Hi,
This afternoon I'm transferring a 2002 SE I found to replace my recently totalled 99, and though it all seems kosher (doesn't it always?..lol) I was thinking of dropping $30 on an Autocheck report. Never used them, but when I purchased the 99 I used Carfax, and was disappointed by the lack of information on the report-luckily I asked for and received a full refund from them. Just wondering if any of you have used Autocheck, and if you were satisfied. That CBS report that some may have seen seemed to favour them over the competition.
Thanks for your thoughts.

 

i've heard better things about Autocheck than Carfax, BUT at the end of the day, repairs/damages can always be concealed, via not reporting to the insurance company...

 

True, that's why I am unsure of these types of reports. I always thought the repair network automatically provided the repair information via a database , but that's probably far from the reality.In the case of the Carfax report I mentioned, I had repair bills from the seller for major components that never appeared on the report, which basically had information from the Dept of Motor Vehicles re transfer of ownership and declared mileage at time of transfer, which I could obtain directly from the DMV for a few bucks.

 

Major repairs, if done by the owner will not appear on any vehicle information report. It will show up on the dealers national database, if that's where the work was done.

Vehicle information reports will show reported accidents, recorded mileage, title transfer and special service (ie. rental or fleet) information.

 

a 3rd party pre-purchase inspection is the best bet!

 

I have compared the Autocheck and the Carfax, the critical info may be missing from either one. Wrecked cars are OK if you know how extensive the damage was, but nobody is going to show you pics or repair bills!! I purchased a 1-owner 03 Maxima from a guy who had it serviced at the same dealer for 125K. No mention of the dealer in either reports. I had the guy meet me at a tire store after a successful testdrive and had them put it in the air. The oil pan gasket was leaking really bad, easy fix. Bottom line, don't trust the Autocheck or Carfax, put it up in the air and look for frame pull evidence, running over concrete parking humps, etc.