With millions of issues uncovered, Canadians urged to obtain a CARFAX Canada vehicle history report before buying a used car
LONDON, Ontario — CARFAX Canada today released its 2025 “Year in Rear View,” a data‑driven snapshot of trends identified across more than a million Vehicle History Reports generated over the past year. The report highlights accident frequency, weather‑related damage, lien prevalence and emerging concerns such as VIN fraud, offering a new lens on the health of Canada’s used‑car market.
CARFAX Canada Year in Rear View 2025. Data from reports run between September 30, 2024 and October 1, 2025.
“Our data reveals critical issues that buyers should consider when shopping for a used vehicle—ranging from collision history and weather damage to outstanding liens and fraud risk,” said Shawn Vording, President of CARFAX Canada. “A thorough check of a vehicle’s history and lien status can prevent costly surprises down the road.”
Accidents and Damage: One in Four Vehicles
In 2025 the total value of accident‑related claims identified in CARFAX reports exceeded $9.2 billion, a 21 % increase over the previous year. More than 600,000 vehicles carried a collision record.
- February 18 recorded the highest number of accident reports in a single day, with over a thousand incidents logged.
- The most expensive day for claims was January 28, when total payouts topped $12.2 million.
Weather‑related damage surfaced in over 50,000 vehicles, prompting expensive repairs. Alberta led the nation with $454 million in claims, 91 % of which were hail‑related. Ontario followed with $50.3 million, and Quebec reported $1.6 million.
Top three provinces by hail‑related claim cost:
- Alberta: $414.8 million
- Ontario: $37.4 million
- Quebec: $1.56 million
Wind damage also contributed to losses, with Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia ranking highest in claim amounts.
- Alberta: $39.9 million
- Ontario: $11.8 million
- Nova Scotia: $1.16 million
Outstanding Liens: 40 % of Vehicles
Liens remain a major concern for used‑car purchasers; 40 % of lien checks revealed outstanding debt on the vehicle, underscoring the need for title verification before finalizing a sale.
The findings reinforce that a vehicle‑history check is not optional but essential to avoid hidden mechanical problems, undisclosed accident damage, or safety hazards that could drain thousands from a buyer’s wallet.
Additional insights:
- White, black and gray are the most popular vehicle colours among Canadian buyers.
- The highest odometer reading recorded this year was 995,761 kilometres on a 2015 GMC Savana.
VIN fraud continues to threaten the market. CARFAX estimates that more than 372,000 vehicles in Canada may have cloned VINs, a risk that affects buyers, dealerships, insurers and regulatory agencies.
By aggregating billions of records from thousands of sources, CARFAX Canada leverages advanced data analytics and machine‑learning models to surface patterns that help consumers make informed decisions.
Data reflects CARFAX Canada reports generated between September 30 2024 and October 1 2025.
About CARFAX Canada
CARFAX Canada, a subsidiary of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), is Canada’s leading provider of automotive data, delivering vehicle‑history reports, valuation tools and service solutions. Its platform integrates public and private data streams—including insurance claims, registration records and salvage databases—to offer transparent insights for used‑car buyers, sellers, dealers, insurers and law‑enforcement agencies.
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