That is the question.Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
You may feel as conflicted about buying your next car, as Hamlet did about life. Not to diminish the struggles of life but buying a car can be stressful for some.
I am always talking to people about CarFax reports, especially as a guide to buying a car. Generally most everyone I talk to believes that if a car has a clean CarFax, it is a good car. This is just simply not the case. CarFax reports are a tool to be used to judge the story the seller is telling, they are not the answer to the story.
CarFax uses data from state Divisions of Motor Vehicles, insurance industry databases, dealership service records, etc. to generate a history of a car's life. The information is only as good as what is reported.Consider the millions of vehicles that are owned by private individuals or especially corporations/fleets who are self-insured or only carry liability insurance. If that vehicle is sent to the junkyard by its owner (And not paid off, or "Total loss" by an insurance carrier)it will still have a "clear" title. Many auto salvage yards also carry state-issued used motor vehicle dealers' licenses, which allows them to resell the car with a clean title like any other dealer could do. I have seen many cars which would have been "Totaled" by insurance, then sold privately and rebuilt with clean titles, and therefore a clean CarFax.
It is also possible that a car may be sold privately to a re-seller who does not transfer the title into their name. This is called "Jumping" titles and is actually a form of tax fraud. It also does not leave a trace for CarFax to pick up in the databases, and it may look like a car hasn't had as many owners as it really has.
Unscrupulous dealers may take a car in as trade or purchase that has high miles. They are supposed to report the accurate mileage when the title is transferred to the dealership. However, they have some time before they are required to do this, and some dealerships will tamper with the odometer, or replace the entire odometer with one from a low-mileage wrecked identical car, then register that new, lower mileage on the title at the state motor vehicles title division. For example: Sally Smith trades in her 1998 Toyota Corolla at WAY LOW Auto Sales. She bought the car used with 21,000 miles on the odometer, and this is on the title. Hannah drives a lot for her job as a pharmaceutical representative. Her car now has 143,000 miles on the odometer. After Sally leaves the car, WAY LOW Auto Sales locates a wrecked 1998 Corolla with only 68,000 miles and buys the gauge cluster from the car, replacing the cluster in Sally's old car. Since Sally bought the car with 21,000 miles on it, and the dealership registers the title as having 68,000 miles on it, and CarFax won't catch that. Since the car was used for mostly freeway miles and Sally took care of it, it would LOOK like a lower mileage car. Once the car is dealership-detailed the car, it would be very impossible for a buyer to discover this fraud ever happened. WAY LOW Auto Sales just added $thousands to the value of this car for the price of a $50 instrument cluster.
How can you protect yourself? Firstly, look at the entire story and read between the lines. Examine commonly replaced items. If the car is only 4 years old and only has 30,000 miles on it, should it have four new tires, a new water pump and a new battery? Often, date codes from items like batteries and tires can tell the truth of when they were REALLY installed.
Second, most manufacturers label the car's parts at the factory. Fenders, hoods, doors, bumpers, all have stickers or stamps permanently attached that have the car's serial number. Hoods also often have a sticker that lists the emissions control information, air-conditioner service information, or air-bag warnings. If you see those stickers are not there, odds are the car has had collision parts replaced. If you see dealership service parts decals, like "GM CERTIFIED REPLACEMENT", you also know it's had parts changed.
Third, have a qualified mechanic inspect the car prior to purchase. The prospective buyer would pay for this and an honest seller would have no problem allowing a car to be inspected before the sale. If they don't want to do this, find another car. A good mechanic will charge $100 or so and spend about a half hour to an hour looking over the car. If possible, watch while the mechanic looks the car over and ask questions.
Fourth, only buy from someone you would trust. Unfortunately there are disreputable dealers and shady private sellers are out there. You can usually spot them by asking good questions. How long have you owned the car? Who did you by it from? Why are you selling it? What work has been done on it? Then confirm your answers with the paperwork. People who are taking good care of their cars keep paperwork. They have service receipts, owner's manuals, even window stickers. Don't believe the car just had a major service performed unless you can confirm it with the records. If the owner can't find oil-change, or service record receipts to prove major servicing, assume they don't exist or look for evidence of it.
Lastly, know what the model and year the car you are buying is actually worth, with the options, and what those cars are being advertised for near you. Then when you see what you want, you can look at the car objectively: Why is this dealer selling a 5-year-old Chevy for $3500 under blue-book value? Are there a lot of similar cars on the market or on his lot? Or is it one he wants to get rid of? You have to figure that out.
One more important factor to consider... how many of us have backed into something or someone in a parking lot, or nudged someone at a stop? The police are called, insurance claims are submitted, and yes it will hit the Carfax. If you investigate a car that shows an accident and can establish using these same techniques the extent of damage and quality of repair, you can save $1,000's. This may prove favorable BUT, INVESTIGATE THOROUGHLY or have a professional do it for you. I've see many cars with accidents showing on a Crafax in much better condition that so called "Clean Carfax" automobiles and over time, the depreciated value can largely diminished.
Now the best and most easy way to be sure your getting a great value for a fair price, call or come see us at Draper Auto LLC. Every automobile we sell has been meticulously inspected for damage, mechanical issues and are up to date in service. Don't settle for a car that doesn't have what you want. If we don't have it, we will get it for you!
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