The history of CARFAX
Four decades from a fax service for Missouri car dealers to the best-known name in vehicle history.
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Timeline
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1984
Ewin Barnett III, a computer professional, and Robert Daniel Clark, an accountant, start the company in Columbia, Missouri. The aim is to make odometer fraud harder.
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1986
Working with the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association, the company offers an early version of the vehicle history report to dealers.
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1996
In December the website opens, and consumers can buy the reports that businesses already used.
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1999
CARFAX becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of R.L. Polk & Company.
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2013
IHS acquires Polk and, with it, CARFAX. In 2016 IHS merges with Markit to form IHS Markit.
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2022
S&P Global buys IHS Markit; CARFAX becomes a brand of S&P Global Mobility.
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2025
S&P Global announces plans to separate its Mobility division into a standalone public company.
Why the idea worked
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One number for one car
Since 1981 every car sold in the US carries a standard 17-character VIN, so records from different sources can be tied to the same car.
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Records already existed
Title agencies, insurers and shops were creating the data anyway. The new step was bringing it together.
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Dealers first, buyers second
Dealers used the reports for years before the internet let any buyer order one.
CARFAX today
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It sells reports to consumers and subscriptions to dealers, and runs a used-car listing site.
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It offers free tools around the report: a value estimate and a service tracker for owners.
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Its main competitor is AutoCheck, owned by Experian.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns CARFAX?
S&P Global, since it bought IHS Markit in February 2022. CARFAX is part of the S&P Global Mobility business.
Who founded CARFAX?
Ewin Barnett III and Robert Daniel Clark, in Columbia, Missouri, in 1984.
Why is it called CARFAX?
The first reports were delivered to dealers by fax: car plus fax.
When did CARFAX go online?
In December 1996, when its website began offering reports to consumers.
Where is CARFAX based?
In Centreville, Virginia.
Is VINinfohub.com part of CARFAX?
No. VINinfohub.com is an independent reseller of vehicle history reports and is not affiliated with CARFAX, Inc.
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