Ford and Carfax scam

[Thomas Nepper]

I traded my 2018 Expedition XLT for a 2023 Platinum Expedition. The dealership then posted my 2018 for sale withe a carfax report that shows my maintenance history but none of my repair history all done at 3 different Ford dealerships.
1. Cam Phaser
2. 2 new sync screens
3.speed sensor
4. 3 shocks
5.2 usb port failures
Makes you wonder if Ford does not report to Carfax because all the issues w/b exposed

 

[Scottorama]

I traded my 2018 Expedition XLT for a 2023 Platinum Expedition. The dealership then posted my 2018 for sale withe a carfax report that shows my maintenance history but none of my repair history all done at 3 different Ford dealerships.
1. Cam Phaser
2. 2 new sync screens
3.speed sensor
4. 3 shocks
5.2 usb port failures
Makes you wonder if Ford does not report to Carfax because all the issues w/b exposed

Similiar with mine..... they hid all the major repairs and instead labeled them with generic titles that didnt really describe what they really did. Carfax agrees to do this so they can get the dealers business. If carfax showed the actual repairs and how serious they were, dealers would not buy the reports. Most lines items were just listed as multiple services.....

 

[GixxerJasen]

The report is only as good as what's reported. I bought a car that I found out was formerly owned by one of the forum members for that car. It had suffered all the normal expensive failures for that vehicle and he got tired of paying to fix it and dumped it. None of those repairs were on the Carfax because they weren't reported. Good news was that he had paid to fix all the normal failures and it was solid for me the entire time I owned it.

Bottom line, if it's on the Carfax, then it likely happened, but if it's not, you really will never know unless you run into the former owner.

 

[Thomas Nepper]

Who's holding back info ? Is it Ford not reporting or Carfax? Are they working together to suppress it? I'm surprised this hasn't been an issue as both parties credibility is seriously compromised. Especially these days when the public is eager to cancel or expose behaviors/ business practices like this.

 

[Hellwig]

Who's holding back info ? Is it Ford not reporting or Carfax? Are they working together to suppress it? I'm surprised this hasn't been an issue as both parties credibility is seriously compromised. Especially these days when the public is eager to cancel or expose behaviors/ business practices like this.

It's the Ford dealerships. Warranty repairs do not touch insurance, and dealerships do not have the obligation to report. Therefore, Carfax doesn't know those warranty repairs. It's not only Ford. It's the practice of almost all dealerships across the industry, more or less.

 

[rd618]

If people rely on carfax alone they are incompetent.
You can ask a ford dealer (any one) for your OASIS report by vin. That is all work performed and billed for the vehicle while done by a ford shop. It's required they log it or no warranty payment would be processed.
Also if you have independent shops doing work, great, ask for the receipts, if not treat the work as not performed and discount the vehicle.

 

[LegalBrief]

Carfax lies…

 

[2018ExpyPlatinum]

I always figure Carfax is a place to start. If the carfax is bad, move along. If it's good, then run the VIN thru the manufacturer as others have said.

 

[Johnb21]

I always figure Carfax is a place to start. If the carfax is bad, move along. If it's good, then run the VIN thru the manufacturer as others have said.

I agree with this process. This isn't a Ford thing, all the dealers do this and I am not sure if all repairs get reported to carfax anyway. Insurance companies don't necessary report to carfax either, nor the autobody shops. I had $23k in damage to my Cadillac years back, and nothing was reported when I indepentdantly purchased the carfax on my car. As it relates to Ford, always, always, demand the Oasis report on the Vin.

 

[Johnb21]

I agree with this process. This isn't a Ford thing, all the dealers do this and I am not sure if all repairs get reported to carfax anyway. Insurance companies don't necessary report to carfax either, nor the autobody shops. I had $23k in damage to my Cadillac years back, and nothing was reported when I indepentdantly purchased the carfax on my car. As it relates to Ford, always, always, demand the Oasis report on the Vin.

Carfax isn't some independent governing service. They are primarliy paid by the dealer body. They will take $ where ever it comes from and will tailor the service offering for those who pay their bills.

 

[Woodwolf]

I traded my 2018 Expedition XLT for a 2023 Platinum Expedition. The dealership then posted my 2018 for sale withe a carfax report that shows my maintenance history but none of my repair history all done at 3 different Ford dealerships.
1. Cam Phaser
2. 2 new sync screens
3.speed sensor
4. 3 shocks
5.2 usb port failures
Makes you wonder if Ford does not report to Carfax because all the issues w/b exposed

Same here in Canada, nothing is reported in service history after I bought my used 2019. However Ford “maintenance” visits where reported on Car fax without any details, but not my cam phaser repair I had performed after purchase. The Canadian Ford app also does not show any history at all and also does not allow for documenting your own services performed .

 

[Woodwolf]

I always figure Carfax is a place to start. If the carfax is bad, move along. If it's good, then run the VIN thru the manufacturer as others have said.

Can this be done ONLINE? Anybody knows?

 

[tacoduck]

I traded my 2018 Expedition XLT for a 2023 Platinum Expedition. The dealership then posted my 2018 for sale withe a carfax report that shows my maintenance history but none of my repair history all done at 3 different Ford dealerships.
1. Cam Phaser
2. 2 new sync screens
3.speed sensor
4. 3 shocks
5.2 usb port failures
Makes you wonder if Ford does not report to Carfax because all the issues w/b exposed

I’m more interested why you bought the same truck with the same engine after all the issues you had with the prior model. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

 

[Hellwig]

I’m more interested why you bought the same truck with the same engine after all the issues you had with the prior model. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

"You can't fool me twice"

 

[JamaicaJoe]

Can this be done ONLINE? Anybody knows?

I would as well. I would like to get the complete records for the 2013 I bought. It would not scare me to find out the timing chain etc, had already been serviced.

 

[haviland]

I bought my '22 Expy a year old with 13k on the clock. The only serious issue I knew about was the cam phasers. I called the dealership and they reported there was no work done on the cam phasers on that vehicle. I've been very pleased with the vehicle so far.

I traded in my 2017 Expedition with 54,000 miles to Carfax. They offered what I consider to be a decent price so I agreed. After it was over, I realized I could have sold them a vehicle that had serious issues rather than my vehicle which was in excellent shape. They would have given me the same price that they quoted originally.

My one experience with Carfax was pretty darn good.

 

[2018ExpyPlatinum]

Can this be done ONLINE? Anybody knows?

You can pull a CARFAX online. You can pull an Autocheck too. Another one I've used is BADVIN. Think they're 9 bucks, but they give some good info too, including sales info.

I would go to your local store to ask for Manufacturer info. You'll probably have a better experience. Some dealers will give you a copy of the info, some won't.

As an interested buyer, they should provide you with a carfax or similar, and if they are selling their own brand, they might provide VIN info. They could email all that to you too.

 

[LegalBrief]

I don’t think they get money from dealers for data only for marketing services. The report is full of omissions as others have said, for me it shows everything that happened June, but the new transmission. That’s the only that a new buyer would want proof of. Makes the reports useless if you ask me.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

Going off on a rant here...crooked CarFax declines to post significant mechanical repairs done by dealerships, but turns around and shows accident repairs done on a vehicle (again helping the dealerships). If the mechanical repairs done by a dealership can be considered good-to-go, why not those collision repairs done by reputable body shops? Having been burned by a CarFax report on a previous vehicle damaged by a driver with minimal state coverage resulting in OUR insurance company covering our loss under "underinsured motorist" coverage, and paying out more money in repairs and rentals than I offered them to "total" it out. Then, thanks to CarFax, we ended up getting hosed on trade-in value. Moral of the story, when it's close to what the insurance company considers a total loss, fight like mad to negotiate with them to take it off your hands.

 

[GlennSullivan]

I always figure Carfax is a place to start. If the carfax is bad, move along. If it's good, then run the VIN thru the manufacturer as others have said.

Exactly.