FAQ

Does “auction announced as accident repair” mean that the vehicle was involved in an incident on that date?

No, it means that the vehicle has previously been damaged and/or repaired. This was announced during the sale of the vehicle at the auction on that date.


Typically, a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report with this type of record will also have another damage record such as police reported accident, estimate and/or claim noting damages to the vehicle previously in its history.


The auction announcement would be reflective of this prior damage history but may also have been made based solely on a disclosure made by the seller and/or as the result of an inspection of the vehicle completed by the auction.


Please note we are unable to obtain additional information related to these announcements.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.


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Does the estimate mean the vehicle was repaired?

The estimate does not mean the vehicle was repaired.


There may be other indicators on the CARFAX Canada report as to whether or not repairs were completed such as an insurance claim, repair record or subsequent service record.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.


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How can I get more information on the repair estimate?

All estimate data available to CARFAX Canada from our participating data sources is displayed on the report.


For privacy and other reasons, we do not receive, nor can we obtain detailed parts lists/repair summary information for these records.


For further information about these damage repair estimates, please contact the owner/seller of the vehicle as they can be asked to provide further details.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.


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I know this vehicle has had an accident. Why isn’t it listed on the CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report?

CARFAX Canada compiles the VHR from information received from thousands of sources. As extensive as our data network is, there may be other information about this vehicle that has not been reported to us.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.


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My report contains an auction announcement, how can I contact the auction?

Due to privacy agreements we are unable to disclose our data sources. We recommend you contact the previous owner for more information.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.


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My report does not show the “No Reported Accidents” badge, what does that mean?

The “No Reported Accidents” badge indicates that no damage records for this VIN have been reported to CARFAX Canada.


While we are the most comprehensive vehicle history reporting service in Canada, a report is based only on information supplied to CARFAX Canada by participating data sources. There may be other information about this vehicle that has not been reported to CARFAX Canada.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.


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What are “other damage records?”

Other damage records are supplemental records found about a damage event such as glass records, repair records or an auction declaration.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.


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What does “auction announced as accident repair” mean?

A wholesale auto auction has reported a vehicle as an "accident repair" because the auction has confirmed repairs were completed.


Typically, a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report with this type of record will also have another damage record - such as police reported accident, estimate and/or claim - noting previous damages to the vehicle.


The announcement would be reflective of this prior damage history but may also have been made based solely on a disclosure made by the seller and/or as the result of an inspection of the vehicle completed by the auction.


Please note we are unable to obtain additional information from our sources related to these announcements.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly.


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What does “auction announced as flood damage” mean?

A wholesale auto auction has reported that a flood has damaged the vehicle.


The auction announcement would have been made based on a disclosure made by the seller and/or as the result of an inspection of the vehicle completed by the auction.


Please note we are unable to obtain additional information from our sources related to these announcements.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic and/or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly. We would also recommend speaking with your provincial vehicle registration authority to further ensure vehicle can be registered with and operated in your province.


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What does “auction announced as frame damage” mean?

A wholesale auto auction has reported that the vehicle has sustained frame damage, which can weaken the structure of the vehicle and may result in the vehicle being negatively branded (i.e. Salvage, Rebuilt) by a provincial vehicle registration authority if it has not been already. 


This may also be reported if the auction has confirmed if:


  • Vehicle was previously used by law enforcement
  • A snowplow was attached to the frame
  • A trailer hitch was attached to the frame
  • Other components were attached to the frame
  • There were signs of excessive rust/corrosion
  • Signs of non-compromising damage to the frame



We are unable to obtain additional information to these announcements, such as the exact reason the auction reported frame and/or structural damage.


Modifications, such as these, are unlikely to result in vehicle’s structural and/or mechanical integrity being weakened, meaning it is unlikely a vehicle would be negatively branded by a Provincial vehicle registration authority.


Before you buy a used car, we recommend that you get a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report, take a thorough test drive and have the vehicle inspected by a qualified mechanic or auto technician to make sure the vehicle is functioning properly. We would also recommend speaking with your Provincial vehicle registration authority to further ensure vehicle can be registered with and operated in your province.


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