Tips

Reference:

2001 Model Year?

Question
Why does the Report say my Mercedes or BMW was made in 2001?

Answer
Our understanding is that some states actually revised the VINs of certain incoming Mercedes Benz and BMW cars in the mid-1980s. The revised VINs were created to designate some cars as grey market (meaning that the cars came into the US as not built to US emissions or safety specifications).

In revising the VINs the coding was inadvertently changed such that the VINs do decode as 2001 model year cars. This obviously is not correct. We are told that the states involved did not consider the long term implications of their VIN revisions, thus they did not realize the full impact of their changes.

Overall, this means little in terms of real world impact. The revised VIN has been associated with these cars since their arrival in the US, and all pertinent records should be associated with the revised VINs.

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Auto News: Sweetened consumer incentives, enhanced vehicle lineups and an improving U.S. economy lifted new car and truck sales in last November, automakers reported - source: Business AP. Most analysts predicted sales of new cars and trucks to rise last month from October and a year ago thanks to hefty showroom bargains, which are likely to continue for the remainder of the year. Many automakers also improved incentives to end 2002 as they tried to meet year-end sales goals. Also helping, analysts and automakers said, is a strengthening economy that bodes well for business heading into 2004.

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The CARFAX database is the most comprehensive and accurate vehicle database in North America, containing 2.36 billion vehicle history records that are updated monthly - source, data provided and its meaning. Each record reveals information about a car's history, such as an odometer reading, date a salvage/junk title was issued, or if it was a rental car. The following are the data reported:

• Totaled in an accident / Salvaged
• Flood damage
• Odometer rollbacks
• Lemon histories
• Junked Titles
• State emissions inspection results
• Lien activity, and/or
• Vehicle use (taxi, rental, lease, etc.)
• Over the last year, CARFAX has added several enhancements to its report and to its user websites to better serve the needs of used car buyers and sellers. The Safety and Reliability Report is free with the purchase of Unlimited CARFAX History Reports and includes information such as: crash test results, safety recalls, reliability ratings, warranty information and more.
• CARFAX vehicle service report provide Safety data on the specific make, model, and year.
  This information will help you select a vehicle model that meets your expectations for safety and security. - Safety & Reliability Report
  • Crash Test Results - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides 3 different ratings - full-width frontal crash test, side impact crash test, and rollover resistance. The frontal crash test indicates how well the safety features and restraints will protect an occupant in a head-on collision. The side-impact test conveys the chance of a severe chest injury, while the rollover resistance rating estimates the risk of rolling over in a single vehicle crash
  • Crashworthiness - Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) uses a frontal offset crash test to estimate the crashworthiness of a vehicle. These results are good indicators of how a frontal impact will structurally impact this Year, Make, Model.
  • Low Speed Damage Repair - IIHS conducts four 5 mph crash tests to assess bumper performance. These results convey how well this model's bumpers will protect the car body from damage in low-speed collisions.
  • Injury, Collision, & Theft rating index - sourced from the IIHS, Highway Loss Data Institute.
  • Safety Recalls - Print out of the manufacturer recall date, units potentially affected, NHTSA campaign number, defective part or component, and description of the recall campaign.
• Reliability data are shown on your CARFAX report.- Safety & Reliability Report
  Use this information to check how reliable a vehicle model is before you buy.
  • J.D. Power and Associates Power Ratings
  • Original Manufacturer Warranty
  • Reviews & Opinions
  • Awards. - Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, Polk Automotive, and J.D. Power and Associates.

   

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