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Industry experts estimate that as many as one out of 25 previously damaged vehicles may have non-functional air bags. Con men purposely replace deployed air bags with anything from packing peanuts to stolen units. This growing scam is threatening the lives of used car buyers everywhere. To help consumers protect themselves, Carfax now makes the air bag deployment information in its database available for free.

“No question, air bags are a lifesaver,” said Larry Gamache, Carfax’s Communications Director. “To best protect yourself, follow these two important steps: Use the free Carfax air bag check and always have your mechanic test the air bag system to ensure it’s functioning properly before you buy. Do not assume your car’s air bags will deploy when you need them, because most victims of this scam may never know until it’s too late.”

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, nearly 20,000 lives have been saved by air bags deploying in an accident. As the height of used car buying season quickly approaches, consumers need to be on the lookout for scams like air bag fraud that can threaten their safety.

“While we don’t know about every air bag deployment, we want consumers to have access to what we do know,” added Gamache. “We also encourage all of our customers who have information about a previous air bag deployment not currently in our database to tell us so we can further help consumers steer clear of this scam.”

Consumers can log on to www.carfax.com/airbag to access the free Carfax air bag check and can report air bag deployment information using the “Tell Us What You Know” link on all consumer-purchased Carfax Vehicle History Reports.

Posted under Automotive, Safety

Carfax has been named the vehicle history provider of choice by Cadillac and Hummer for the brands’ respective Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) programs. Cadillac and Hummer now require all their dealers to run a Carfax Vehicle History Report on any vehicle submitted for certification. Used car shoppers interested in purchasing a Certified Cadillac or Hummer will receive the full Carfax Vehicle History Report for free.

“A survey by BusinessWeek just found Cadillac’s customer service performance to be the best in the entire auto industry. This is another building block in our quest to offer an outstanding purchasing experience,” said Jim Taylor, Cadillac General Manager.

Both Cadillac and Hummer offer 6-year/100,000 mile warranties on all CPO vehicles, which also will come with the industry-leading Carfax Buyback Guarantee.

Posted under Automotive

A new study by Carfax shows that waves of flood damaged cars are washing up in areas all across the country. Over the last five years, the number of waterlogged wrecks revealed by Carfax Vehicle History Reports has doubled nationwide. Furthermore, massive increases have occurred in numerous states. Individual state results can be found in the table below.

“Our data shows a clear pattern of growth for those states within close proximity to the Gulf Coast or that have large populations and sprawling urban areas,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “Flooded cars are indeed on the move and consumers everywhere are at risk. However, using the information gathered in our database, and new resources like Carfax Xpert, used car shoppers can uncover some of the nasty secrets a car may be hiding.”

Water can fatally damage a car’s most important features – like the electrical and safety systems – causing airbags and antilock brakes to malfunction and effectively turning the car into a ticking time bomb. Under the Carfax Buyback Guarantee, cars purchased with Carfax Vehicle History Reports that do not contain DMV-reported incidents (salvage, flood damage, lemon, odometer problems) may be eligible to be bought back from Carfax.

With used car sales expected to top 44 million this year, consumers should be on high alert for signs of hidden damage and potential fraud.

“In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, an unprecedented effort was made by the auto industry to identify, process and report these vehicles, as well as warn consumers about the dangers of flooded cars,” added Gamache. “We are ever-vigilant in making sure our customers have the information they need to protect themselves. We urge anyone buying a used car to get a Carfax Vehicle History Report that qualifies for the Carfax Buyback Guarantee and have a mechanic thoroughly inspect the vehicle prior to purchase.”

Flood Damage Growth By State (2002 – 2006)

Posted under Automotive

The Chrysler Group has teamed up with Carfax to ensure consumers are better informed about their vehicles’ maintenance needs. Open recall information for all Chrysler Group vehicles is now being reported to Carfax. Used car shoppers can quickly find out if open recalls exist for every Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicle through Carfax Vehicle History Reports.

“We are always looking for ways to improve the value of our vehicle history information by expanding its scope,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “This important information helps Chrysler Group customers properly maintain their vehicles to meet the manufacturer’s safety and performance standards as well as retain its resale value.”

With the addition of the Chrysler Group, Carfax now receives VIN-specific open recall data from 18 manufacturers. More than 30,000 dealers and millions of consumers rely on this type of vehicle history information from Carfax to make better decisions about the used cars they buy and sell.

Posted under Uncategorized

Carfax has announced an expansion in the scope of police-reported accident data from the state of Hawaii available through Carfax Vehicle History Reports. Anyone shopping for a used car now has access to more information about a vehicle’s accident history to help determine the extent of damage. Buyers and sellers can then use this information to direct a mechanic inspection and confirm the vehicle was properly repaired.

“Accidents are the number one concern of used car buyers,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “Far too many people unknowingly purchase vehicles involved in prior accidents that have not been properly repaired or are at risk for scams like airbag fraud. Consumers now have a greater wealth of information available in Carfax Vehicle History Reports that can alert them to any potential problems. When combined with a trusted mechanic’s inspection, our customers can find a safe, reliable vehicle.”

Posted under Automotive

GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services today announced that they will be reporting damage information on their fleet vehicles to Carfax for inclusion on Carfax Vehicle History Reports. GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services maintains thousands of cars throughout North America. Now, individuals purchasing off lease GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services’ vehicles can use this data to better understand a vehicle’s history and help guide a mechanical inspection before buying.

“We’ve been working with Carfax for a few years now to report service information on our fleet vehicles,” said Paul Seger, vice president of asset remarketing for GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services. “Including information we have about vehicles involved in accidents was a natural next step. We encourage anyone buying a used car to use this information to make sure the vehicle has been properly repaired.”

Since 2004, GE Commercial Finance Fleet Services and Carfax have partnered to bring valuable information to used car buyers and sellers. Their partnership led to previous studies showing that disclosure of vehicle history information through Carfax Vehicle History Reports may substantially raise the resale value of wholesale units.

“Buyers of GE fleet vehicles in the wholesale market have just hit the trifecta,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “They now have access to GE’s service information, these new prior damage records and, the bonus, a significant number of these cars will be Carfax One Owner vehicles. They should command a premium in the wholesale market as they’ll have huge curb appeal to consumers in the retail market.”

Posted under Automotive

Carfax today announced an expanded role in the Jaguar Select Edition Certified Pre-Owned program. Carfax Vehicle History Reports, a continued requirement of the Jaguar certification process, will be available free wherever Jaguar Select Edition vehicles are sold online. Starting tomorrow, used car shoppers will have instant access to the reports from each vehicle listing with the simple click of a mouse.

Since 2002, Jaguar dealers must run a Carfax Vehicle History Report on every vehicle submitted for certification. In addition to qualifying for the Carfax Buyback Guarantee, each car must undergo a stringent 140-point quality and reliability inspection performed with an exacting level of scrutiny and attention to detail to become a Select Edition Certified Pre-Owned Jaguar. A free Carfax Vehicle History Report is provided for each certified Jaguar car for sale at the dealership and online.

“Our customers are incredibly savvy shoppers and expect nothing but the best from the Select Edition program,” said Glenn Drake, National Remarketing Manager at Jaguar Cars Land Rover North America, Inc. “We’ve taken another step forward to ensure the most discerning online shoppers know they’re purchasing a top quality Jaguar automobile. Carfax Vehicle History Reports make the best certified program even better.”

Jaguar Select Edition recently clinched the independently-audited IntelliChoice award for Best Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Program in the luxury class segment for the fifth consecutive year.

Tags: Carfax , Jaguar , cars

Posted under Automotive

Toyota Motor Sales announced today that it would include a free CARFAX Vehicle History Report with every new certified vehicle it sells.

CARFAX is the country’s leading supplier of such data and is used by virtually all manufacturers and major web sites. Toyota also announced that if the vehicle did not have a satisfactory CARFAX report that it could not be sold as a “Toyota Certified” vehicle.

Posted under Automotive

Used car shoppers looking for vehicles on AutoTrader.com now have access to free Carfax Vehicle History Reports on hundreds of thousands of cars. AutoTrader.com automatically links its vehicle listings to free Carfax reports on vehicles for sale from participating dealers. The two companies joined forces in September of this year to help used car buyers and sellers make better decisions by improving online used car listings.

“Carfax Vehicle History Reports are now available with the simple click of a mouse,” said Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “Like photos, every used car seller should include a Carfax report and consumers should expect them. Along with a pre-purchase inspection by a certified mechanic it’s the best protection when buying online.”

“Listing vehicles on AutoTrader.com enables sellers to reach the largest number of potential buyers,” said Chip Perry, president and chief executive officer, AutoTrader.com. “Carfax Vehicle History Reports enhance the overall value of used cars for both buyers and sellers and provides prospective buyers with more robust information.”

Carfax and AutoTrader.com are among two of the most popular automotive Web sites. Tens of thousands of dealers rely on the services these two companies provide to help maximize the value of their used cars. Now the more than 10 million in-market car shoppers who look at these cars on AutoTrader.com each month have free access to on-the-spot vehicle history information provided by Carfax-subscribing dealers.

Consumers should note that the seller must first purchase the report, but it is then available for any consumer to see.

Posted under Automotive

Free Carfax Flood Checks (www.carfax.com/flood) are now available to help prevent consumers from unknowingly buying a flood-damaged car.

“Anyone buying or selling a used car needs to be aware of potential problems that may exist,” says Larry Gamache, communications director at Carfax. “We’re committed to providing our customers with the resources they need to protect themselves.”

Carfax also has developed an advisory that identifies any vehicle last registered in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster area. The advisory will appear through the Flood Check and Carfax Vehicle History Report for applicable vehicles.

Current estimates are that 571,000 cars may have been destroyed following Hurricane Katrina and could be significantly higher because of Hurricane Rita. Over the coming months, Carfax will be working with law enforcement, state agencies and private companies to make sure all of these vehicles are properly branded.

Posted under Automotive