Carfax, Inc.

Carfax, Inc.
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Vehicle information services
Founded	1984; 42 years ago in Columbia, Missouri, United States
Founder	Ewin Barnett III, Robert Daniel Clark
Headquarters	Fairfax County, United States
Area served	United States, Canada
Products	Vehicle history reports, vehicle listings, automobile valuation tools, purchase and maintenance guidance
Parent	S&P Global (under S&P Global Mobility division)

Carfax, Inc. (branded as CARFAX) is a U.S.-based firm specializing in vehicle information services for both individual consumers and commercial clients, most notably recognized for its CARFAX Vehicle History Report. Its offerings also extend to vehicle listings, automobile valuation tools, as well as guidance on purchasing and maintenance.

History

Established in 1984 in Columbia, Missouri by entrepreneurs Ewin Barnett III and Robert Daniel Clark, CARFAX initially focused on providing vehicle history reports to dealerships via fax transmission. By 1996, the company expanded its reach by launching an online platform to sell reports directly to end users.

Over the years, CARFAX has undergone several changes in ownership: it became a fully owned subsidiary of R.L. Polk & Company in 1999; Polk was subsequently acquired by IHS Inc. in 2013; IHS then merged with Markit in 2016 to form IHS Markit; and finally, in 2022, S&P Global purchased IHS Markit, integrating CARFAX into its S&P Global Mobility division.

In April 2025, S&P Global revealed intentions to separate its Mobility segment, which includes CARFAX, into an independent publicly traded entity.

Vehicle history reports

The central product of CARFAX is its vehicle history report, which provides comprehensive information about a used vehicle’s past ownership, accident records, title conditions, fleet usage, and maintenance history.

Information sourcing

CARFAX compiles data from more than 151,000 sources totaling over 35 billion records. These include motor vehicle agencies from all 50 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces. Its data collection spans state title and registration databases, automobile and salvage auctions, rental and fleet operators, consumer protection organizations, inspection stations, warranty companies, insurance providers, law enforcement agencies, manufacturers, service centers, dealerships, and import/export businesses.

While continuously growing its data repository, CARFAX adheres strictly to the 1994 U.S. Drivers Privacy Protection Act by excluding personal identifiers such as owner names and addresses from its reports. The company acknowledges that occasional inaccuracies or omissions may occur due to restricted data access or errors during data entry and allows both consumers and dealers to request corrections for disputed information.

West v. CARFAX

In a class-action lawsuit filed in 2006, plaintiffs accused CARFAX of misleading consumers by failing to disclose that it could not verify accident histories in 23 states despite advertising nationwide coverage. The lawsuit was settled in 2007 but later invalidated because of insufficient consumer notification and inadequate settlement conditions. CARFAX asserts it provides accident data from all states where major incidents occur and backs this with a buyback guarantee.

Accident report for wrong vehicle

In 2024, the Boston Globe reported an incident where Carfax did not remove a mistaken accident record associated with a passenger car; the actual event involved a commercial vehicle sharing similar license plates in Massachusetts. Carfax requested the driver obtain a police correction on the accurate report but then ceased communication until a journalist intervened. The company did not issue an apology regarding the mistake.

Advertising

Car Fox serves as the fictional mascot representing Carfax’s vehicle history service. Originally introduced as a puppet character, it was designed to boost brand awareness and support marketing campaigns.

References