Complaints

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

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  Carfax Inc

  5860 Trinity Pkwy Ste 600 Centreville, VA 20120-1998

  
• 

  CARFAX

  37001 Industrial Road Livonia, MI 48150

• 

  Carfax Inc

  10304 Eaton Pl Ste 500 Fairfax, VA 22030-2238

  

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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/20/2023

  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 shows an accident on my vehicle. I have attempted to have it removed since no accident occurred. I have submitted proof by my insurance. here is an email they sent me! To: ***************************** <***********************>Good Morning ********,Thank you for contacting CARFAX and for your patience while we work through a slight backlog. I have submitted your data dispute under case number ******** and I have confirmed with the source that they do have information that your vehicle/VIN was listed as having damage reported to the vehicle on 06/02/2021.Damage could be related to scratches, dents, cracks, contact with objects, weather-related events, vandalism, or reconditioning. If you had the vehicle inspected for any of these around that time frame, please provide the documentation and I will be happy to review it. Otherwise the information will remain on the Report. You may send it as an attachment in a response to this email. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you. Thank you and have a great day! ***** Resolution Manager CARFAX, INC. my response: There was none of what you suggested. I need the report changed and the accident removed. I have submitted proof that NO accident occurred on 06/02/2021 at all. I have owned the vehicle since 2017. This is a clear mistake by CARFAX. Where did CARFAX obtain this information? This is a FALSE REPORT! What else do I need to do or say to have this removed from my report. I called **** and they have provided record of all claims. Below you will find the **** claim info report which I have already supplied to CARFAX. How could this happen? This is impacted my value severely. This is an error and I need it removed.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/11/2024

  From: ************************* <******************@carfax.com>
  Date: Wed, Jan 10, **** at 5:24 PM
  Subject: Complaint #********.
  To: Better Business Bureau <[email protected]>, *******@mybbb.org <*******@mybbb.org>
  
  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research damage information for the vehicle in question. To address the customers request, CARFAX researched the vehicles history and verified that a record of damage had been reported. To better understand the damage sustained and subsequent repair, CARFAX asked the customer to provide a copy of the final repair bill for the damage event. The customer was able to provide the documentation for further review. After researching further with the documentation provided by the customer, CARFAX was able to update the CARFAX Report. The customer received complimentary access to the updated Report. For your reference, here is a copy of the updated Report:
  
  **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  
  Please note: the above link will be accessible for 30 days.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/10/2023

  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.

  Deceptive business practices:When purchasing packages of reports, Carfax does not clearly inform the customer that they will not provide the very reports purchased if they are requested to be used after 60 days. This information, which is essential for the consumer to be made aware of as Carfax does not automatically prorate a refund of unused reports and does not maintain credits for reports not ran within 60 days, is intentionally hidden by Carfax in their consumer agreement. Even though it could easily be disclosed with equivalent prominence as the rest of their offer details, this detail is relegated instead to the fine print. There appear to be no significant foreseeable costs that would limit CarFax from maintaining purchased reports for later use. Instead, it attempts to legitimize it's denial to provide the service it sold to the consumer by claiming it expires, but only furnishing this information in the fine print is clearly an attempt to hide that from the consumer. I purchased a package of 6 reports on 6/20/2022 for 79.99 (Confirmation Code *******************). I used 2 of them. Car fax claims I have 0 left to use. I request that I am either furnished with the other 4 reports that I purchased, or be given a prorated refund of $53.33. I also would respectfully suggest that CarFax consider remedying their business practices. Since they are in the business of keeping others honest about the product they are selling, they should model the same level of transparency in their own business practices. Although, I don't actually expect Carfax to turn a new leaf, hypocrisy does seem to have a way of being naturally amplified and making itself known. Therefore, I would appeal to CarFax's nobler side and suggest they 'should' choose integrity, even if they 'could' choose to rely on technicality.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. In order to make a purchase, a customer must review and agree to the Customer Agreement. In the first paragraph of the customer agreement, it is noted that the purchased CARFAX Report package will expire in 60 days (see attached). And while the Reports expire in 60 days once ran, CARFAX generously extends the expiration to 1 calendar year from the date of purchase for unused CARFAX Reports although the agreement specifies only 60 days. As a one-time courtesy, CARFAX added 3 CARFAX Report vouchers to the customer's account. These vouchers, if left unused, will expire in 1 calendar year from today's date, on 11/27/2024. If used, the CARFAX Report will expire 60 days from the date the Report is run.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/07/2023

  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.

  They have the wrong information listed on my carfax. I have a carfax claim number disputing the information I need this resolved asap as I am trying to trade my car in Carfax dispute number #********. Issue#1- car fax reports vehicle had 12,823 miles on 4/1/2014. Tapia Oil change reports 56,309 on 7/15/2014. 11/18/14 at 60,976. 5/30/2015 at 66,225. 10/31/14 at 71,604. These oil changes must have been a different vehicle. Issue#2- 5/27/2016 mileage reported at 76,672 at oil change. Than reported “rolled back” mileage as 36,243 at dealer on 6/3/2016 I pulled an auto check report that shows the car at auto auction in the middle of the 4 wrong reported oil changes. Note the mileage of 35,855 on 4/1/2026 and again on 4/18/2016 at an auto auction on attached auto check report. The 4 oil changes reported by tapia oil change between 7/15/2024 and 5/27/2016 are for a different vehicle. They need to be removed from my report. The vehicle didn’t jump 40,000 miles in three months than magically drop 40,000 miles later.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research service records reported to CARFAX that the owner felt were incorrect. To address the customer's request, CARFAX's research team researched the vehicle's history and found justification to update the CARFAX Report. The customer received complimentary access to the updated Report. For your reference, here is a link to the updated Report:
  
  **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  
  Please note: the link will be valid for 30 days.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/03/2023

  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 reported my title incorrectly as Branded Title with few owners. I am the only owner of my ***** car and the title shows " Actual Mileage". The car has never been totalled. I have tried to send multiple emails to CARFAX to get this issue fixed. They send a confirmation email to say that the issue has been corrected. However, when i looked at the report, it still show i have the branded title, and noting has been corrected. I again sent email to CARFAX, but have not heard back. They have no phone number for customer to reach out, and failed to promptly communicate via emails. Extremly hard to simple issue to even fix in such a short time. It has been more than a week since my email to them, and yet, nothing has been resolved while I am trying to sell my car, and with the branded title, I can only sell at very low value. I request to have this resovled immediately or they should not be in the business where they can't even provide a phone for customer to contact

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX  received a request to research a Not Actual Mileage title brand that was reported for the vehicle in question. To address the request, CARFAX's research team researched the vehicle's history and determined that a Not Actual Mileage title brand was issued in error for the vehicle and the title was later corrected. As a result of this finding, CARFAX updated the CARFAX Report by removing the title brand from the header of the Report and updated the history to reflect that the brand that had been issued in error was corrected. The customer received complimentary access to the updated Report, and we are sorry to hear that the customer could not identify the changes that were performed. For your reference, here is a link to the updated Report: 
  
  **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  
  Please note: the link will expire in 30 days.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/02/2023

  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 filed damage on my vehicle inaccurately. This damage has affected my ability to get fair market value for my vehicle. The damage was filed as "moderate" and filed on 2 instances within 6 months of each other. Below are the definitions from Carfax about what their damage standards are. Additionally, I have attached the insurance estimates that indicated that it was cosmetic from hail.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research multiple damage records reported to CARFAX for the vehicle in question. To address the request, CARFAX researched the vehicle's history along with the documentation provided by the customer. As a result of our research, we were able to update the CARFAX Report, which now reflects a single, minor hail damage event. The customer received complimentary access to the updated Report. For your reference, this link provides access to the updated Report: 
  
  **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  Please note: the link will be valid for 30 days.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/01/2023

  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.

  On 8/15/22 my husband was involved in an accident with our 2022 ******* ******* . At the time, Progressive deemed it as a "total loss," however, the other party's insurance which was ***** **** paid off the total damage. My husband is currently suffering from a neurological disorder that has prompted his neurologist to request that he does not drive. I need to sell the vehicle but due to Carfax's negative indication of "total loss" on the report, which is not true because we currently have possession of the car. we cannot sell the vehicle. I have reached out several times to CarFax and so has a representative from ***********. Up until now, there has been no response nor update on the situation. We are continuing to pay over $1000 (car note and insurance) which has become a financial burden since my husband is unemployed due to his medical diagnosis. I cannot sell the car with the label on my report without a $5000 buy out which I do not have. I also do not have driver's license.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research a Total Loss for the vehicle in question. To address the request, CARFAX's research team researched the vehicle's history and documentation provided by the customer. Through our research, we were able to determine that the vehicle was reported as a Total Loss by an insurance agency in error. As a result, CARFAX was able to update the CARFAX Report and provide the customer with complimentary access to the updated Report. For your reference, here is a link to the updated Report.
  

  **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  
  Please note: the link to the Report will be valid for 30 days from today's date.
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/28/2023

  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 was at a ***** dealership the other day. They printed a report which said I had 5 accidents. This is incorrect. The first accident was 2/8/2015 and the repair was done on 2/15/15. No damage to my vehicle. Just the other driver. The next accident took place on 9/8/21. I was hit in the rear and their report said 9/7/21. I have a police report to prove it. I am getting a copy of other report from my insurance company *****. I'm not disputing the 2023 accident. I want them to change their records to 2 accidents not 5. Could you please help me. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. *******************

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research multiple accidents reported for the vehicle in question. To address the customer's request, CARFAX  researched the vehicle's history and found justification to update the CARFAX Report, including removing some accidents that were reported to CARFAX in error. CARFAX provided the customer with complimentary access to the updated Report. For your reference, here is a link to the updated Report, which will be accessible for 30 days.

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

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/26/2023

  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 purchased my 2014 **** in December 2017 and was provided with a report from Carfax which indicated no damage or accidents to the vehicle had been reported. I recently went to trade my vehicle in and they indicated Carfax is reporting damage to the vehicle at 3,000 miles, back in 2014, 3 years prior to my ownership. As a result, they were unwilling to offer me what they said they would, due to this "damage reported." When I contacted Carfax about the issue, they indicated they receive reports from various different sources and with new contracts, they receive new information. When I asked what agency reported the information, they indicated they were unable to tell as it is "confidential." Carfax has indicated there is no remedy if they are incorrect, because I was not the owner at the time of the vehicle and therefore I cannot say it did not happen. I believe a sufficient remedy would be to remove the damage listing from the vehicle or provide proper documentation to show it was reported with my exact vehicle and vin.

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX received a request to research a damage event for the vehicle in question. To address the request, CARFAX researched the vehicle's history and verified that a record of damage was reported for the vehicle as occurring on, or around 07/10/2014. The damage was described as being minor and involving the front of the vehicle. Generally, minor damage is cosmetic (including dents or scratches), may only require reconditioning, and typically does not compromise a vehicle's operation and/or safety. Because the information was verified, it cannot be removed from the CARFAX Report at this time. Because the CARFAX Report contains all of the information that can be provided for the damage event, the CARFAX Report serves as the documentation or proof of the event that the customer is requesting. We recognize that the information may be limited;
  however, it is inclusive of all of the information available. When a new owner is attempting to learn about events that occurred under a previous ownership when CARFAX cannot supply additional information, the new owner may consider contacting their insurance company, DMV, or even the previous owner (if known) to attempt to learn more information about events that occurred prior to his/her ownership.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/24/2023

  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.

  When I registered my car in Louisiana in August 2021, the state accidentally recorded my mileage on the title as 49,900 instead of 44,900. I had a lien on my car at the time, so didn’t see the error on the title until I paid it off in August 2023. The current mileage is 46,400. The state has since inspected the car and issued a corrected title on October 9, 2023. CarFax has noted the correction, but is now listing it as a “Mileage Inconsistency” and I’m unable to sell the vehicle. I’ve submitted all service records for 2021-2023 which show the correct mileage over time, but CarFax won’t respond to any of my emails re: Consumer Research case #: ********

  Business Response

  Date: 12/05/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX's research team strives to complete all customer requests in a timely manner and maintains communication with customers, including providing email updates for their case while their requests are being researched. Specific to this customer's request, CARFAX researched a mileage record in dispute at the customer's request. Through our research, CARFAX was able to update the CARFAX Report. The customer received complimentary access to the updated Report. For your reference, here is a link to the updated Report:
  
  **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  The link will be valid for 30 days from today's date.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:10/13/2023

  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 bought a car from **** Insuarance Auto Auctions and it was sold to me with a clear title and as a donation/charity sale. The vehicle was in very nice condition and it was not damaged or a branded title as many of their cars are. They sell many different cars and some are damaged some are not. So I bought the car and I noticed that carfax reported that it was damaged. They are falsely targeting **** and their business and are putting false reporting on vehicles that hurt their values. This should make a nice class action lawsuit.

  Business Response

  Date: 11/27/2023

  Thank you for the opportunity to assist with this customer concern. CARFAX receives vehicle data from more than 139,000 data providers, which enables CARFAX to provide a robust history of the vehicle to the general public. While CARFAX relies upon its data providers for the accuracy of their data, CARFAX is more than happy to research records that a vehicle owner may believe to be discrepant. Specific to this case, CARFAX received a request to research a damage record for the vehicle in question. The damage event in dispute occurred prior to the owner's time of ownership, so the owner has limited information about the event. CARFAX's research team researched the vehicle's history and verified that a record of damage had been reported for the vehicle as occurring on, or around 07/08/2023. 
  
  Damage can be a result of many different types of events. Examples include contact with objects (other cars, trees, traffic signs, road debris, etc.), theft, vandalism, or weather-related events. It is also possible that "damage" may be related to cosmetic changes to the vehicle. 
  
  When a new owner is attempting to learn about events that occurred under a previous ownership when CARFAX cannot supply additional information, the new owner may consider contacting their insurance company, DMV, or even previous owner to attempt to learn more information about events that occurred prior to his/her ownership.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/04/2023

  [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:
  Carfax is not reviewing the data they receive for accuracy. They are not customer friendly and are not open to correcting errors in reporting. They are aware that some data they receive can be incorrect and they need to make the process to correct that data more user friendly and have actual person to person communication 

  Regards,

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