Looking at several, late model VW Jettas in my area I spied one online at an independent dealer's lot in ___, TX. A link to CARFAX was provided but it was not paid for by the dealer. I made an appointment and met a salesman on their lot who'd formerly worked for Mitsubishi. We took the Jetta out for a spin. The car looked sharp but when driven made strange noises from underneath. Back in the dealers office we pulled the CARFAX and, lo-and-behold, the car had suffered serious damage and a title change. Oh well, at least the test drive showed I could live with a Jetta. Next stop was a "real" VW dealer with a Jetta coming in off lease return. To my surprise, the dealer also relied on CARFAX to accurately describe a vehicle in their inventory! The car was a good one and the price was OK so a deal was struck. The short if it is I'll never buy another car without a CARFAX - you shouldn't either.