on myCARFAX app, that’s how I keep my reminders for my next oil change, filters etc.. if ever sell the car everything will be there and in theory should show up on the paid CarFax

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Interesting and now more skeptical about the data if anyone can just upload stuff in there.

BxGTI · Jun 10, 2018

Golfs everyday said:
Interesting and now more skeptical about the data if anyone can just upload stuff in there.

I believe that whatever info you enter is just for your DIY records, I’m not 100% sure that it would affect the oficial data from CarFax

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Shane_Anigans · Jun 10, 2018

The data from Carfax is far from "official" anyway. If a car is taken to a shop that doesn't have an agreement with them, repairs and maintenance services won't be documented. Most dealerships and repair chains automatically upload their records to Carfax, but it is by no means 100% complete or accurate. Even in the case of collision work, if it doesn't get reported to the insurance company, minor damage and repair may not appear on the Carfax report.

southpawboston · Jun 10, 2018

BxGTI said:
I believe that whatever info you enter is just for your DIY records, I’m not 100% sure that it would affect the oficial data from CarFax

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It doesn't affect the official data, it's only for your own viewing through your account. It doesn't follow the car.

cb1111 · Jun 10, 2018

On a used car - unless you have the physical work orders in front of you (or a printout from the dealer) - then you must assume that maintenance was done, at best, on schedule.

Doing stuff roughly on schedule is great. There is enough leeway built in that you can skip a service without doing any damage.

CARFAX is really only good to verify that there was an accident. The lack of an accident on Carfax doesn't mean there wasn't one. I just checked the Carfax for my old TSX wagon that was rear-ended in 2013 to the point where is was effectively totaled (at least for me - the insurance company fixed it and I traded it a week after it was fixed) and where CARMAX offered me $10k under the appraised value and about $5k less than I got on trade from the dealer. The car had a bent frame but it still shows up as clean on CARFAX.

The Fed · Jun 29, 2018

CB1111 said:
On a used car - unless you have the physical work orders in front of you (or a printout from the dealer) - then you must assume that maintenance was done, at best, on schedule.

Doing stuff roughly on schedule is great. There is enough leeway built in that you can skip a service without doing any damage.

CARFAX is really only good to verify that there was an accident. The lack of an accident on Carfax doesn't mean there wasn't one. I just checked the Carfax for my old TSX wagon that was rear-ended in 2013 to the point where is was effectively totaled (at least for me - the insurance company fixed it and I traded it a week after it was fixed) and where CARMAX offered me $10k under the appraised value and about $5k less than I got on trade from the dealer. The car had a bent frame but it still shows up as clean on CARFAX.

I'm not sure, but I think Carfax pulls from CLUE not body shops or insurance companies.

Carfax maintenance records

somerset9

Go Kart Newbie

vj123

Autocross Newbie

Golfs everyday

Autocross Newbie

BxGTI

Go Kart Champion

Shane_Anigans

Drag Race Newbie

Golfs everyday

Autocross Newbie

BxGTI

Go Kart Champion

Shane_Anigans

Drag Race Newbie

southpawboston

Drag Racing Champion

cb1111

Newbie

The Fed

Old Guys Rule