[Boostedphil698]

Hey everyone, I'll spare you the long story of how I got here with this, but my car is the body shop for 3 weeks for rock damage they were repairing on my front end. In the midst of them repairing the front end of my car they found old bodywork that was done on the passenger side fender. Fast forward to this week, I was requesting the repair documents of what was done to my car when it was brought in for its CPO process and the dealer was being very evasive by not picking up their phones and by not calling me back. When I finally got the documents for my car, the strut and spindle were replaced on the same side as the accident (I was starting to put the pieces together). Where this takes a turn is, the CarFax that I was given at the time of sale shows damage reported for the rear and was minor. I was given a new CarFax by the dealer two days ago and on the same accident from two years ago, it shows damage reported on the rear, front side, and passenger side of the car. Now, I find it HIGHLY unlikely that CarFax magically changed the accident details from 2 years ago, 9 months after I bought my car. I bought my car with 32k miles on it back in Feb. from a BMW dealership. This looks like fraud, or could it really be an error? Either way, I do have confirmation from the body shop that did my repair, that a previous repair was done. It is not uncommon for dealerships to alter the CarFax to make a sale either. Pictures attached of what I'm talking about. Thank you.

[Billfitz]

This is a question best posed to CarFax.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

This is a question best posed to CarFax.

I submitted something to them. They'll most likely never get back to me.

[davidr3]

From what I understand, carfax typically takes a few months to report accidents. Maybe BMW repaired the car quickly and then sold it before carfax had a time to report the damages. I know a bunch of cheap shady dealerships do business like this.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by davidr3

From what I understand, carfax typically takes a few months to report accidents. Maybe BMW repaired the car quickly and then sold it before carfax had a time to report the damages. I know a bunch of cheap shady dealerships do business like this.

Nah, it was two years ago when this accident took place. The first owner didn't turn the car in until December 2019.

[pshovest]

The shop that made the repair under reported the damage, accidentally or otherwise, and then corrected their report.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by pshovest

The shop that made the repair under reported the damage, accidentally or otherwise, and then corrected their report.

Two years after it occurred, I find that highly unlikely.

[Elvisfan]

You should be taking both reports and going to the local news consumer affairs person. You may have a case with the dealer that CPOed the car. CarMax only reports what it is given.

[pshovest]

Originally Posted by 435i_Phil

Two years after it occurred, I find that highly unlikely.

Yet it happened and it does explain the CarFax discrepancy issue. CarFax is only as good as timely reporting from repair shops, therefore the system can be gamed, or it could be accidental. Please enlighten us with your conspiracy theory.

States require shops to report repairs above a certain cost threshold. CarFax is an outside observer, only reporting what it finds in DMV databases.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by pshovest

Yet it happened and it does explain the CarFax discrepancy issue. CarFax is only as good as timely reporting from repair shops, therefore the system can be gamed, or it could be accidental. Please enlighten us with your conspiracy theory.

States require shops to report repairs above a certain cost threshold. CarFax is an outside observer, only reporting what it finds in DMV databases.

Well, PA state police are looking into this because they said that a repair shop just doesn't update Carfax regarding an accident 2 years later. PA state police passed it on to the vehicle fraud investigator.

[Pauloxxi]

I heard Carfax reports what is given by insurance companies.
There is a chance for bad reputation dealers to "photoshop" the report and present you the hard copy.
I'll check my CPO Carfax online and confirm they gave me accurate report or a forged one.

[Billfitz]

The vast majority of what's on CarFax reports is gleaned from public databases, like state DMVs, via search engines. Repair shops, insurance companies and other sources may supply information to CarFax, but by no means are they under any legal obligation to do so.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

The vast majority of what's on CarFax reports is gleaned from public databases, like state DMVs, via search engines. Repair shops, insurance companies and other sources may supply information to CarFax, but by no means are they under any legal obligation to do so.

If the dealer purposely altered the Carfax is where it's against the law.

[Billfitz]

The two reports show two results from the same accident on the same date. Only CarFax can explain how that's possible.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

The two reports show two results from the same accident on the same date. Only CarFax can explain how that's possible.

Yeah, I sent them a dispute case but I'm not sure if they'll ever get back to me, because they have a 1 star customer service review.

[Pauloxxi]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

The two reports show two results from the same accident on the same date. Only CarFax can explain how that's possible.

How Carfax can explain if someone photoshop their reports?

[Billfitz]

That's the point of getting CarFax involved, to confirm if the first report was altered. If the police pass it on to the DA for investigation of fraud CarFax would be subpoenaed to do just that.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by Pauloxxi

How Carfax can explain if someone photoshop their reports?

They'll he able to know if the damage on the new carfax should have been there originally when I bought the car.