I got new CPO 2012 TL SHAWD this saturday.

Car fax shows single owner, no accident, no salvage, basically everything green...

Can that be trusted ?
How can I inspect the vehicle for any damage history ?

Sorry if this is a lame question - but this is my first used car

thanks in advance

 

Its as factual as it can be. If the original owner had a wreck and never reported it and paid out of pocket for repairs you would never know. Really the only way you can tell is to follow the lines of the car where the panels meet. Cars that have had major accidents shouldn't be too hard to tell as some things will be off. Minor accident well you may want to inspect the paint and see if you notice any areas where the finish is slightly off.

Since you already bought it not sure there is much you can do other then ease your thoughts but if you find it was in an accident I don't think there is anything you can do other then now you know. Look at it this way though, if it was a major accident and the damages exceeded like $3,000 most people will report it so their insurance will cover it. In that case it would have likely been reported.

 

Congrats and let's see some pics!

As for Carfax reliability, someone can correct me if I am wrong but
Ownership - Yes
Accidents - No
Salvage Title - Yes

 

I agree with the above posts. You will have to inspect it yourself to really find out if it's been in some kind of accident.

 

You can see what a sample report looks like. it has a lot more than just the above; if it has been reported.

http://www.carfax.com/phoenix/vehicl...sumerMobileWeb

 

INS companies and DMV take time to process accidents and update vehicle VIN, an accident which was reported to INS and a police report was made might not necessarily hit the VIN right away. I'd run my fingers on the inside of body panels to check if they're rough or not. OEM paint is smooth on those areas, collision repair shops usually aren't. Something else to check is for over spray, check if theres paint inside the gas cap area, on exterior trim pieces or on the rubber edges around doors. Carfax is alright at best, but it is a starting point.

 

PTG will determine everything besides flooded cars

 

Thanks a lot everyone for helping me out here.

I will inspect the vehicle in detail and also click pics to post here this weekend.

 

Not at all... only for salvage/rental/major accident check... that's it

 

Any recommendation

price and models seems all over the place

https://www.google.com/#q=paint+thic...w=1280&bih=641

 

any ptg works fine, usually a car that has been repainted has a thicker coat from what i remember.. somewhere around the 250-300 side for acuras and hondas.. a factory paint will probably have somewhere between 160-200 but i have not tested it on my car yet.

 

Carfax ONLY reports what it knows...period...So no dont trust the report