CarFax & AutoCheck: The Truth About Hidden Damage in Used Cars

When you’re shopping for a used car, one of the first things you’ll hear from dealers or sellers is: “Clean CarFax” or “No reported accidents.”

Sounds reassuring, right? But here’s the uncomfortable truth: a clean CarFax or AutoCheck report does not guarantee that a car has never been in an accident or suffered frame damage.

In fact, studies show that up to half of all accidents never appear on these reports. Many vehicles with structural or frame damage have no report at all.

Why Accidents Don’t Always Show on CarFax or AutoCheck

CarFax and AutoCheck are essentially data collectors. They rely on outside sources to report accidents and repairs. The most common sources are:

• Police reports

• Insurance claims

• State DMVs

• Auto auctions

But what happens when accidents aren’t reported?

• Drivers may avoid calling police or insurance to keep premiums low.

• Drivers without full coverage insurance don't file claims for uncovered damage.

• Minor accidents may be handled privately, with no paperwork.

• Dealers or transport companies routinely repair damage without filing claims.

The result? No record on CarFax or AutoCheck—leaving you with a false sense of security.

Of course CarFax and Autocheck are very quiet about the gaping limitations of their reports because this is big business. CarFax and Autocheck sell their reports to you and to dealers for a profit. It's big, big business to the tune of 100s of millions of dollars per year.

Real-World Examples of Hidden Damage

Structural damage and hidden repairs are more common than you might think:

• Unreported accidents: A driver with a high deductible decides it’s cheaper to pay out of pocket. No claim means no record.

• Transport damage: Cars are damaged during shipping—frame rails torn from tie-down chains, roofs crushed by hydraulic lifts, or scratches from overhanging tree limbs. Dealers often fix and sell these cars without reporting the damage to CarFax or Autocheck.

• Lot damage: Cars are damaged on dealer lots and repaired quietly before sale.

All of these scenarios are real—and none of them show up on CarFax or AutoCheck.

Why “Clean CarFax” Doesn’t Mean “No Damage”

Dealers often advertise: “Clean CarFax—No Reported Accidents.” Notice the wording: “no reported accidents” is very different from “no accidents.”

Most structural or frame damage never shows up on reports because:

• Police don’t record accident damage in detail and don't make any evaluation of whether structural damage resulted from the accident.

• Auctions sometimes disclose structural damage, but often they don’t.

In other words, vehicle history reports only know what’s reported to them—and much of it never is.

What Smart Car Buyers Should Do

Vehicle history reports aren’t worthless—they can sometimes reveal useful information like manufacturer buybacks, salvage titles, or odometer rollbacks. But they’re far from complete.

Smart buyers use them as one tool, not the only tool.

Here’s what you should do:

• Inspect the car yourself or hire a professional inspector.

• Look for structural clues like uneven panel gaps, mismatched paint, weld marks, or frame rail damage.

• Let the car speak for itself—physical evidence is more reliable than a report compiled from third-party sources and sold to you purely for a profit.

Remember: the most truly reliable history report is the car itself.

Final Thoughts

CarFax and AutoCheck can give you some insights, but don’t make the mistake of trusting them blindly. A clean report does not equal a clean car.

If you want to protect your wallet—and your safety—you need to know how to read the car itself. Learn to inspect for frame damage, structural repairs, and signs of prior accidents. Or hire a professional who can.

At BuyPros, that’s exactly what we teach: how to let the car speak for itself and shop with confidence.

CarFax & AutoCheck: The Truth About Hidden Damage

• Why so many accidents and repairs are missing from CarFax and AutoCheck 📄

• How vehicle history reports actually work—and what they can’t tell you

• Why most vehicles with structural damage never show it on these reports 🚨