In 1986, CARFAX started with the desire to be the authoritative source of information regarding the history of used cars for buyers and sellers. Years later, CARFAX has achieved its vision in North America, with the most comprehensive history report database available for cars and light trucks.

Millions of consumers visit CARFAX every year to research whether they are in the process of selling or buying a car. A history report can include information like:

Accident indicators—like airbag deployment
Estimated mileage driven per year
Estimated miles
Fleet history—if it was used in a taxi, law enforcement, or rental car fleet
Flood damage
Hail damage
Lemon history
Number of previous owners and length of ownership
Odometer problems and readings
Open manufacturer recalls
Rebuilt
Service history records
State emissions inspection results
Structural or frame damage
Title information—salvaged or junked titles
Total loss accident history
Warranty coverage information

Over 100,000 data sources, including motor vehicle agencies, police and fire departments, auctions, car rental agencies, and collision repair shops send CARFAX information about used vehicles.

Keep reading for pros and cons, plus CARFAX reviews from real users.

Top Ranked Companies

#1 Kelley Blue Book

6.2 Overall Score

4.6

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(271)

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#2 Cars.com

5.3 Overall Score

4.1

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(90)

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#3 Autotrader

5.3 Overall Score

4.2

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(66)

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The Good

Lemon Check Reports
CARFAX Buyback Guarantee
History-Based Value
Great Filter Options
Mobile Apps

Lemon Check Reports

Vehicle history reports can be obtained on used cars and trucks from 1981 or later, using the VIN number located on the vehicle in question. The VIN (vehicle identification number) is a 17-digit number is typically found on the side of the driver's door below the steering wheel.

CARFAX Lemon Check Reports help used car buyers to make smart financial decisions and avoid buying a branded or salvaged titled vehicle for a bad price.

CARFAX vehicle report fees range from one report for $39.99 to $99.99 for six reports.

CARFAX Buyback Guarantee

A unique CARFAX guarantee helps used car buyers with peace of mind when it comes to shopping for a pre-owned vehicle.

If you get a CARFAX vehicle report that doesn’t have a branded title reported, then purchase a car which turns out to have a branded title issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles, then CARFAX may buy back the car for the full purchase price. This is a great way to add value and trust to their service.

History-Based Value

CARFAX offers a free history-based valuation with your zip code and VIN or license plate number. This valuation takes into account info from the car’s history without making you pay for the full report. While services like Kelley Blue Book take into account the make, model, year, and special features, CARFAX takes into account things like previous use, number of owners, accident history, registration history, and open recalls.

Great Filter Options

You can search for your next car on CarFax.com, which includes thousands of used and certified pre-owned car listings from local dealerships. Each listing includes a free CARFAX report, so consumers can search and filter results by a number of factors, including details from the vehicle’s history report. You can choose to find a car that has only had one owner or one with no previous accidents.

Search cars with service records or lease only. Narrow down the results until you get the exact car that fits your needs. Searches are done by your local area with an up to 500-mile radius.

Mobile Apps

You can also use the myCARFAX app on your mobile device to keep track of when you need to have maintenance performed on your car. Use your car's VIN number on the app and pull up service records, schedules for maintenance, and information on recalls.

CARFAX will even alert you when your car is due to be serviced and help you find a mechanic nearby with suggestions and consumer reviews of each repair shop.

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The Bad

CARFAX Report Pricing
Advertising & Sales complaints

CARFAX Report Pricing

While there are lots of free tools for car shoppers to use at carfax.com, vehicle history reports are not free.

How much do CARFAX reports cost?

$39.99 for 1 report
$59.99 for 3 reports
$99.99 for 6 reports

While you can save money when you purchase multiple reports, unlimited reports are only available for partner dealerships, not for private users.

Used cars listed for sale with CARFAX all include a free vehicle history report. Additionally, many car dealers and car finder sites provide free reports to car shoppers, including:

However, many car finders and dealerships offer a free vehicle history report with their shopping service, including the following:

Advertising & Sales Complaints

The majority of these complaints appear to be with advertising and sales issues and problems with CARFAX's products and services.

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The Bottom Line

CARFAX is the place to go when you want to find out about a car’s history, whether it is a car that you own or a used car that you are looking to buy. When you want to find out what repairs have been done or if it has been in an accident, CARFAX will tell you in a few simple clicks.

Each CARFAX vehicle history report is extremely detailed and the company’s database of more than 17 billion records contains every VIN in the United States. The company’s buyback guarantee helps buyers to have a bit more peace of mind when buying a pre-owned car.

With CARFAX's mobile app, you can keep your current car properly maintained as well.

Know what you are getting into with your next vehicle purchase with CarFax.com's products and services today.

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User Reviews

Star Rating

4.3

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187 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

60%

4 grade

26%

3 grade

2 grade

1 grade

Sentiment Criteria

Value

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Kaylee Gay Chicago, IL

I love how easy Car Fax makes it to look at so many different cars but also tells you what places near you have the car you are looking at. They have specific selection processes that you can use to narrow down your search for what you want. Like the budget, color, size, kind of car, and more. I used Car Fax when I was shopping for my first cart to see what was on the market before I went shopping in person. Car Fax gave me an idea of what I wanted as well as I could look at all my options from the comfort of my home, narrow it down, and then go to see it in person. Car Fax just makes it so much easier to shop for a car.

4 years ago

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Brittney Mac Gregor Louisville, KY

At one point in time the only way you could figure out the history of a car was honesty from the seller, those days are gone and CarFax makes it possible to see any of the dirty little secrets your potential car could be keeping from you. You simply need the VIN #, pay a small fee, and then the history is yours. I found out that my car was actually a fleet car for a rental place by using car fax. I will always use CarFax whenever buying a car in the future.

5 years ago

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Christine Farmer Littleton, CO

I'm currently looking for a car and have found the CarFax website to be very helpful. There is a great research/review section that I feel gives more details than other sites. Professional reviews and customer reviews. Important CarFax information is clearly visible when scrolling through available used cars. The filters available to narrow down the search is very good and all the basic information is there before needing to click on a particular car for more information, making it efficient. I also like the ratings of great value, good value, etc... Also you can get free CarFax reports on this site!

7 years ago

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Anoushka Ahuja Orlando, FL

Whenever I have bought a car I have always ordered gage car fax repot as it is a peace of mind to see the history of the vehicle, once we almost bought the car and decided against it after we got the CARFAX report as it showed that the car had flooded and it was repaired but we did not sent to take chances.

4 years ago

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Eddie Rios Ogden, UT

Nothing but great things to say about CarFax. It is an invaluable tool about car histories that help you avoid car buying pitfalls. Their information is critically helpful, comprehensive and easy to use and read. It would be foolish to buy a car without CarFax as a tool to safeguard yourself. Smartest thing I ever did.

6 years ago

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Tammy Geddie

This site always has the car or truck I'm looking for and the information is always up to date. I have used them four times to purchase vehicles and they were spot on with the look and the price and the way the vehicles condition were in. They are my favorite site.

6 years ago

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Julie S Hillsboro, OR

I used CarFax to find a car for my son - we found the perfect one through Kudos Garage in Salem. This office hooked us up with a great deal on the car my son couldn’t live without and also gave us a great price on our trade in. These guys are so amazing to do business with, we will be back as needed, in the future. Thank you, Erick, you rock!!

7 years ago

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Brian Jones Norco, CA

We used CarFax to search for our daughter’s first car. We found the best dealership- Five Star Motor Sports in Costa Mesa and they gave us a great deal! We would definitely recommend this dealership and this website to anyone that is in the market for a car.

7 years ago

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Juanita Morrison Columbus, OH

Ask for a Carfax report when purchasing a vehicle! You can buy with confidence. We recently purchased a 2015 Honda Civic, the seller provided us with a CarFax report that we took to the dealership. Thankfully it was true as stated on the report. We’re pleased and confident with our purchase. I wish I knew this when I made previous car purchases.

4 years ago Edited January 3, 2022

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Debora Paez Columbia, MO

CarFax is an amazing site to get started on your search for a new car. In my case, CarFax helped me find my very first vehicle which turned out to be worth every cent. The CarFax report helps customers like myself determine if the vehicle you're looking at is a good buy as it includes history of accidents. whether it got regular maintenance with its previous owner, how many owners its had, if the price listed is fair, and many other important pieces of information. CarFax completely changed what the hunt for my first car was like to be a great experience.

4 years ago

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peter harmatuk Poolesville, MD

Have sold a number of of cars through CARFAX rather than do a "trade-in" with the dealer. In all cases, CARFAX paid a number of thousand dollars above what the dealer was offering. Their turn-in process is a piece of cake and you walk out with a check in hand in less than the time it take to have a cup of coffee. I have never used their car buying services though

5 years ago

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Nicole Jones Sandy, UT

My husband and I purchase gently-used cars every 2-3 years and we ALWAYS run a CarFax before purchasing. We have found them to be extremely helpful and reliable. There have been quite a few times we were glad we had the CarFax report because that car had been in an accident and we were not made aware of it by the seller. Also, I might add that one of the vehicles we were looking at a few years back didn't end up having a report available. CarFax was very quick to respond and refund us the money we spent for that report.

6 years ago

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Mike Ika West Valley City, UT

I like the peace of mind that CarFax offers. While it doesn’t tell you every bit of automotive history behind an automobile, it does offer some insight to the car’s history. When searching for a used car, this insight helps to eliminate the buyers remorse that often comes when buying a used car. I always make sure to get a CarFax when I purchase a used vehicle. Car Fax’s car search functions are average, but the peace of mind it offers is what sets it apart.

6 years ago

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Nazjah Yates Jacksonville, FL

Carfax has helped me tremendously in finding my first car. Many companies did i visited sold the cars "as is" and it was important to my parents to see the carfax. When viewing the carfax, i was able to see the truth behind the cars i was looking to purchase. The carfax helped me steer away from cars that had their airbags deployed, been in accidents, and other things i was looking to avoid.

6 years ago

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Shannon B Salt Lake City, UT

I found Carfax really helpful when I was looking for a new SUV especially the car history. It helped me feel more confident in my purchase knowing the accident/damage history beforehand. They also email me occasionally with updates on my car’s mileage, resale value, and when I need to go in to get an oil change—a really nice feature I wasn’t expecting!

6 years ago

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Brittany Wilkinson Herriman, UT

Recently I had a CarFax pulled on a vehicle we were selling. It was helpful for potential buyers because of it's trusted name. I highly recommend having a CarFax pulled on any car sell or purchase. The information it provides helps you feel confident in your sell or purchase. Do NOT use a knock off site. There are other companies out there but not all of them are trustworthy. We also learned this the hard way.

6 years ago

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David Stickles West Jordan, UT

A must when getting a used car. There is no hiding a single ding, scratch, or issue. Provides tools needed to make a smart purchase, as well as a great resource for keeping your car running in top shape.

5 years ago

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Anita pea Dallas, TX

Carfax has been an all out best car finder app. They helped me find my current car and it is everything I wanted! Their customer service helped me when I was struggling with finding the right car and the pricing was awesome.

6 years ago

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emblair Herriman, UT

Just bought a used car for my teenage daughter and CarFax was wonderful in researching our options to know more about the history of the cars we were looking into. They show everything from accident damage to how frequently the oil was changed. Thank you!

4 years ago

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Calista Huber Phoenix, AZ

I have been so grateful for CarFax when buying and selling our cars! It provides such essential information! We purchased our car's facts to provide for any potential buyer, and it was so helpful. We also purchased a report on a car we were looking into, and it helped save us from a purchase we would have regretted!

4 years ago

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Tate Huber Phoenix, AZ

CarFax is extremely helpful when buying a used car, especially from a private party. I have both purchased the report myself when really interested in a certain car, or asked the seller to do the same. I wouldn't buy a car from a private seller without getting a car fax report.

4 years ago

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Luke Swierczynski Waterford, MI

Would not buy a car without first checking the carfax, give you piece of mind in what you're purchasing and has become the standard in buying used vehicles. Love that most dealers now provide it for free, but even if you shop FSBO worth buying it.

4 years ago

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Krista Griffith Tulsa, OK

CarFax used car search took the hassle and headache out of searching for a used car! No longer did we have to contact our inside source to get a CarFax report. I wish we had found their site in the first week of looking, but I was so relieved after we discovered them in week three.

4 years ago

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Ben Hayward, CA

I used car fax to help get the info I needed to purchase my last 2 cars and will again they gave me all the details and some a definite way of finding out everything you need to know about a vehicle anytime I am looking to buy CarFax is my go to information highway

4 years ago

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Mandy Pesce

Carfax was a very helpful search tool when I was looking for a new car after my car accident. It is really important to know if your new vehicle has been involved in any accidents before you purchase it. That website told us everything we needed to know.

4 years ago Edited January 3, 2022

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Rebecca D

When shopping around for my new vehicle, I purchased the 3 pkg deal of car information deal. Was totally worth the money. I found out some information that was not disclosed. Saved me from purchasing a vehicle that had been in an accident. Love this company.

4 years ago

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Anne Sainsbury Salt Lake City, UT

I was looking to buy a car last year and used CarFax to help in the process of researching market value and finding used cars for sale. One of my favorite features on the site is the ability to filter by damages reported, personal use, high mileage, etc. Definitely helpful when looking for a car!

5 years ago

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Naya Tallahassee, FL

I like CarFax a lot because it allows you to view used cars and select cars that meet your standards. A great part of this website is it also allows you to view the service history of the vehicles and also see if the vehicle has had any accidents.

5 years ago

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Mason Allen Provo, UT

I trust CarFax and that is the best feeling when buying a car. I was close to buying a used car about a year ago and decided to just pay the fee for the CarFax and I am glad I did. The car would have probably broken down in a day. Most if not all auto shops report into the site and so that keeps everything up to date and accurate.

5 years ago

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Cindy H Gilbert, AZ

I love all the detail that is on CarFax. I love it when i am looking at a vehicle and the CarFax is provided free. I feel i can really trust the information given in CarFax. It helps take some of the mystery out of used car buying.

5 years ago

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Eric Wilkinson Herriman, UT

We recently needed a new car. We needed to sell a car to purchase the new one. We had lots of people request to see the CarFax report before they would purchase our vehicle. We felt confident in having this report and it helped add peace of mind to the buyer of our vehicle.

6 years ago

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Natalie Brown Boulder, CO

CarFax was phenomenal in helping me find and buy a car. Although I did not use it in the car I actually bought (I bought a new car), it helped me sort through all the options. There was once where carfax saved me from buying a bad car by allowing me to look at the history of the car and see it was not worth the price it was being sold for.

6 years ago

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Shauna Horne American Fork, UT

We really try and get a CarFax report every time we purchase a vehicle. The report shows the maintenance history of a vehicle (if the work was done at a dealership) and it gives a list of any accidents with a description of the damage. It is really helpful information when evaluating the overall quality of a used vehicle.

6 years ago

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Andrea C Moran-Melendez Jacksonville, FL

Super reliable and helpful I have been using it in my search to find my first car and I honestly would not use anything else to do so because as a teen looking for affordable used options I want to make sure that what I am getting is safe and secure.

6 years ago

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Sierra Beck Herriman, UT

I bought a new car a couple of months ago and when I was looking, I used CarFax a lot to get specifics on the cars. My favorite feature of CarFax is being able to see if the vehicle had been in an accident and what damage was reported. My aunt works for CarFax and she told me the things to look for and be aware of.

7 years ago

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Makayla Holland Gaithersburg, MD

This is a 5 star they have a good system because i would not buy a car without checking. They business is a amazing tool when it comes to buying used or older vehicles.

5 years ago

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Natalia Correa MDTribe Tallahassee, FL

Carfax was really helpful in knowing all the details for the vehicles and making sure I was getting a good price! Highly recommend them because they are very reliable.

6 years ago

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Ness

I've used Cargurus when it came to car shopping. IUS890616RH6ed carfax to check car record and car gurus to see what the market looked like ink my area.

6 years ago

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Jessica Saint Joseph, MO

it was a good service, I had a great time and on a scale of 1 to 20 the reliability was a 9! I highly recommend this website for all of your car searching needs.

8 years ago

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DogLover17 Macomb, MI

CarFax helped me with making decisions on buying a used vehicle. It provided me with facts, dates, and miscellaneous history of my prospective vehicles in an organized fashion. I recommend for every used vehicle buyer!

4 years ago

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Karen Torino Tallahassee, FL

My favorite part about CarFax is the ability to search up a car's history. This is a great asset in looking for a car. Their car search is also easy to use and you can see how many drivers it has had, any accidents, etc.

4 years ago

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Eban Beltran Arlington, TX

I’ve used CarFax to both buy 2 cars and sell 2 other cars. It was great to understand the value of my vehicles in the conditions that they were and to share that with potential buyers. Fantastic info that came in handy.

5 years ago

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James Knight Tremonton, UT

I’ve bought two car fax reports to help buyers purchase our vehicles on KSL. The reports were concise and contained all the information needed to know the car history and past maintenance for the vehicle.

5 years ago

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Swedish_queen Cheyenne, WY

Carfax is great! The information it gives you about the car is unbelievable! Everything from any accidents to all if the maintenance thr vehicle has had! I use Carfax everytime im interested in a new car!

6 years ago

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Karen Torino Tallahassee, FL

Car fax was awesome in helping me find a car. The detailed report is necessary for any buyer interested in buying a used car. It allowed me to not make a mistake in my car choice.

6 years ago

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Myken American Fork, UT

Carfax gives me so much peace of mind when buying a vehicle. I appreciate knowing the history of the vehicle and feel reassured having the information it provides! Would never buy a car without checking Carfax first!

6 years ago

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Alyssa Hansel Tallahassee, FL

I went to them while I was looking to purchase my current care! The staff was super nice, and they helped me decide on a perfect car at a good cost! Car buyers should look here!

6 years ago

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Windy Payton New Orleans, LA

Love this company they tell you everything you need to know about the vehicle you about to purchase if it's a good deal or if it's been wrecked how many people had it and etc.

6 years ago

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Michelle W Coraopolis, PA

CarFax is an awesome way to research vehicles, especially ones that you're interested in purchases. All the facts about the vehicle's history is listed right there to help you make a decision. Awesome site!

6 years ago

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Kathryn Robinson Riverton, UT

I definitely recommend getting a CarFax when buying a used car. CarFax gives you detailed information about the maintenance history of the car and you can see if it has been in an accident or has a salvaged title.

6 years ago