What Is a Carfax and Why Do I Need One?

Ever wish the car you're thinking about buying could talk? These days it can. And not just the cars with a talking global positioning system. A GPS system tells you how to get from point A to point B. But a Carfax can tell you whether or not it's a good idea to buy the car that will take you.

A Carfax vehicle report can tell you if the car you're looking at has ever had serious issues, such as a an accident which caused so much damage that the car was a total loss, or accidents that caused frame damage or that caused airbags to be deployed.

A Carfax report can also tell you things such as how many owners the vehicle has had, or whether or not it has been a rental car or part of a vehicle fleet.

The Carfax company which provides the report says it has billions of sources for the information it gathers about vehicles. Some of the services the company provides are available at no charge, but there is a fee for the most comprehensive, and thus the most useful, report.

For the average person, one of these vehicle reports can be a good investment, particularly if the car being considered is expensive.

As helpful as it can be, though, a Carfax does have limitations. For one thing, if the car you're looking at is more than about 25 years old, it's unlikely the company will have access to any information about it. Also, because human beings aren't perfect, data about a given vehicle may be entered incorrectly, or inadvertently omitted.

That's why, even with a report on the vehicle's history, it is always a smart idea to have a prospective purchase thoroughly inspected by the most knowledgeable, trustworthy automotive professional you can find. Every car model, whether new or old, has its own particular quirks, strengths, and weaknesses. Older cars particularly can be prone to rust issues or mechanical issues that are very expensive to repair and seriously diminish the value of the vehicle.

Having a professional with the appropriate facilities, tools, diagnostic equipment, and qualifications thoroughly inspect and test the car before you plunk down your hard-earned cash is the best way to avoid costly mistakes.