CARFAX is getting expensive. What are the best alternatives?

Posted by Miloo--@reddit | askcarguys | View on Reddit | 31 comments

I'm shopping for a used car and pulling CARFAX reports on everything I look at adds up fast. $45 for one report!

Mainly I care about title history, accident records, and whether the odometer's been messed with.

Any good alternatives?

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sergioraamos@reddit

I got s trick to get auto maintenance history for free. DM me.

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Old-Lime888@reddit

Message me. I can do $5 each. I can give the report to the moderator first and pay me after moderator confirms it. Prefer Zelle or etransfer. Takes me 5 minutes max.

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Way back in the olden days (12 or so years ago) you could get carfax for about $30 for a month of unlimited. It was fantastic, and it opened my eyes up to how many individual sellers are selling cars with salvage titles. Seemed like about a third.

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chillvibes_4601@reddit

Theres a bunch. You can do either epicvin, bumper, goodcar, faxvin.

Just look at them, see whichever's cheapest and has the best reviews.

I personally use AutoCheck

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Pure_Look7436@reddit

I use Vinpanda aswell, they have reports as detailed as CARFAX, but at a more reasonable price.

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RicoSavva@reddit

+1 I use autocheck too

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gefinder@reddit

+1 for vinpanda.

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gefinder@reddit

Yeah Vinpanda's $15 report is my go-to as well. Other ones like Epicvin or Bumper are way too cluttered and expensive.

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Doublestack00@reddit

Vinfax.com

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fastbeemer@reddit

Pay a trusted mechanic to go through it. Carfax can be manipulated easily.

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caverunner17@reddit

Most people don't have a "trusted mechanic" these days.

Second, Carfax's are a way to weed out the worst without ever leaving your home.

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Heavy_Law9880@reddit

My Cavalier was wrecked 6 times and had a clean carfax. It is less than worthless.

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caverunner17@reddit

I’m guessing, given the age of your vehicle, people didn’t go ahead and fix them via insurance.

For something as old as your vehicle, then sure it may be less representative. But a late model car within the last 10 years or so? Most people are going to go ahead and get it fixed via insurance, which will be reported on an auto check or Carfax.

That’s sad, if you’re buying a 20+ year old car that’s worth near scrap value anyways, the mechanical condition probably makes more sense than anything that could be recorded on a Carfax anyways

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SailingSpark@reddit

And if the car you are looking at is not in your area?

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Heavy_Law9880@reddit

Don't buy it.

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qkdsm7@reddit

Even more reason to get the vin, and do a search of some sorts.

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ridinderty@reddit

$6 carfax and I use it all the time

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Unique_Wolf4513@reddit

Carfax is like $4 on Etsy

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chillvibes_4601@reddit

Ive been scammed before trying to do buy off Etsy, so I don't trust it

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Unique_Wolf4513@reddit

Eh used it yesterday and worked great. The details in the autocheck report made it seem like the car had issues it was being serviced for but the Carfax showed it was just standard inspection.. wasn't a fan of how autocheck was vague

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