How Long Does Carfax Take to Update?

When customers check used-car history, they mostly turn to Carfax. But at the same time, what many people wonder is “How long until a recent repair, accident, or title change shows up on the Carfax report?” OR “What’s the exact time it can take to update after disputes?”

Well, in short, it takes 24 to 48 hours to receive new information about the vehicle. But depending on what happened and how quickly the shops or agencies report it, some updates can even take days or weeks to appear.

Want to explore more about it? Scroll down to clear all your doubts!

How Carfax Gets Its Data, & Why Timing Differs?

In general, Carfax collects data from data providers such as insurance companies, auto auctions, repair shops, service facilities, and state DMVs. And once any sources report vehicle events (repair, accident, title transfer, recalls, etc), Carfax receives all information.

However, it does take some time to verify the data and process it. So, the exact time of the update definitely varies and may take days, weeks, or even a month and a half.

But based on community insights and user experiences, the process takes 30-45 days. During this period, the platform conducts extensive research, contacts the third parties involved, verifies evidence, and then updates the vehicle report.

Typical Timelines for Different Types of Updates

The timeline of Carfax updates also depends on event type. The table below will give you an estimate of how long different events take to show up on the vehicle report:

Event Type	Update Time After Reporting to CARFAX
Accident or Damage	24 to 48 hours
Title changes/Registration Updates	A few days to a week
Repairs or Maintenance	Take several days to weeks
Lien Checks or Legal/Title-Status Changes	Depends entirely on verification

Why Do Carfax Updates Delay or Never Appear Sometimes?

If you’re wondering why a vehicle’s Carfax update is taking longer than expected, it can be due to several reasons. The main ones include:

• Reporting Delays: Not all repair shops or insurers provide data quickly. Sometimes, they don’t even update it, which means Carfax will have nothing to update.

• Verification Process: Carfax usually verifies data before adding it. And this whole process is also a bit time-consuming.