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California Gross Polluter Data Added to Carfax Database

    FAIRFAX, Va.--June 20, 2001--Carfax, the leading provider of vehicle history information, announced today the addition of California gross polluter data records to its comprehensive database of more than 1.4 billion unique vehicle history records. Carfax estimates that more than half a million of the California vehicles in their database fall in the gross polluter category.
    The Carfax database contains data records on virtually ever used car, light truck, mini-van and SUV manufactured after 1981. This latest addition of new data bolsters the Carfax commitment as the one-stop source for vehicle history information.
    To allow used car buyers and sellers to quickly identify these gross polluting vehicles, Carfax is offering a free "Gross Polluter Check" at www.carfax.com/polluter. Utilizing the 17-character vehicle identification number (available on dashboards or title documents), the free check scans the records on the vehicle and issues an alert message if a gross polluter notification is found.
    A "gross polluter" is a vehicle that fails smog inspections and emits high levels of pollution. The emissions level at which a vehicle fails varies according the vehicle type and year. This category was created to identify the worst polluting vehicles on California's roadways, to encourage proper maintenance, and mandate needed repairs to reduce overall vehicle pollution.
    "Gross polluting vehicles are responsible for over 50-percent of vehicle smog in California," explains Scott Fredericks, Carfax's Vice President of Marketing. "These vehicles often have a high level of deterioration and major emissions system defects. Since all vehicles sold in California must first pass a Smog Check, a detailed vehicle history report from Carfax is essential for confirming that the vehicle has passed its emissions inspection."
    Carfax customer David Turk, from Los Angeles, used the Carfax service to research several cars including an Infinity J30 that a local dealer was selling on consignment. "I ran a check when I got home," explained Turk. "I found out the car had flunked emissions testing three times." Turk used Carfax reports to eliminate such questionable cars, and eventually succeeded in his search. "I found a nice car at a reasonable price due to Carfax--I would not buy another used car without the service," he added.