New VX

[Larry]

The contract will be in today's FEDEX. I was going to cash them out but Georgia is a long way away from here if something goes wrong.
No, it is not paid for yet.
CarFax should be with the contract.
I have the number, guess I should order one myself.

[IsuZOOM]

I've dropped you a line about the carfax.

[Larry]

Thank You Randy!

Great to have super support and the VX is not even in the garage yet.
The CarFax came back good with only 1 owner. And he only owned it for 10-11 months.
Fed Ex delivered the paperwork and I am signing as we speak.

[Navigator]

CarFax, like any database, is only as good as the information loaded into it.

When i got my VX I ran CarFax on it, and just for kicks ran it on every vehicle I ever owned. I suggest you try this, you'd be surprised.... it's hit and miss. But all in all better than nothing.

[paultvx]

LOL. Not to get you worried, but carfax and all the VIN based reports are not what they advertise to be.

For example, last year while I was hunting for a VX, I got myself one of those accounts that would get me 20 VIN reports. Since that was more than I needed I ran the VIN from my GTi and a friend's car just to see how accurate they were. None of our reports showed that our cars were registered in California for any period of time. The reports only showed Oregon registration where both cars were purchased and registered for 3 years before registering in CA and then back to OR after 2 years in CA. Both cars had been broken into (with repair bills well over $5000 per car) more than once and none of that was on the record. Mine was rearended once, though not serious, the incident was not shown in the report. Odometer readings were also not kept current. Only two readings (over 4 years old) were on record.

I think the better thing to do when buying cars is either to check it out personaly, or have one of those pre-sale vehicle check services check the car out for you. I didn't do that figuring my VX was new... but as it turned out, there were defects. As navigator mentioned, those reports are only as good as the data available (and in most cases, not much is available.) It's a good thing in a way... it shows that your privacy is being safeguarded to a certain extent.

[IsuZOOM]

I think we all use them to point out problems, not confirm good standing. I.e., if it shows an accident, an accident occurred. If it doesn't show one, that pretty much means nothing. It just points out the bad things.

[paultvx]

Originally posted by Randy712
I think we all use them to point out problems, not confirm good standing. I.e., if it shows an accident, an accident occurred. If it doesn't show one, that pretty much means nothing. It just points out the bad things.

That's just the point. They don't point out problems... They do only if the problems are on record. Your money is better spent on a full vehicle inspection. That's the point.

[IsuZOOM]

I agree 100% - I've had every vehicle checked out that I've purchased in the last 5 years. But I've also done CarFax - for $15, why wouldn't you? I've passed on more than one vehicle because of it.

[paultvx]

Ugh... you dont' get it do you? CarFax doesn't tell you enough.

The experiment I conducted and the experiment Navigator conducted proves that. Trust a $15 piece of paper if you wish, but I am telling you it isn't enough and is actually a waste of money in most cases. Is it better than nothing? That depends entire on how much information is available and how much of it is current and accurate.

Why don't I do it? You have to ask? Do you think it's wise to waste $15 on something that may or may not tell you what you need? Might as well spend that $15 on a fortune teller!

The horse is dead.

[IsuZOOM]

Originally posted by paultvx
Ugh... you dont' get it do you? CarFax doesn't tell you enough.

The experiment I conducted and the experiment Navigator conducted proves that. Trust a $15 piece of paper if you wish, but I am telling you it isn't enough and is actually a waste of money in most cases.

I'll repectfully disagree.

What don't you understand? You don't want to know that the car you're considering was sold at auction 12 times? Or that three accidents are listed? Or that the odometer reading may be fraudulent? Nobody ever said that if something ISN'T listed, that it didn't happen, but let's not pretend that we all do lots of research into the vehicle we're purchasing. If we don't get a CarFax report, how would you know about the above? I've had vehicles checked out and they were specifically looking for signs of repaired body damage, they told me it was clean and I ran a CarFax and an accident was listed. I later found out that it was $6,000 in body repair (the idiot left the receipt in the glove box paperwork and I saw it during a test drive). So, you consider it a waste of money, but for $15 on a $15,000 purchase, I will pay it every single time. It's not all-inclusive but it's a terrific tool that I'm glad I have at my disposal.

I'm sorry I've come off as argumentative on this issue - It's fair enough that you've chosen to avoid using CarFax (though they gladly refund your money if you're not happy or find any discrepencies), but to tell others that it's a complete waste of money I believe is doing them a disservice. I personally have found a lot of value in it, and I know several others who have too.

[paultvx]

Originally posted by Randy712
What don't you understand? You don't want to know that the car you're considering was sold at auction 12 times? Or that three accidents are listed? Or that the odometer reading may be fraudulent? Nobody ever said that if something ISN'T listed, that it didn't happen, but let's not pretend that we all do lots of research into the vehicle we're purchasing. If we don't get a CarFax report, how would you know about the above? I've had vehicles checked out and they were specifically looking for signs of repaired body damage, they told me it was clean and I ran a CarFax and an accident was listed. I later found out that it was $6,000 in body repair (the idiot left the receipt in the glove box paperwork and I saw it during a test drive). So, you consider it a waste of money, but for $15 on a $15,000 purchase, I will pay it every single time. It's not all-inclusive but it's a terrific tool that I'm glad I have at my disposal.

Yes, I do want to know if the car has been in an accident. A $15 piece of paper with incomplete or inaccurate information will not do it. There are ways to examine the car to determine if a car has been through the body shop.

1) check the bulkhead, firewall, and base of the A pillar and look for signs of wrinkling in the sheet metal.
2) check the hood hinges and seams where fender and frame meets. If there is new sealant material, yes... it's been through a body shop!

The list goes on and on. You can do some legwork of your own to learn more. If you feel CarFax is bulletproof because you've spent money on it, hey... that's fine. But, let's not forget the obvious. That $15 piece of paper is only as good as the data available to CarFax. If the seller's DMV and insurance provider does not report what they know, then that $15 piece of paper is worthless. $15 down the drain later, you're just as ignorant about the vehicle has you did before. And I say "ignorant" because that $15 bought nothing more than a false sense of security... a superficial "everything checks out" when in fact the truth is as good as anyone's guess. You can't rely on it 100%. It's hit and miss. With that kind of accuracy in the reports they provide, the money is better spent towards a full vehicle inspection by a competant auto assessor.

The horse is definitely dead.

[Larry]

Ok-OK. Thanks for all the help. A Car Fax is just one of the tools.
Another is to look at the vehicle. Another is to inspect the vehicle or have it inspected. And to have a good dealer. Maybe some dumb luck. At 59 years young I have been doing this for a while both buying and selling. This CarFax report showed 1 owner in 10 months of the VX's life and still in the same city. No registering 3-4 times. The dealer told me that the owner's wife had twins and they bought a larger Isuzu 4x4. I decided to finance this at their bank. I have called a bank and reported a dealer problem when I purchased a 40 foot RV...wow.. the dealer was on his knees ready to fix everything that I asked him to fix. I will report the actual condition when I receive the VX next week.

[IsuZOOM]

Originally posted by paultvx
If you feel CarFax is bulletproof because you've spent money on it, hey... that's fine.

Who ever said that? Are you reading my posts before replying?