Carfax question - stolen recovery

[RyeLou]

I'm looking at picking up a '13 Malibu from a used car lot at a dealership. The car has about 27k miles, nicely optioned, drove great, mechanically checked out fine, etc. etc. Had I not known about the Carfax part, I wouldn't have second guessed anything.

I had B. House (Thanks again!) run a Carfax though, and buried in the service records was:

03/16/2013 Michigan
Stolen Report Vehicle reported stolen
Vehicle recovered after theft
06/01/2013 4,748 George Matick Chevrolet
Redford, MI
313-531-7100
matickchevy.com Maintenance inspection completed
Oil and filter changed

Is that a big deal? I know dealerships and private parties don't like seeing accidents on a Carfax, but what about stolen and recovered? It doesn't mention anything about any accidents anywhere in the history on Carfax, and I've also checked the service records on the GM side through my work. Whoever owned it purchased the GMPP warranty with it and has taken pretty good care of it. It was regularly in for the recalls and all maintenance, etc.

So - is stolen/recovered anything like an accident? If everything else seems fine, is it nothing to worry about? Opinions please.

They actually gave me the car for the night to make me comfortable with it. It wasn't really necessary, but a nice tactic/gesture either way.

 

[DetroitStyle]

It will have a negative impact on the resale value, when that time comes... but should also be able to use it to your advantage in the same manner. Ask them for the repair records, from the theft recovery and see what may have been damaged and take a closer look at those items. Did they get the airbags? Radio? etc. You have to decide if you want to be driving a car that's may have had the airbags stolen and then replaced due to theft, etc.

 

[RyeLou]

It's in the used lot of a Ford dealership and it was obviously sold at a Chevy dealership. Ford doesn't have anything beyond the Carfax and an Auto Check. I pulled service records from GM's internal system, and there's nothing about stolen recovery. It lists the PDIF at 8 miles, and the next entry matches the day and mileage of the stolen recovery, but the only service record is tightening a bolt on the manifold for a recall (see below)

Job Card Date: 06/01/2013 Job Card Number: 341003
Repair Service Agent: 115101 Odometer Reading: 4,748 MI
GEORGE MATICK CHEVROLET, INC.
14001 TELEGRAPH RD
REDFORD MI 48239-2854
3135317100 Authorization Code:
Process Date:
06/04/2013
Transaction Type:
ZFAT----Field Action Recall
Transaction Expense Category:
Field Action Recall
Customer Complaint Code:
-
Job Card Line #: 3 Transaction Adjustment: Cause Code: -
Labour Op V2765-13013 - Tighten Exhaust Manifold Bolts
Causal Part Number

 

[Roadrage]

What is the vin on it? If it went through any insurance company I do work for I should be able to tell exactly what was damaged.

 

[RyeLou]

1g11j5sx7df202337

 

[Roadrage]

I can't help on that one, it isnt in my system.

 

[RyeLou]

I ended up passing on it. I didn't want to have to deal with it when I'd go to sell it in a couple years.

 

[adidasvette16]

I ended up passing on it. I didn't want to have to deal with it when I'd go to sell it in a couple years.

I would have defaulted with this. While it could have still been a quality vehicle, if it wasn't the deal of the century I would have passed.

 

[mustangjoe87]

That car in that area I'd all but guarantee it was a wheel/tire theft with minor damage from pushing it down the street.

 

[RyeLou]

That car in that area I'd all but guarantee it was a wheel/tire theft with minor damage from pushing it down the street.

That was my thought, too. Not that the dealership would have cared, but it's a bummer to have that on the Carfax for the life of the car now.

Back to the drawing board!

 

[mustangmike6996]

That was my thought, too. Not that the dealership would have cared, but it's a bummer to have that on the Carfax for the life of the car now.

Back to the drawing board!

Just like herpes

 

[Swifster]

Car-Fax is over rated. I bought a 2001 Ford Ranger that was a stolen recovery. It was stolen from a gas station in Dearborn in January. The keys were left in it when the owner went in to pay for gas. They did a little joy riding and left it in the garage at Metro. It was found three months later. The only damage? Keys were missing. I bought the truck from the insurance company with 7800 miles on it. Drove it for 12 years and I totaled it at 274,000 miles. Not all thefts are catastrophes...

 

[RyeLou]

Car-Fax is over rated. I bought a 2001 Ford Ranger that was a stolen recovery. It was stolen from a gas station in Dearborn in January. The keys were left in it when the owner went in to pay for gas. They did a little joy riding and left it in the garage at Metro. It was found three months later. The only damage? Keys were missing. I bought the truck from the insurance company with 7800 miles on it. Drove it for 12 years and I totaled it at 274,000 miles. Not all thefts are catastrophes...

I don't disagree with that at all. I'm 99% sure this car would have had no issues related to whatever it was that happened as a matter of fact. And I agree that Carfax can be over rated. It's great when you find something major that you otherwise wouldn't have known about. But, the majority of people who don't know much about cars put too much weight in to what they see on the Carfax report. Short of trading in a car that has any type of black eye on the report, it can become considerably more difficult to sell it privately.

The price of the Malibu in this case was $18,500. The dealer didn't know about the Carfax report and the stolen info on there because they used Auto Check and for whatever reason it doesn't show up as stolen and recovered on that one, which I also find odd. Either way, the price had nothing to do with it's Carfax report, although it was still more than fair. I think with options, mileage, etc. factored in the car was about $1,000 below clean retail.

 

[mustangmike6996]

I do enjoy the option to check the history of a vehicle *if* the incidents were reported. I cant blame people for wanting a carfax for a 20-30k used car. Its not like it used to be where you could go pay for a used car with low mile and not need a car loan. After things like Katrina and the rest of the disasters with the high amounts of flood cars, a carfax is damn near mandatory to ensure you arent getting screwed.

Also Reylou, if you go on that dealer's site, are any cars listed on carfax?

Maybe they used the Auto Check BECAUSE it wasnt on there. Ive seen some places do crap like that too.

 

[RyeLou]

Also Reylou, if you go on that dealer's site, are any cars listed on carfax?

Maybe they used the Auto Check BECAUSE it wasnt on there. Ive seen some places do crap like that too.

I didn't check, to be honest. My assumption is Auto Check is less expensive for them, but I have no idea. I guess it better be if there was nothing reported on the Auto Check report but Carfax had the stolen info as well as a handful of service/registration records.