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EDIT: Carfax issue with incorrect reporting FIXED!!

Discussion in 'General Automotive' started by EasyLivin, Oct 2, 2017.

  1. Oct 2, 2017 at 8:52 AM
    #1
    EasyLivin

    EasyLivin [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2014
    Member:
    #133024
    Messages:
    381
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jeff
    Euless, TX
    Vehicle:
    2014 White TRD OffRoad Double Cab
    Focal PS165AC / Focal PS165V / Alpine PDR V75 / Kenwood Excelon KFC-XW1000F / Leer 100XR shell / Bilstein 5100 lift
    I was considering trading in the beloved Tacoma over the weekend (I know, I know.......but it just rocks my back issues horribly and I need a more comfortable daily driver). As I expected the inevitable low ball offer from the dealership on my trade, I was given a Carfax report. Last August in Colorado Springs we had a few horrible hailstorms which did some minor damage to the truck. Nothing too major other than my head getting clobbered trying to put blankets over my vehicle! Low and behold, Carfax is reporting this as an issue with structural damage.

    Before anyone says it, it was all panel damage except for one ding on the roof. It didn't damage any structural components and the claim was only around $1000. I called USAA to verify that they weren't reporting any structural damage. They said they did not and gave me a claim estimate to send into Carfax. I sent my information in on Friday and it said they had a 8 hour turn around.

    I chatted with them this morning to just see where the process is and to ask how difficult of a process this truly was. It's okay because I honestly don't really like the car that much but I am worried a bit about my truck being reported as having structural damage on it. It is destroying the value! Has anyone else had this issue, and if so, how long did it take to get it corrected?
     
  2. Oct 2, 2017 at 8:55 AM
    #2
    Blais03

    Blais03 Guess I'll bring a spare wheel bearing...

    Joined:
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    Nick
    Easthampton MA
    Vehicle:
    '08 Reg. Cab 4WD + '06 Reg. Cab 2WD
    Carfax is only as good as its reporters. I deal with that shit all day at work.

    My carfax says my truck has been in an accident. my truck was never involved in an accident. however, my trailer was involved in an accident which somehow landed on my trucks carfax.
     
  3. Oct 2, 2017 at 8:59 AM
    #3
    EasyLivin

    EasyLivin [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2014
    Member:
    #133024
    Messages:
    381
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jeff
    Euless, TX
    Vehicle:
    2014 White TRD OffRoad Double Cab
    Focal PS165AC / Focal PS165V / Alpine PDR V75 / Kenwood Excelon KFC-XW1000F / Leer 100XR shell / Bilstein 5100 lift
    Have you tried to fix it?
     
  4. Oct 2, 2017 at 10:25 AM
    #4
    PennSilverTaco

    PennSilverTaco Encyclopedia of useless information...

    Joined:
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    #134007
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    Charlie
    Central Bucks, Pennsylvania
    Vehicle:
    2010 Zombie Truck
    My mom has a 2013 Nissan Murano SV AWD. My parents paid cash for the Murano in early September 2014, and traded a 2008 Acura TL for it. It had just 11,000 miles on the odometer and had a clean CARFAX. There was no reason to suspect it had been involved in any kind of accident. The Murano is white with a beige cloth interior and pretty much loaded with all options except leather seats and a sunroof. It has Bose sound, GPS navigation, backup camera, and power everything. The original owner was the wife of the service manager at the dealership where my parents purchased the Murano, and I'm 99% sure it was a special order.

    Fast-forward to 2016. Just for the hell of it, I typed the license plate into CARFAX and was shocked to find that the Murano had supposedly been involved in an accident with airbag deployment, two weeks after my parents bought it! I immediately ran downstairs and told my mom, and she's like "You're kidding!" I showed her the CARFAX report, and then I wrote down the VIN and punched that in to make sure there was no mistake. Unfortunately, there wasn't. The CARFAX report specifically listed a right side impact, and that the Murano was towed from the scene. I immediately started looking over the Murano closely to see if I could find any signs of damage severe enough to deploy the airbags, but couldn't find any. I would like to point out that the Murano is a great vehicle. We love it. My mom loves it; it is the vehicle I drive when my Tacoma is in for service or when the weather is bad and I need 4-wheel drive (My Taco is a 5-lugger with what I call a "fake posi rear"). It shows absolutely no signs of having been involved in accident, and has no mechanical problems whatsoever. It runs and drives great and there are no shakes, rattles, or leaks. The A/C is ICE COLD and all accessories work. On top of that, it has a killer sound system. Translation: No complaints.

    However, the Murano has NEVER been involved in an accident since we've owned it. I did hit a bird once while driving to work, and the bird didn't make it, but it was small enough that the Murano had no damage. I was doing maybe 30 MPH, and the bird came out of the bushes to my right and bounced off the front. I had absolutely no chance to stop, but hey, at least it probably died instantly, and more importantly it wasn't a deer. Even though a 30 MPH impact with deer probably would not have totaled the Murano, it probably have added a second airbag deployment to the CARFAX history.

    Anyway, I created a thread about this on TW last year and got everything from "someone fat-fingered the VIN" (messed up by one number) to "the dealer didn't want anybody knowing it had been wrecked until after the ink was dry."

    What my parents are most annoyed about is that they paid almost $30,000 for a used vehicle they thought had a clean history, and the dealer lied to them. After having a similar experienced with a used 2003 Honda S2000 he bought in 2005 (accident damage prior to him buying it, but no airbag deployment), my dad has vowed to never by a used vehicle again. My dad drives a 2013 Honda Pilot Touring 4WD that he bought brand new in May 2013, and my 2010 Tacoma was purchased new in September 2009. The Murano is the only one of our three vehicles we did not buy new.

    My parents are also concerned about the Murano's resale value being affected. Last time I checked the Blue Book value, it was a little bit under $20,000. The Murano had about 11,000 miles on it when my parents bought it, and more than 3 years later it still has less 30,000. My mom bought the Murano about 4 months before her mom passed away, and she put a lot of miles on it in those 4 months driving down to Virginia regularly to see my Grandma. Once my Grandma died, she stopped driving as much. My mom has a volunteer job at the hospital that she goes to once every two weeks, but she works from home as an independent writer. We also use the Murano for short family trips to see other family members in the area, and to drive to the airport when we are flying out of state to see family farther away. As I said before, I also drive the Murano when it is snowing outside or when the Tacoma is in the shop.

    So yeah, I don't trust CARFAX that much...
     
  5. Oct 2, 2017 at 10:25 AM
    #5
    Blais03

    Blais03 Guess I'll bring a spare wheel bearing...

    Joined:
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    Nick
    Easthampton MA
    Vehicle:
    '08 Reg. Cab 4WD + '06 Reg. Cab 2WD
    I have not. Not sure exactly how to fix something like that honestly.
     
  6. Oct 3, 2017 at 6:36 AM
    #6
    EasyLivin

    EasyLivin [OP] Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2014
    Member:
    #133024
    Messages:
    381
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Jeff
    Euless, TX
    Vehicle:
    2014 White TRD OffRoad Double Cab
    Focal PS165AC / Focal PS165V / Alpine PDR V75 / Kenwood Excelon KFC-XW1000F / Leer 100XR shell / Bilstein 5100 lift
    For anyone with these issues, it was actually quite easy to fix. You can link to their consumer support page below and submit your issue with supporting documentation. I turned this in last week and it was fixed pretty easy. Might be useful for someone on here!

    https://support.carfax.com/c_contactus
     
    tomwil likes this.
  7. Oct 3, 2017 at 9:34 AM
    #7
    azreb

    azreb Geezer

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2012
    Member:
    #74430
    Messages:
    1,024
    Gender:
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    TN
    Vehicle:
    '20 SR5 crew cab; gray
    camper shell, front camera, floor mats, cheap bed mat, dash camera, catalytic converter cover, fumoto
    FWIW I looked up the report from a Carfax rival on a Suzuki several years ago. The report stated there were no discrepancies found, but listed the mileage readings for several title transfers. One of the mileage readings was substantially lower than the previous reading...
     

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