Sketchy 200s on Carfax Sales Listings

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Chocolate

Chocolate

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May 30, 2016
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I frequently check used values of 200s online. I recently checked out Carfax's auto listings. Carfax is making a push into auto listings to challenge Autotrader. The interesting thing about Carfax's listings is they show some interesting wrecks that Autotrader would normally list while concealing the Carfax report. The Carfax is far from perfect, but it does catch certain things. If a listing for an expensive vehicle on Autotrader doesn't show the Carfax, it's a fair bet the vehicle has a bad Carfax.


Here's a relatively clean looking (from the outside) LX that sustained major damage. Paint match on front bumper is good. JTJHY7AX5D4103393 | 2013 Lexus LX 570 for sale in Fairfax, VA

SYJtQGL.jpg


Here's an LX from Carvana with super sketchy records (serviced entirely at Valvoline...) and potential odometer rollback.

JTJHY7AX0E4161414 | 2014 Lexus LX 570 for sale in Virginia Beach, VA

Make a more informed buying decision at CARFAX by first viewing vehicle history on this 2014 Lexus LX 570.
www.carfax.com www.carfax.com

Feel free to post any other oddities you see.
 
Wow, that’s crazy. The second almost explicitly paints the picture of a lessee that went over his mileage and rolled it back right before turning it in. They should be prosecuted, the evidence is surely there. Wow, how selfish can one be?
 
HGB said:
Wow, that’s crazy. The second almost explicitly paints the picture of a lessee that went over his mileage and rolled it back right before turning it in. They should be prosecuted, the evidence is surely there. Wow, how selfish can one be?
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Sure looks that way. Stupid digital odometers.

Carvana Certified though. At least they're only asking 45,000 dollars for their rollback special.
 
If rolling back is so easy, how dose CarFax or dealer know that it has been rolled back?
 
Madtiger said:
If rolling back is so easy, how dose CarFax or dealer know that it has been rolled back?
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look at all the services... if a car consistently showed multiple services in the 30K, 40K, then 50K Mark for example, and then it suddenly drops to 30K again... what do you think happened?
 
Chocolate said:
Sure looks that way. Stupid digital odometers.

Carvana Certified though. At least they're only asking 45,000 dollars for their rollback special.
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I actually almost bought from them because they advertise how selective they are as well as how they don’t buy any vehicles with accidents on the carfax... is a rollback supposed to be any better?
 
Sometimes cars register as odometer rollback when they are re-registered in other states. Usually when the new state puts in any number less than reported in the previous state. I had this happen to me on my wife's old rx350 I bought in TX. When the OK paperwork was submitted, they transposed the last two numbers and it showed as a rollback even though you could look at the service history and see that was not the case. It was a pain to fix.

EDIT: I just looked at that car fax...that is crazy.
 
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A few years ago I looked at an LC where the clerk at the dealer had accidentally entered the dealer stock number in the odometer line when reporting the vehicle to Carfax. That resulted in a huge decrease in miles, so Carfax listed it as a "rollback". The salesperson said it would be a long and difficult fight with Carfax to get them to correct the error and even then it would show as a corrected odometer and not be a clean listing. I of course passed on that one. That salesperson also told me at the time It was almost impossible to rollback a digital odometer without leaving an obvious record of doing so. I wondered about that at the time.
 
It looks like a rollback to me. I find it hard to believe that the same oil change location would enter the wrong vin 10 times for oil changes on this LX. The first 3 are done at the dealer at about 5000 mile intervals and then 10 times at about 5000 mile intervals the oil is changed at the same instant oil change location, with the last change at 66,000 miles. The LX is at the dealer 1.5 years before the lease is over and it shows 43,000 miles. When the dealer takes it back from the lease it has 47,000 miles. Either the person with the lease rolled it back or the leasing dealer rolled it back.
 
Even without the sketchy rollback, any vehicle that was serviced entirely at a quick-lube tells you the owner put the bare, cheapest minimum into maintaining the vehicle and is an instant pass for this class and price point of vehicle.
 
Most modern vehicles store the mileage on the ECU so it’s not too difficult to see what it thinks if there’s any question about history.
 
I wouldn't buy any vehicle without comprehensive service records.
 
This one is shady but as far as correcting issues on carfax as long as you can prove its a mistake its actually quite easy. I had an issue with emissions incorrectly reporting the mileage and emailed carfax explaining the issue and to my surprise I got an email back the same day saying the issue was fixed and a new carfax was attached. There was no "corrected odometer" tag, the mileage on the actual event was adjusted and it no longer said anything about any odometer issues and is a completely clean carfax. The dealer telling you its a hassle and it will be marked forever just was lazy and did not want to deal with it.
 
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Ali FJ80 said:
This one is shady but as far as correcting issues on carfax as long as you can prove its a mistake its actually quite easy. I had an issue with emissions incorrectly reporting the mileage and emailed carfax explaining the issue and to my surprise I got an email back the same day saying the issue was fixed and a new carfax was attached. There was no "corrected odometer" tag, the mileage on the actual event was adjusted and it no longer said anything about any odometer issues and is a completely clean carfax. The dealer telling you its a hassle and it will be marked forever just was lazy and did not want to deal with it.
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Either lazy, or didn’t have a real case to fight the “incorrect” record.
 
HGB said:
Either lazy, or didn’t have a real case to fight the “incorrect” record.
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If they don't have a real case then its probably fraud somewhere along the line and that cannot be fixed. If it is an actual mistake I found they were very helpful to get it fixed and dealers have carfaxes fixed all the time when they see inconsistencies that are truly mistakes. Would not make sense to leave thousands on the table due to a fixable error.
 
Frame damage accident is just a bonus. Look at the bright side. When you get the recall at Lexus taken care of you get a wash job and a tank of gas.
 
Chocolate said:
Even without the sketchy rollback, any vehicle that was serviced entirely at a quick-lube tells you the owner put the bare, cheapest minimum into maintaining the vehicle and is an instant pass for this class and price point of vehicle.
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Keep in mind some corporate service contracts have very limited service options. I have no choice on where I can get my corporate vehicle serviced. And it’s brand new. Dealer isn’t an option. And I’m not in a big metro area. So it’s either Jiffy Lube or Grease Monkey. That’s it.
 
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liv2bike said:
Keep in mind some corporate service contracts have very limited service options. I have no choice on where I can get my corporate vehicle serviced. And it’s brand new. Dealer isn’t an option. And I’m not in a big metro area. So it’s either Jiffy Lube or Grease Monkey. That’s it.
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I won't buy any used vehicle that's been maintained at a quick lube. Independent shops are fine as long as they know what they are doing.
 
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