I posted earlier that I was getting out of my perfectly running '88 244 and into an unknown '99 S-80 T-6. Excitedly looking forward to the new to me car, but now would like to get a Carfax history. Yeah, I can pay for one and don't want to be a user but, if you have an unlimited account with Carfax, I would certainly appreciate it if you would run one and email me with it. The vehicle ID is YV1TS90D9X1014833


email me at rerains@juno.com

Thanks in advance.

This is for educational purposes only. This is what a car fax report looks like, less definitions and other garbage:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sect.# Section Name Section Results
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 Vehicle Specifications YV1TS90D9X1014833
1999 VOLVO S80 T6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 Title Check Clean Title History Guaranteed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 Odometer Rollback Check No Odometer Rollback Detected
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 Problem Check No Problems Found
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Registration Check Checked 7 types of vehicle
registrations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 Vehicle History Details 5 Total Vehicle History Records Found
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: CARFAX has not inspected this vehicle. It may have problems that
have not been reported to CARFAX. CARFAX recommends a vehicle
inspection by a professional mechanic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

How CARFAX analyzed this vehicle's history:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CARFAX checks the VIN against its nationwide database containing
over 1.99 billion vehicle history records. The CARFAX database
includes U.S. and Canadian title and registration activity, rental and
lease usage, odometer readings from inspection stations, auto auctions
and other sources.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 1 CARFAX VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

VIN: YV1TS90D9X1014833
Year/Make/Model: 1999 VOLVO S80 T6
Body Style: SEDAN 4 DR
Engine: 2.8L L6 PFI TBO DOHC
Fuel: GASOLINE
Driveline: FRONT WHEEL DRIVE
Carburetion: TURBO FUEL INJECTED, 1, 2, OR 4 BARREL CARB
Cylinders: 6
Manufactured in: SWEDEN

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 2 TITLE CHECK


Problem Titles Checked: Results:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
Salvage/Junk-------------------------> No Salvage/Junk Title Found.
Rebuilt/Reconstructed----------------> No Rebuilt/Reconstructed Title Found.
Flood Damage-------------------------> No Flood Damage Title Found.
Damage Disclosure--------------------> No Damage Disclosure Found.
Manufacturer Buyback (LEMON)---------> No Manufacturer Buyback Found.
Exceeds Mechanical Limits (EML)------> No EML Found.
Not Actual Mileage (NAM)-------------> No NAM Found.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 3 ODOMETER ROLLBACK CHECK
* RESULT: GOOD NEWS!
CARFAX did not uncover a potential odometer rollback. Date Reported: Odometer Reading:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
03/21/2001 117 Reported on 11/18/1998
----------------------------------------
12/13/2002 58,769
----------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 4 PROBLEM CHECK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

* RESULT: GOOD NEWS!
CARFAX search results on this 1999 VOLVO S80 T6 (YV1TS90D9X1014833)
did not uncover any of the following problems:

Problems Checked: Results:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Accident-----------------------------> No Accident Record Found.
Salvage Auction----------------------> No Salvage Auction Record Found.
Failed Emissions Inspection----------> No Failed Emissions Record Found.
Fire Damage--------------------------> No Fire Damage Record Found.
Crash Test Vehicle-------------------> No Crash Test Vehicle Record Found.
Grey Market Vehicle------------------> No Grey Market Record Found.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 5 REGISTRATION CHECK
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FYI: CARFAX search results on this this 1999 VOLVO S80 T6 (YV1TS90D9X1014833)
identify the types of state motor vehicle department registrations, other
than private, that appear in this vehicle's history.
Registrations Checked: Results:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lease--------------------------------> LEASE REGISTRATION FOUND.
Rental-------------------------------> No Rental Registration Found.
Government---------------------------> No Government Registration Found.
Taxi---------------------------------> No Taxi Registration Found.
Fleet--------------------------------> No Fleet Registration Found.
Commercial---------------------------> COMMERCIAL REGISTRATION FOUND.
Non-Profit---------------------------> No Non-Profit Registration Found.
SECTION 6 VEHICLE HISTORY DETAILS
The CARFAX database contains a total of 5 vehicle history records on this
1999 VOLVO S80 T6 (YV1TS90D9X1014833).
Date: 10/31/1998
Information Source:
US Customs
General Comments:
Exported from:
Sweden
Imported to:
Jacksonville, FL

Date: 01/01/1999
Information Source:
Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Birmingham, AL

General Comments:
Registered as
commercial vehicle

Date: 01/22/1999
Information Source:
Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Birmingham, AL
Title #76709828

General Comments:
Title issued
First owner reported
First lien reported
Registered as lease vehicle

Date: 03/21/2001
Odometer Reading: 117
Information Source:
Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Birmingham, AL
Title #0076709828

General Comments:
Title issued
First lien reported
Registered as lease vehicle
Odometer reading recorded on 11/18/1998

------------------------------------------------------
Date: 12/13/2002
Odometer Reading: 58,769
Information Source:
Auto Auction

General Comments:
Sold at auction
in Southeast Region
Listed as
a fleet vehicle

------------------------------------------------------

Date: 01/25/2003
Information Source:
CARFAX Advisor

General Comments:
Be sure to buy this vehicle from a licensed dealer.

A person selling multiple cars a year must be licensed as
a car dealer in most States. A curbstoner purchases
vehicles at auction without a license and poses as a
private seller to sell these vehicles to unsuspecting
buyers for a large profit. Curbstoning is illegal in most States.

------------------------------------------------------
Date: 01/25/2003
Information Source:
Consumer resource
provided by:
Edmunds.com
http://www.edmunds.com

General Comments:
Manufacturer-Recommended Maintenance Schedules

http://applications.edmunds.com/maintenance/MaintenanceServlet
?id=lin2154&year=1999&make=Volvo&model=S80&mileage=58769&zip=27516

Check this vehicle's service schedules, estimated costs and
recall notices at Edmunds.com.

------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: You have significantly reduced your risk of purchasing a vehicle with
a hidden problem. However, CARFAX has not inspected this vehicle. There
could be other potential problems with this vehicle that have not been
reported to CARFAX. CARFAX recommends a vehicle inspection by a
professional mechanic.

NOTE: Not all titles issued represent a change in vehicle ownership. For
example, a title could be issued to reflect an address change or correction.

GLOSSARY DEFINITIONS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Commercial - Vehicle registered for business purposes.

Curbstoning - Tips To Protect You From Curbstoning

Curbstoners use classified ads or put the vehicles in highly trafficked
areas with "for sale" signs to attract unsuspecting buyers. If you are
meeting the seller in a parking lot, be wary. They usually will not meet
you at their homes.

Look at the seller's license and the car's title. If the names on the
two documents don't match, don't buy the car. Selling it for a friend
or family member should send up red flags.

Check the phone number. If the same phone number appears in multiple
classified advertisements, the seller is probably curbstoning.

Check the CARFAX Vehicle History Report for problem titles, odometer
rollbacks, accidents and other automotive events.

Take the car to a trusted mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection.

Protect yourself from curbstoning by using CARFAX Find a Car or
working with CARFAX Certified Dealers.

Lease - Vehicle registered but not owned by the driver.

--
Tom F

As shown in the carfax report I am buying a '99 S80 T-6. Don't know much about the model, other than my wife and I went to a wedding in Denver and rented an S80. Drove it four days, up hills and on the flats. Drove well, looked good. I got this '99 at wholesale per Kelley Blue Book so I don't feel I'm getting taken. We are donating our North Carolina rust free '88 240 to an older widow in our church. I would still drive it coast to coast without concern so I'm certain it will be a good car for her, nice and safe. I think I'll ask her to remember me if she ever decides she can no longer drive. Heck, I can recycle it and make someone else a Volvo convert. Now, I've got to find the FWD brickboard. Is there?

Thank you javalion for the report. R2

Don't bet the farm on CarFax. They do give you a lot of info for $15.00, however, it was'nt everything on the two vehicles that I bought. I found out a lot more buy getting ahold of the previous owners. Turns out one rig was wrecked and used as trade-in for a new vehicle, then sold to a parts place, only to be fixed and sold to a recycler. Lots of time and effort to fix all the
stuff that CarFax "led me to beleive" was nonexistant. Second vehicle was totaled by insurance, bought by a backyard fix-it place who pedaled it as a used vehicle through an Iranian relative that didn't have a basic grasp on the english langauge, just the money. When I had the local police try to contact her, they were told by the family members that she moved back home. Saw her the grocery store the following month. ( America, what a country). I was fortunate enough to break even on these two resales, now I use more than "just Carfax" to ascertain vehicle history. Make sure you read the fine print, not the big stuff with the attractive print.

I think that speaks more to the fact that you should be a bit more cautious of the type of people you're buying the car from, and about the condition of the car. On cars as old as the 240s we buy are, I don't think Carfax is all that useful. I suspect the 85 may have been in some sort of accident at one point, Carfax didn't turn up anything. I haven't bothered on the wagon.

The more I poke around on the 85, it feels like it hasn't been driven too much, but it's been neglected quite a bit. Lots of rust in weird places (the hood's eaten up a bit, usual floorpan rust, doors are rusting out, rust on the front clip under the hood, etc). The car was garaged often, and it shows in the interior (the reciepts don't hurt either). Bought by a "dealer" who picks up cars at auction that look decent and sells em pretty cheap.

The more I poke around on the 84, it feels like it was really driven and loved. Albeit by a slob at one time. Yes, it's got about 300k miles, but there's precious little rust, doors are rust (but not mold) free, everything feels used but not broken. Bought from an artist type who was getting married and leaving the state.

Both cars have spent their entire lives in the SF Bay Area, and the paint is otherwise immaculate on both (where I haven't damaged it).

- alex

'85 244 Turbo
'84 245 Turbo

I usually splurge and pay the $19.99

I imagine most, if not all, of that stuff is more or less public record and freely available if you know where to look.

For instance you can check the Calif smog test history of a vehicle by VIN or license plate numberhere.

I haven't looked elsewhere, but it would be interesting to see what other government agencies publish this sort of information (title/accident/smog history) online.

- alex

'85 244 Turbo
'84 245 Turbo

That's really interesting. I would guess eventually you'd be able to put together a lot of information on a car's history for nothing. CARFAX just does it easily, and bundles it for less than twenty bucks, unlimited, for a decent period of time. Twenty bucks well spent to get instant information. Despite holes in some of the reports (no data source is going to be perfect when the data itself isn't there) it's still worth a few bucks to find out.
--
Chris Herbst, in Wisconsin.