You found the car. You ran the VIN. The CARFAX came back clean: no accidents, no rollback, no problems reported. So can you believe it?
Here is the short answer. A CARFAX report is usually accurate about what it was told. The real question is what it was never told. And the report says so itself.
What CARFAX says about its own report
Read to the bottom of a CARFAX report and you will find this. The report "is based only on information supplied to CARFAX." Then: "Other information about this vehicle, including problems, may not have been reported to CARFAX. Use this report as one important tool, along with a vehicle inspection and test drive, to make a better decision about your next used car."
Next to the accident section, the report adds one more line: "Not all accidents / issues are reported to CARFAX."
That isn't us knocking CARFAX. It is CARFAX being straight about what a history report is: a record of what someone reported.
Read the words: "reported to CARFAX"
Look closely at the clean lines on a report. They read like "No total loss reported to CARFAX" and "No airbag deployment reported to CARFAX." Those last three words matter. A clean line means nothing was reported. It does not mean nothing happened.
CARFAX told a TV station in 2024 that it has "over 139,000 data sources." That is a lot of sources. But a repair that never reaches any of them leaves nothing for the report to show. Experian, which runs AutoCheck, says the same about history reports on its own site: "not every accident or other auto-related incident is reported."
Some things were never meant to be on a history report at all. The FTC says a history report "may list accidents and flood damage, but typically it will not list mechanical problems." How the engine, the brakes and the suspension are doing today is not something a record can show you.
Can a CARFAX report be wrong?
Yes, now and then, and in both directions.
In May 2024, WBTV in Charlotte reported on an owner with two of the same SUV. The report on one of them listed damage from a wreck that, the owner said, that car was never in. The other SUV had been in a wreck, and its report showed no damage. After WBTV contacted CARFAX, the company said it had verified that "a third party reported the damage data in error," and it removed the record.
So a report can show a problem the car never had, or miss one it did have. That one got fixed. But a report can't check itself against the car. Only someone looking at the car can do that.
Do the miles match the car?
Mileage is one place where a history report and the car should line up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that "more than 450,000 vehicles are sold each year with false odometer readings." NHTSA's advice covers both sides. It tells buyers to request a history report to check for odometer discrepancies. It also tells them to look at the wear on the car, "especially the gas, brake and clutch pedals," to be sure it "seems consistent with and appropriate for the number of miles displayed on the odometer."
When the report and the car agree
Sometimes the report and the car tell the same story, and that helps too. In early October, one of our certified technicians found three panels on a car that appeared to have been repainted. In his words, they "coincide with the crash report from Carfax." The history report said there had been a crash. The inspection showed which panels appear to have been repainted.
CARFAX or AutoCheck?
Buyers often ask which one is more accurate. Both work the same way. CARFAX and AutoCheck are private companies that build a report from records others send them. Neither one sends anyone to look at the car.
There is also a federal option. NMVTIS, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, keeps title records reported by the states. Its report covers five things: the current state of title and the last title date, brand history, the odometer reading, total loss history and salvage history. The program says vehicle repair histories, recall information and maintenance records are "not intended to be included in NMVTIS." You can buy an NMVTIS report through vehiclehistory.gov.
Any of them is worth running. None of them is an inspection. The FTC says it plainly: "A vehicle history report is not a substitute for an independent vehicle inspection."
Wondering how far to trust what the seller tells you about the car's history? Here are two questions to ask any used-car seller.
The report plus the car
We've found suspension, engine, and accident damage on vehicles that Carfax and AutoCheck showed as completely clean. That is what a pre-purchase inspection is for.
One of our certified technicians comes to the vehicle and inspects it engine to underbody. Every inspection includes a mechanical and safety check, a dealer-level diagnostic scan (availability varies by make and year), photo documentation, and a road test when the seller allows it and it is safe and legal to drive. Enhanced and Elite add Accident Investigation and the Panel-by-Panel Repaint & Body Filler Check.
The history report tells you what someone wrote down. The inspection tells you what the car shows today. You want both.
Buying a used car in the Atlanta or Orlando area? Call us at 833-644-0800 and talk it through before you buy. Then book your inspection at carproinspections.com.
Quick answers
Is CARFAX accurate? Mostly, for what it was told. CARFAX's own report says it "is based only on information supplied to CARFAX" and that "other information about this vehicle, including problems, may not have been reported." Reports can also carry mistakes, so check the car, not just the record.
Does CARFAX show all accidents? No. The report itself says: "Not all accidents / issues are reported to CARFAX."
Which is more accurate, CARFAX or AutoCheck? Both build their reports from records others send them, and neither inspects the car. Experian, which runs AutoCheck, says "not every accident or other auto-related incident is reported."
Is a clean CARFAX enough? No. CARFAX itself says to use its report "along with a vehicle inspection and test drive." The FTC says "A vehicle history report is not a substitute for an independent vehicle inspection."