Commercial

This means the vehicle was registered and used for business purposes (such as a delivery truck, taxi or car rental).


This designation was assigned to the vehicle by a provincial vehicle registration authority. We are unable to confirm which specific business or type of business the vehicle was registered to. We recommend speaking with the seller and/or the provincial registration authority 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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Damage to vehicle

An insurance industry term/classification for claims related to vehicle repair costs and/or replacing the vehicle for the insured.


Damage to vehicle excludes damage resulting from a collision with another vehicle, fire or theft.


Examples include parking lot incidents, damage incurred while parked and some types of weather damage.


We are not able to obtain additional information related to the claim. Please contact the seller, as they may be able to provide additional context.


For more information on insurance claims, please see: Insurance Claim


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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Disclosure

A disclosure is a fact or detail about the motor vehicle related to its past use, history or condition.


Some jurisdictions may require certain disclosures to be made at the time of sale.


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DMV record adjustment

A data record used by CARFAX Canada to describe any adjustment made by the issuing motor vehicle department to an existing U.S. title or registration record.


We are unable to obtain additional information for U.S. DMV records. Please contact the seller for additional context.


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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Fleet, rental and/or lease use

This means the vehicle has been reported as a fleet, rental and/or lease vehicle. An example of a fleet would be a vehicle lent to a company for temporary use. When we display the previous use of a vehicle, it’s because it was documented on the VIN at the motor vehicle department and/or by a wholesale auto auction.


This designation was assigned to the vehicle by a provincial vehicle registration authority and/or announced by a wholesale auto auction. We are unable to confirm which specific business or type of business the vehicle was registered to. 


We recommend speaking with the seller and/or the provincial registration authority for more information.


For more information, please see: Auction announced as fleet/lease


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Hail damage

The vehicle was damaged by hail. This wording appears on vehicle history reports via estimate and/or insurance damage records which identify how the vehicle was damaged.


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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Incorrect VIN (registration status)

The VIN, though associated with a registered vehicle, has an abnormal configuration.


Normally appears on CARFAX Canada reports for "Classic" vehicles and/or other non-passenger car/light truck vehicles.


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Insurance Claim

Insurance claim records appearing on a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report reflect insurance claim data made available to CARFAX Canada from participating data sources.


Claim records will identify the recorded incident date (date damages occurred or were reported to an insurance company), the claim classification used by the insurance company and the dollar amount associated with the claim.


For more information on claim amounts, please see: Insurance claim amount


The claim classifications reported to us reflect the claim classifications used by the insurance company in accordance with their classification standards/criteria. Some examples of claim codes that may appear on a CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report include:


  • Collision - vehicle was involved in a collision with another motor vehicle, property (i.e. collided with a building or fence) and/or nature (i.e. collided with a tree or was damaged by going into a ditch), while being operated on a public road.
  • Damage (to vehicle) - vehicle was damaged while stationary or while operating on a non-public road. This can include parking lot incidents and/or being damaged by another motor vehicle while parked. This may also be used when claim is processed as a Total Loss claim by the insurance company and/or when the insured was deemed "not at fault" (not applicable in all provinces)
  • Hail - vehicle was damaged by hail
  • Windstorm - vehicle was damaged as a result of high winds
  • Theft (of entire vehicle)> - vehicle was stolen from its rightful owner. Claim amount would reflect cost to repair damages exclusively from the act of stealing the vehicle and/or cost to replace the vehicle for the rightful owner
  • Theft from the vehicle - vehicle was damaged and/or parts of the vehicle were stolen. The claims do not include dollar amounts for theft of personal items (i.e. laptops, golf clubs, etc...) from the vehicle
  • Miscellaneous - vehicle was damaged in a way for which there is no specific classification. Typically these claims can involve comprehensive damages/claims, vehicle colliding with an animal and/or weather-related damages that were not hail or windstorm-based


We are not able to obtain nor provide further details pertaining to the claim or reasons a specific classification was applied to the claim.


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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Insurance claim amount

Represents the dollar amount paid by an insurance company for damages to and/or replacement of an insured vehicle. Insurance claim amounts on CARFAX Canada reports do not include amounts paid for expenses such as rental vehicles or personal injuries.


Insurance claim amounts may differ from estimate and/or repair record amounts for a number of different reasons.


We are not able to obtain nor provide further details pertaining to the claim amount.


For more information on claim amounts, please see:



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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Lemon

A U.S. brand attached to a vehicle that could not be fixed by the manufacturer within the issuing state’s requirements. The definition of a lemon varies from state to state, but once a vehicle is branded a lemon, there are various legal remedies available to the consumer, which may include the manufacturer buying back or replacing the vehicle. Note that the warranty was likely nullified when this brand was applied. 


As a lemon brand issued by one jurisdiction may not carry over to another, the vehicle may still be considered safe for operation on public roads in another jurisdiction.


We would advise that you get the vehicle inspected to verify its current condition and that you speak with your provincial motor vehicle registration authority for more information regarding the ability to register and operate the vehicle in your province.


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