Carfax is a vehicle history report service that provides information on the title, ownership, and service history of used cars in the United States. Carfax is considered one of the most popular and reliable sources of information on used vehicles in the US. It is often used to check for potential problems before buying a car.
Brief History
Carfax was founded in Columbia, Missouri in 1984 by Ewin Barnett III and Robert Daniel Clark. In 1986, the company partnered with the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association to provide a preliminary form of the Carfax vehicle history report for dealerships. These records were produced from a database containing 10,000 entries which were transmitted via fax. In December 1996, they started their website as part of an attempt to offer the reports directly to customers.
Vehicle History Reports
Carfax reports are known for providing detailed vehicle history reports, including information on ownership, accident and repair histories, service records, safety recalls, and more. The main limitation of Carfax reports is that they only include data that has been reported to them, so this report should not be considered a comprehensive history of collisions. In its reports, Carfax stresses the fact that it is based on what has been notified. They also cannot confirm if previous repairs were done correctly. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly inspect any car before purchasing it regardless of what the Carfax report says.