buyer beware- another carfax related story
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
From: newport beach
2008 m5
buyer beware- another carfax related story
so i was looking at a very low mileage c55 at a dealer a little while back and when i called, the salesman told me that they were wholesaling the car because they found out the frame had taken damage during improper shipping from its previous home. so now i find the same car at a non-merc dealer elsewhere in the country, advertised as well on a well known auction site.
of course the carfax report says nothing.
just thought i'd share.... be careful out there folks!
of course the carfax report says nothing.
just thought i'd share.... be careful out there folks!
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 830
Likes: 1
From: New Hampshire
2003 C32 AMG, 2003 E39 M5
Carfax sucks but is a guide to go by because sometimes it catches things. My example was I bought a BMW from a guy the swore up and down the car had not been re painted. I ran a car fax and it showed no accidents and him as the only owner which he was. Well after about a year or so of owning teh car the clear started peeling on the door. Since it was still under factory warranty I brought it to the BMW dealer and they said it had been re apinted on that side. So I go back and run another car fax report and what do you know it shows up as front end collision. Now if this had just happened before I bought teh car I could see that it would not show up. But this accident happened about a year after he bought the car and then he owned it for 2 years after that. So the accident happened 4 years before I bought the car. It took four years for Carfax to get this info.
My best advice is bring it to a dealer to be inspected and to a body shop to check the paint.
My best advice is bring it to a dealer to be inspected and to a body shop to check the paint.
so i was looking at a very low mileage c55 at a dealer a little while back and when i called, the salesman told me that they were wholesaling the car because they found out the frame had taken damage during improper shipping from its previous home. so now i find the same car at a non-merc dealer elsewhere in the country, advertised as well on a well known auction site.
of course the carfax report says nothing.
just thought i'd share.... be careful out there folks!
of course the carfax report says nothing.
just thought i'd share.... be careful out there folks!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 4,057
Likes: 341
From: NJ
2009 SL63 AMG
It is not difficult to get around CARFAX. If ones pays a repair in cash, for instance, there it is simply not going to register in their database, as only insurance claims do. By all means better than nothing, but don't view it as a guarantee, and make sure to inspect any car thoroughly pre-purchase.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
From: newport beach
2008 m5
it's a little bit of a crusade for me. my c43 had two big REPORTED accidents and nothing on the carfax. i contacted carfax and they basically said they don't want to know. not kidding.
Super Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 830
Likes: 1
From: New Hampshire
2003 C32 AMG, 2003 E39 M5
Right on. The Carfax is just a piece of paper that will get you started. Run one and if an accident shows up pass on the car and save yourself the $100 inspection fee. I would not never base my decision on carfax report because of the points listed below. Always get the car checked out by a mechanic/autobody shop.
It is not difficult to get around CARFAX. If ones pays a repair in cash, for instance, there it is simply not going to register in their database, as only insurance claims do. By all means better than nothing, but don't view it as a guarantee, and make sure to inspect any car thoroughly pre-purchase.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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It is not difficult to get around CARFAX. If ones pays a repair in cash, for instance, there it is simply not going to register in their database, as only insurance claims do. By all means better than nothing, but don't view it as a guarantee, and make sure to inspect any car thoroughly pre-purchase.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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2002 C32, 2011 VW GTI
so i was looking at a very low mileage c55 at a dealer a little while back and when i called, the salesman told me that they were wholesaling the car because they found out the frame had taken damage during improper shipping from its previous home. so now i find the same car at a non-merc dealer elsewhere in the country, advertised as well on a well known auction site.
of course the carfax report says nothing.
just thought i'd share.... be careful out there folks!
of course the carfax report says nothing.
just thought i'd share.... be careful out there folks!
A few years ago, I was looking at a late 1980s Golf GTI 16v. I don't remember the exact particulars but the car was being advertised with something like 120k on it but the Carfax showed that it had about 15-20k more miles on it 6 years earlier! The seller probably put a different speedometer in it to add to the value. The car looked good and you'd have never known but, due to the dishonesty, I passed, not to mention the fact that I would have some explainin' to do if I ever tried to sell it. The Carfax was well worth the small expenditure in that case, that's for certain.
Last edited by Slater126; Oct 18, 2008 at 06:47 PM.
