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Business Profile

Auto Services

Carfax Inc

Important information

  • Customer Complaint:
    Please be advised that due to the high volume of complaints received for this business, BBB publishes 1 out of every 10 complaints handled through our conciliation process.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for Carfax Inc's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

Find a Location

Carfax Inc has 3 locations, listed below.

*This company may be headquartered in or have additional locations in another country. Please click on the country abbreviation in the search box below to change to a different country location.

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    • Carfax Inc

      5860 Trinity Pkwy Ste 600 Centreville, VA 20120-1998

      BBB accredited business seal
    • CARFAX

      37001 Industrial Road Livonia, MI 48150

    • Carfax Inc

      10304 Eaton Pl Ste 500 Fairfax, VA 22030-2238

      BBB accredited business seal

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 466 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 188 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/29/2022

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Carfax has my car listed as "actual mileage not being correct". I believe this is in error, and have repeatedly asked Carfax to provide information to justify this listing (my case number with them is ********), and they have not provided me the information. I have also contacted the California Motor Vehicle Division, and they have no records indicating that the mileage is not correct. I am trying to sell the vehicle (it is a 1986 collector car) and this listing is causing the value to be less that it should be. 

      Business Response

      Date: 02/01/2023

      Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research a 'Not Actual Mileage' brand for the vehicle in question. Through our research, CARFAX verified that the vehicle was branded with 'Not Actual Mileage' by California Motor Vehicles Department. Because the customer disputes the DMV record, CARFAX explained to the customer they would need to contact the DMV for assistance. The customer was informed by the DMV that the vehicle is no longer in their records. Unfortunately, this information does not indicate the vehicle was not branded. Instead, it indicates that the vehicle records are no longer in the DMV system. The customer can consider contacting the seller and request copies of any of their records, such as the title or registration records that list that the vehicle was not branded. Upon receipt of this documentation, CARFAX will be happy to conduct additional research.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 02/10/2023

      [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]

       Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because: I asked CarFax to provide me verification from the California DMV regarding the "not actual mileage" and they said they would not.  I would like that to see that verification.  When I contacted the DMV they said that the "not actual mileage" note on the title only means that the mileage was not recorded at the time of the transaction, and not a statement that it was not the actual mileage.  The (2) previous owners before me are deceased, and I cannot get any records from them

      Regards,

      ***********************
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/29/2022

      Type:Order Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I paid for 3 carfax reports and when I tried to access them, I was told I did not pay. I have a receipt and it was deducted from my card.

      Business Response

      Date: 02/01/2023

      Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. We apologize for any inconvenience the customer experienced. CARFAX support team received a request for assistance from this customer in which the customer stated they were being prompted to purchase additional CARFAX Reports although they had reports available in their account. Our support team assisted the customer by updating their account so that they could access the remaining reports.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/21/2022

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Car Fax is incorrectly reporting that my vehicle was in an accident and I have contacted the police agency regarding the report who confirmed that my vehicle make model and Vin were not involved in the accident and Car Fax has refused in writing to correct their error

      Business Response

      Date: 01/11/2023

      Thank you for the opportunity to respond to this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research an accident for the vehicle in question, and through our research, we verified that the vehicle was listed on an official police report as being involved in an accident with an airbag deployment. So that the customer could contact the police department directly to request their assistance with correcting the police report, as appropriate, CARFAX provided the customer with the name of the agency that recorded the accident along with the report number. At that time, CARFAX explained that upon receipt of an amended police report, CARFAX would be happy to update the CARFAX Report to continue to be consistent with the police report. The customer provided a copy of the amended police report, and CARFAX was able to update the CARFAX Report. The customer received a copy of the updated CARFAX Report, which is a $39.99 retail value.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 02/02/2023

      [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]



       Complaint: ********



      I am rejecting this response because:

      From: ****** ********** <**********@*****.com>
      Date: Wed, Feb 1, 2023 at 8:25 PM
      Subject: Complaint
      To: <[email protected]>


      Hello
      I was not able to check email for an extended period of time and see that my complaint was closed. I wish to have this added to the record
      The response from the CarFax company is FALSE and I can prove it. 
      I have emails to show that despite my requests to have the agency who gave this report told me, Car Fax refused. 
      In addition, after my complaint was filed, CarFax did correct the issue but then added two additional erroneous reports to the file on my car. 
      This cost me a considerable sum of money and the issue was never corrected. 
      Thank you
      ****** **********

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/10/2022

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I was denied a claim with endurance auto warranty because CarFax had reported my milage 19,000 miles more than what I actually have on my car. Now I'm stuck paying $2000 for a rental car and $3000.00 for a repair that was covered but wouldn't cover due to CARFAX GUESS-TA-MATING AND ASSUMING what milage actually is! Being on disability it's impossible to pay these bills now. And its all because of CARFAX! You need to stop ASSUMING what peoples milage is and get that right because you as a company SCREWED ME BIG TIME!

      Business Response

      Date: 03/09/2023

      From: ************************* <******************@carfax.com>
      Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2023 at 3:08 PM
      Subject: Complaint #********.
      To: Better Business Bureau  <[email protected]>, *******@mybbb.org <*******@mybbb.org>

      Good afternoon,

      To resolve this issue, CARFAX contacted the customer and provided the customer with the required form that needs to be completed when a customer feels there is erroneous information on a CARFAX Report. CARFAX will be happy to research the customers dispute upon receipt of the required form.

      Best regards,

      CARFAX,  Inc.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/09/2022

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I had a vehicle accident in February of 2022. My vehicle was repaired through my insurance and a preferred body shop. When I inquired into trading my vehicle around august of 2022 my dealership informed me that carfax had listed it with a airbag deployment this causing drastic loss of value which made me unable to trade. I got the number and information from dealer to contact carfax to file a dispute which I did. Upon doing this kept receiving emails that they were working on it and needed more information and so on. I provided them a copy of the police report, body shop work manifest , and the number of my insurance agent to verify that there was not a airbag deployment. Nothing ever seemed to get any closer to solving issue. The even had nerve to send me a survey to fill out on there good work. Have sent emails and left several messages to no avail. This company doesn’t seem to want an individual to contact anyone directly as to the way their system is set up. If I can’t get this problem solved directly with them I can see no other solution but to seek legal resolution and compensation for damages incurred. Progressive Insurance- adjuster in charge of handling account- ***********************- **************

      Business Response

      Date: 03/09/2023

      From: ************************* <***************@carfax.com>
      Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2023 at 3:14 PM
      Subject: Complaint #********.
      To: Better Business Bureau  <[email protected]>, *******@mybbb.org <*******@mybbb.org>

      Good afternoon, 

      Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research an accident with air bag deployment for the vehicle in question. Through our research, we verified that the vehicle was recorded as being involved in an accident and that the air bag deployed on an official police report. Because CARFAX is not in a position to determine whether the police agency made an error on their report, CARFAX referred the customer to contact the police agency for further assistance. To aid the customer in that pursuit, CARFAX provided the name of the police agency that documented the accident along with the accident report number. Upon receipt of an amended police report or letter from the police agency stating that the air bag deployment was listed in error, CARFAX will be happy to resume research and update the CARFAX Report to remain consistent with the official police report. As of today’s date, an amended police report has not been provided by the customer.

      Best regards,

      CARFAX, Inc.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/05/2022

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Carfax guaranteed money back for not actual mileage and on the report it clearly states my car had no mileage issue whatsoever. Upon registering the car, I received a title with "not actual miles" and now that I keep contacting them, they just keep playing games by asking me to fill out the form again and again without expressing any intend to solve the problem

      Business Response

      Date: 03/09/2023

      From: ************************* <*******************@carfax.com>
      Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2023 at 3:21 PM
      Subject: Complaint #********.
      To: Better Business Bureau <[email protected]>, *******@mybbb.org <*******@mybbb.org>

      Good afternoon,

      CARFAX received a request to verify a Not Actual Mileage Brand for the vehicle in question. Through our research, CARFAX verified that a state DMV did issue a Not Actual Mileage brand for the vehicle in question. So that the customer could contact the DMV and request their assistance with correcting the brand, as appropriate, CARFAX referred the customer to the DMV to discuss the reason the vehicle was branded and to determine if that designation is correct. Upon receipt of an amended title or letter from the DMV that explains the title was branded in error, CARFAX will be happy to ensure that the CARFAX Report remains consistent with the official state record. As of today’s date, the customer has not provided documentation from the DMV that lists the vehicle was branded in error.

      Best regards,

      CARFAX, Inc.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/05/2022

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Case #******** with CARFAX. Their report erroneously shows my vehicle has a moderate to severe damage report on January 27, 2017 and in order to have it removed, I need to prove nothing happened. I have provided information from my insurance carrier at the time, requested the car repair shop contact them, and sent photos of the vehicle showing no damage. CARFAX has continually advised this information is not enough, and advises they have reliable information that it was damaged; but refuses to provide it. They will not tell me which shop reports the damage, and expects me to find that shop and get a report from it. I've looked through my credit card statements and vehicle history, and there is no other shop.I requested the employee to escalate the issue to their manager - to which they did not respond and closed the case. I am seeking either $5,000 for damages in my ability to re-sell the vehicle, correction of their report to remove the erroneous information, or information on whom provided this report.

      Business Response

      Date: 03/10/2023

      From: ************************* <*****************@carfax.com>
      Date: Thu, Mar 9, 2023 at 3:45 PM
      Subject: Complaint #********.
      To: Better Business Bureau <[email protected]>, *******@mybbb.org <*******@mybbb.org>

      Good afternoon,

      Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research a damage record for the vehicle in question. To resolve that request, CARFAX researched the vehicle’s history and verified that a record of damage had been reported for the vehicle. The damage was reported as occurring on, or around 01/27/2017. While we understand the customer states there has been no incident from that time period, CARFAX verified that the make, model, and unique VIN for the vehicle are consistent with the damage event. The customer requested additional information, and CARFAX explained that the CARFAX Report is inclusive of the information that can be provided, so it serves as the documentation the customer is requesting. To conduct additional research, CARFAX can only recommend again that the customer consider any changes to the vehicle that were performed or considered around that timeframe, even a change the customer would not consider damage, and provide any related documentation to CARFAX. Because vehicle owners do not always report events or seek payment through an insurance claim, we cannot accept a record of no insurance claims as justification that an event has not occurred.

      Best regards,

      CARFAX, Inc.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 03/10/2023

      [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]

       Complaint: ********

      I am rejecting this response because: the company insisted on proof that nothing happened, which is absurd as no possible documentation could be provided to prove nothing. When nothing happens - a document is not created to report that. I provided photos of the car as well.

      The vehicle is no longer in my possession, so the matter is moot  in the future, I do not intend to release any information about my vehicle to this company and will instruct any auto shop to maintain my data privacy. 

      Regards,

      ***********************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:12/01/2022

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      On 8/3/22, a dealership in Ft.Worth, TX submitted a report on the Carfax system stating that my truck had been serviced and had 12,061 miles. The problem is my truck has never been serviced in Ft.Worth and my truck only has 9,334 miles. I live in Lubbock, TX and the truck has not been driven at all this year. In fact, the registration has not been renewed since Feb because it has not been taken out of the garage. This Carfax report error has become a major problem since I am trying to trade-in my truck and the Carfax report makes it look like I have altered the odometer. The dealership is refusing my trade-in based on this error in the report. I do not understand how this system can allow information to be updated without any sort of verification. This is further complicated by the fact that Carfax does not have a phone number for customer support where I could get this problem resolved immediately. All I can do is submit a change request on their website and wait for a response. I submitted my change request 2 days ago and just received a response. Unfortunately, I typed the last digit in my VIN incorrectly and so the response was that I needed to submit a new change request on the website and wait again. This system is flawed with a lack of verification and then a lack of support. I have been looking for a new car for months and this may cause my deal to fall through if I have to wait two more days for a response. VIN: *****************

      Business Response

      Date: 04/27/2023

      From: ************************* <****************@carfax.com>
      Date: Wed, Apr 26, 2023 at 6:02 PM
      Subject: Complaint #********.
      To: Better Business Bureau <[email protected]>, *******@mybbb.org <*******@mybbb.org>

      Good afternoon,

      Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX receives electronically-submitted data records from thousands of data sources, and in turn, CARFAX
      loads these records directly to vehicle histories. When discrepancies or questions about the data are raised, we offer our customers a process by which a thorough review of the data may be conducted. During this review, CARFAX verifies the data directly with the data provider. CARFAX understands the importance and urgency of resolving these matters in a timely manner and strives to resolve all issues as quickly as possible. Specific to this customer, when CARFAX received a research request with a valid VIN concerning the odometer reading, CARFAX’s research team researched and updated the CARFAX Report is less than 24 hours. While we recognize that the customer’s issue was not completed in the timeframe they expected, their particular issue was researched and resolved, as requested. Thank you again for the opportunity to respond to this request.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/29/2022

      Type:Customer Service Issues
      Status:
      ResolvedMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Yesterday, I realized I could not track my maintenance on Carfax's website despite being properly logged in; I contacted customer **********************, and they have failed to respond. If I'm not able to track my maintenance in Carfax, then Carfax's appraisal of the value of my car in its report is inaccurate; this has a negative impact on my car's resale value as well as my net worth, and I must assume that I'm not the only owner that's having this problem. If that's the case, Carfax reports do not accurately reflect the history of cars. I'm seeking contact with the company to reestablish the ability to track my maintenance, and if they fail to reestablish the ability to track my maintenance - I will not use its website to find my next car as I have the last two; I will not purchase a car unless the dealer can show me their competitor's report, and I will leave unfavorable reviews to warn other car buyers.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/02/2023

      Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. **********************'s support team received a request for assistance with logging into the account. To address the request, CARFAX's support team provided the customer with trouble-shooting steps including recommending that the customer clear their cookies/cache and try to sign back in along with trying to sign in from a different browser/device. It was also advised that if the customer was using the ******** app that sometimes it helps to delete and re-add the app. There was no further communication from the customer, so if the customer is still experiencing difficulties, the customer is welcome to reach back out to **********************'s support team and we will be happy to assist.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/11/2023

      [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 

      Regards,

      ***********************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/29/2022

      Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I tried to trade my current **** in on a new vehicle and unbeknownst to me my CARFAX report, shown to me by the dealer, shows 3 OWNERS which is completely inaccurate information. I bought my **** in 2017 under my LLC, of which I am the sole member, and have owned it in the LLC ever since. We had moved to Colorado in 2020 for work where the **** was registered in that state under the same LLC. Then moved back to California late 2021 and still re-registered my **** in the same LLC name. I have records to prove everything including my original purchase contract, registration and my pink slip all saying the same owner! The dealership that has my deposit and my new car is now offering $2500 less because it appears my **** has been shovel passed to three owners which has lowered the value. Even CARFAX's own website site says 1-OWNER is more valuable. I have gone through the only process that CARFAX offers to fix this which is only through an email - CARFAX says on their website that they don't take calls because they are so busy keeping accurate information. I find that interesting! My case number is # ********. This misinformation is costing me thousands of dollars and now the dealership that has my new car is going to sell it if I don't come back soon. I think it's extremely irresponsible of a company that controls your vehicle's information to not have a phone number to call or offer an expedited process for inaccuracies like this that cost innocent consumers time, money and causes distress. Please help!

      Business Response

      Date: 05/02/2023

      Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research the number of owners for a vehicle's history. To address the request, CARFAX's research team researched the vehicle's history and requested additional information from the customer. In turn, the customer was able to provide the requested information, which enabled CARFAX's research team to conclude the research. CARFAX was able to update the CARFAX Report and provided the customer with complimentary access to the updated report.

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