Buying Used American Cars? Check the CARFAX Report.

Welcome to CARFAX, the Vehicle History Expert for American Cars

CARFAX is the most trusted source of vehicle history information about US cars. For more than 30 years, CARFAX has been helping millions of used car shoppers make better purchase decisions and avoid expensive hidden problems. In addition, CARFAX has helped used car dealers around the world to build trust with their customers and sell their American cars with confidence.

With more than 14 billion records, CARFAX has built up its database with the help of its partners and sources, including government offices, law enforcement agencies, service and repair shops, car dealerships, insurance companies and many more.

CARFAX’s vision is to change the used car market for the better. As an independent source which benefits both consumers and dealers, no US used car should be bought without looking into its history with the help of a CARFAX Vehicle History Report.

What is a CARFAX Vehicle History Report?

The CARFAX Vehicle History Report takes the billions of records on file, detailing all of the most important information about used cars from the United States and Canada, and assembles them into one easy to read report. There are several types of records included in the report, including:

• Vehicle accident check: Buying a second hand car which has been in an accident can lead to costly problems down the road. Our vehicle accident check informs potential buyers of any serious problems in the car’s history, including total loss.
• Vehicle mileage check: One of the most common forms of automotive fraud in the second hand car market relates to odometer manipulation. Our vehicle mileage check helps ensure buyers that no odometer rollbacks have occurred.
• Car ownership: It may seem difficult to know how an American car was used in the past. The CARFAX Vehicle History Report includes records on car ownership, including whether the car was ever used as a rental car or taxi.
• Car recalls: US import cars generally don’t carry the manufacturer guarantee protecting against recalls. This means any costs related to the repair of open car recalls fall onto the new owner. In some cases, car recalls set out to fix potentially dangerous manufacturing defects. The CARFAX Car History Report identifies any open recalls on US cars.
• Salvage Title: US cars may be given a salvage title when they are no longer roadworthy due to damage from an accident, flood or fire, or if they have been stolen. The CARFAX Vehicle History Report helps buyers stay away from salvage cars and avoid potential expenses in the future.
• Stolen car: Even if it seems unlikely, many stolen US cars make their way over to Europe. To avoid possible legal problems, it’s advisable to not buy a stolen car.
• Airbag deployment: Often times, serious accidents result in airbag deployment. The CARFAX Vehicle History Report will also notify shoppers of American cars whether or not the vehicle has experienced such a situation.
• Service car records: Buying used cars which have been well maintained can be a great advantage. Service car records are included in the CARFAX Vehicle History Report to give shoppers confidence when buying second hand cars.
• Car registration check: Our car registration check gives potential buyers useful information about the vehicles history, including when and where it has been over its lifetime.

Check out a Vehicle History Report sample report to see all this information and more in a clearly laid out, easy to read format.

With the CARFAX Car History Report, everyone benefits

Used car buyers and sellers, dealerships, as well as listings sites can benefit CARFAX’s independent American car information. With more transparency and accountability in the used car market, there will be less chance for fraudulent activity. Buyers of US import cars can shop with confidence knowing the American car doesn’t have any hidden negative history, and sellers of US cars can sell faster by instilling trust in the buyer. Used car dealers using CARFAX Vehicle History Reports can ensure no vehicles with negative history come through their business, thus saving possible problems and money down the road.

Sell US Import Cars with confidence

US car Dealer which are interested in demonstrating trust and transparency to their customers can become partners with CARFAX. By joining this Europe-wide community of dealerships and using the CARFAX Dealer seal, lets shoppers know they will receive a free CARFAX Vehicle History Report for every US car they want to buy. This will create confidence in shoppers both at the dealerships and on online listings sites. Confident shoppers buy used cars.

Checking the CARFAX on American Car Imports

Getting a CARFAX CAR History Report is simple:

1. Obtain the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle you’re interested in (one can usually find the VIN on the dashboard of US import cars, when looking through the driver’s side of the windshield).
2. Enter the number into the VIN decoder on CARFAX homepage.
3. Our VIN check will inform you of the number of records we have available for that particular vehicle.
4. You're given the opportunity to purchase a CARFAX Vehicle History Report for this one car or a package of five (at a discounted price).
5. All reports last for 30 days and are visible through your personal login. Those who purchased a package have up to one year to redeem the report credits.

Make a good investment by checking the CARFAX Car History Report before you buy an American car.