What Is CARFAX Canada?

CARFAX Canada is a Canadian vehicle history company, founded in 2000 as CarProof and renamed in 2018. Its VIN-based reports combine damage, registration, service and recall records from Canadian and U.S. sources, and the Lien Check version adds a search for registered Canadian liens. Many of its data sources differ from those of CARFAX in the U.S. and are exclusive to Canada.

How Much Does a CARFAX Report Cost?

A CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report costs $58.95, and the version with a lien check costs $77.95, according to the company’s order page on Oct. 2, 2026. Three reports plus one lien check cost $146.95. Prices change, so check before you order.

A full CARFAX report usually costs money, but you can often see one for free. Ask the dealer for one, or ask a private seller who already bought a report. The CARFAX Canada VIN decoder and recall check are free but don’t show accidents or liens.

Does a CARFAX Report Show Every Accident?

No. A CARFAX Canada report shows only what participating sources reported. Damage repaired privately without an insurance claim can be missing. CARFAX Canada itself recommends a test drive and an inspection by a qualified mechanic alongside the report.

How Long Is a CARFAX Canada Report Valid?

You have 180 days from purchase to enter a VIN and redeem your report. Once redeemed, the report data stays available for 180 days. New records keep arriving, so pull a fresh report if months pass before you buy.

Should I Get a CARFAX Report Before Selling My Car?

It can help. Sellers can buy a CARFAX report directly through AutoTrader when posting an ad, answering a buyer’s first question early. Never pay for a report a stranger asks you to order from a link.

What Is a CARFAX Report? What It Shows, Costs and Limitations

AutoScout24

2026-10-21 · 8 min read

What Is a CARFAX Report? What It Shows, Costs and Limitations

CARFAX Canada, the company once called CARPROOF, is a Canadian vehicle history company that turns a used vehicle's VIN into a report of its reported accidents, recalls, service visits and registration history. The Lien Check version also searches for registered Canadian liens.

A single report costs $58.95, or $77.95 with a lien check (CARFAX Canada order page, accessed Oct. 2, 2026). It only shows what was reported, so it never replaces a mechanic.

Key Takeaways

CARFAX Canada uses different data sources from CARFAX in the U.S., and many of them are exclusive to Canada.
A standard CARFAX Canada Vehicle History Report covers damage history, registration and branding, service records, odometer readings, recall status, stolen status and U.S. history. Only the lien check version searches Canadian liens.
On Oct. 2, 2026, CARFAX Canada listed $58.95 for a report, $77.95 with a lien check and $146.95 for three reports plus one lien check. Vehicles with B.C. registration history can add ICBC records for $20 plus tax.
A CARFAX can be free: a seller may share one, and the VIN decoder and recall check from CARFAX Canada cost nothing.
A clean report isn’t proof of a clean car. Anything never reported to CARFAX Canada stays invisible, so pair the report with a test drive and an independent inspection.

What Is CARFAX? CARFAX Canada Explained

CARFAX Canada is a vehicle history company based in London, Ont. It started in 2000 as CarProof, became CARFAX Canada in 2018 and now sits within Mobility Global. Dealers, insurers, governments and police agencies use its data, and so do private buyers.

The company says its records come from Canadian and U.S. motor vehicle agencies, insurance agencies, collision repair facilities, auto auctions and police departments. Reports are snapshots. CARFAX Canada receives new records every day, and some describe events from years back.

The company explains this on its vehicle history data sources page.

What Is on a CARFAX Report?

CARFAX Canada sells two report types. Here’s what each searches.

Record	Vehicle History Report	Vehicle History Report + Lien Check
Year, make, model and trim	Yes	Yes
Registration history, branding, previous use, number of owners	Yes	Yes
Damage history: police-reported accidents, insurance claims, repair estimates, glass repairs	Yes	Yes
Service records and odometer readings	Yes	Yes
Recall status and stolen status	Yes	Yes
U.S. history	Yes	Yes
Registered Canadian liens	No	Yes

Two regional quirks: registration data isn’t available for the Northwest Territories, and in British Columbia, claim records from ICBC, the public insurer, are an optional add-on. CARFAX Canada lays out both in its report types guide.

Best Years to Run One: Buying Older vs. Newer Used Cars

A report earns its fee on vehicles with a past. Think a few years old, two or three owners, maybe a stint in another province or across the border. That’s where accidents, liens and branding hide, and where a seller’s memory gets fuzzy. A two-year-old car with one owner usually has a short, dull report.

Weighing it against an older bargain? Read the pros and cons of buying new vs used.

CARFAX Canada can’t generate reports for vehicles built before 1981, motorcycles, RVs, boats, snowmobiles, trailers or vehicles first sold outside Canada and the U.S. For those, paperwork and an inspection carry the load.

Buying from another province adds steps too; see these tips on buying a car from a different province.

Common Problems a CARFAX Report Can Flag

Most reports are uneventful. The useful ones flag one of these.

Liens and Money Owing

A lien means someone is still owed money against the vehicle. Buy a car with a registered lien, and you risk getting stuck with the previous owner’s debt. The standard report doesn’t search for liens. The lien check version searches every province or territory where the VIN is registered or has been registered, except the Northwest Territories.

In a private sale, this is the line item to pay for.

Our list of questions to ask before buying that used car covers the rest of that conversation.

Damage, Branding, Theft and Odometer Gaps

The report’s registration history includes branding: normal, or something like salvage, rebuilt or irreparable. Anything other than normal is a reason to stop and get answers.

Service records on the report carry odometer readings. Lined up by date, they should climb. A later reading that’s lower than an earlier one, or a long stretch with no records, is a question for the seller.

The free CARFAX Canada VIN decoder catches a different trick: VIN cloning. If the VIN decodes as a pickup and you’re looking at an SUV, walk away.

Shop Used Cars on AutoTrader.ca

Filter by make, model year and kilometres. Then ask for the vehicle history on your shortlist.

Browse Used Cars

Inspection Checklist: What a CARFAX Report Can’t Tell You

CARFAX Canada says its reports include only what participating sources supply, and some sources share data with nobody. A fender bender fixed for cash may not appear. Neither will today’s brake pads, rust or a slipping transmission.

Treat the report as one step:

Match the VIN on the dashboard, the driver’s door pillar and the ownership papers to the report.
Compare the service records on the report with the seller’s receipts.
Check open recalls by VIN, even if the report looks clean.
Drive it on city streets and the highway; these used-car test drive tricks help.
Book a pre-purchase inspection with a mechanic you choose, not the seller.
Run the lien check close to the day you pay.

One scam to know: AutoTrader warns that fraudsters may push you to buy a history report from a provider other than CARFAX, through a link they send. Don’t pay for reports a stranger requests.

Our fraud prevention guide lists the other red flags.

Ownership Costs: What Service Records and Recalls Tell You

A report won’t give you a running-cost figure, but it shows how the car was kept. Service records list dates, odometer readings and the work done, such as oil changes, brake replacements and tire rotations. Regular entries suggest an owner who kept up. A two-year gap means asking where, or whether, the car was serviced.

Recalls are the other cost signal, and they shouldn’t cost you anything. Transport Canada says manufacturers almost always make recall repairs free of charge. CARFAX Canada says one in four vehicles run through its recall check had at least one unfixed recall. Search Transport Canada’s recall database, which goes back to 1970, then confirm by VIN on the manufacturer’s website.

A Certified Pre-Owned badge on a report means the vehicle met the automaker’s CPO requirements. Programs differ; see our CPO program comparison.

What to Pay: How Much a CARFAX Report Costs and When It’s Free

CARFAX Canada History Report Prices on Oct. 2, 2026

CARFAX Canada’s order page listed these prices:

Vehicle History Report: $58.95
Vehicle History Report + Lien Check: $77.95
Three Vehicle History Reports + one Lien Check: $146.95
ICBC add-on for vehicles with past or present B.C. registration: $20 plus tax

The bundle suits a shopper with three finalists: run all three, then the lien check on your pick. You can order without a VIN, but you must enter one within 180 days. Once redeemed, report data stays available for 180 days.

Free Ways to Check a Vehicle’s History

Is a CARFAX free? Sometimes. Some dealer listings on AutoTrader.ca mention a free CARFAX in the ad, and you can always ask the dealer for one. A private seller may share one too. Check that its VIN and kilometres match the car.

CARFAX Canada also offers two free tools. The VIN decoder confirms year, make, model, engine and trim. The recall check searches open recalls by VIN. Neither shows accidents or liens.

The report covers history, not price. For what a car is worth, use a valuation built on listing data.