Should I Get A Carfax Report Or An Autocheck Report?

The process of purchasing a used car could be very tough – but Carfax and Autocheck reports are a way to make it easier. The car-buying process generally consists of a car history report. So which should you get – a Carfax Report or Autocheck report?

What should a vehicle history report include

You will find a couple of elements that should be in any automobile history report. Lemon check, a report that lets you know if a car has major mechanical problems, is very significant. Large gaps in registration or title history should raise red flags, so a full history there is very important too. The report should also consist of any salvages, accidents, or odometer rollbacks.

Why Carfax may be the better choice

Carfax reports have been available since about 1984. With Carfax, you can get two separate types of reports. A free report gives you just the essential history of the automobile, when a paid report gives you the full history of the car. Carfax reports are generally provided for cars on used-car lots or for pre-owned vehicles. Carfax is well respected as a vehicle history provider, and has partnerships with everyone from the National Institute for Highway Safety to J.D. Power Associates.

How Autocheck differs from Carfax

Autocheck is a service that opened fairly recently – a start-up owned and funded by credit reporting agency Experian. In 2009, there was a study that found Autocheck reports tended to report about twice the number of accidents as Carfax, though the severity of the accidents varied. Automotive auctions are also involved on Autocheck reports, and are typically included for auctions. The free Autocheck report has a comparable amount of information as the Carfax reports.

Should I get Carfax or Autocheck reports?

Both Carfax and Autocheck are relatively well-credentialed and well-respected automobile history report providers. If you're looking for a free report, there is not reason to not use both Carfax and Autocheck. If you're using a used car dealer, then you need to ask them to provide a report for either one of these providers. Using Autocheck or Carfax, if you're paying for your own report, can be an equally good decision.