Three Major Players in the Auto Industry Are Partnering. Here's How an Expert Says It Will Improve Your Car-Buying Experience

Motor 1

14 hours ago

A new partnership between Kelly Blue Book, AutoTrader, and AutoCheck is being touted as the start of a fully transparent used car marketplace.
Some are saying it's the future of car buying. Others think it's just a brand deal that won't make much of a dent in the marketplace.
Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily.
back
Sign up
For more information, read our
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use
.
Creator Shawn Payne (@goatforreal216) bills himself online as a leading car sales expert. Payne is enthusiastic about the partnership and its potential to provide car buyers with more information to bring to the negotiation table.
'​​It is the very beginning of a fully transparent process. It's gonna save you guys more time, you're gonna know more about the vehicle that you're buying, you're gonna have the tools that dealers have,' he says while pacing outside GM headquarters in Detroit.
The post has been viewed more than 147,000 times.
Cox Automotive, which owns
Kelley Blue Book
(KBB) and AutoTrader, has
announced
that it will now prominently feature Experian's AutoCheck vehicle history reports across all eligible listings on both KBB.com and AutoTrader.com.
This marks a formal expansion of an existing partnership, effectively co-branding AutoCheck with these platforms to "bring buyers better vehicle history reports" and enhance transparency.
Experian, one of the world's largest data firms, owns AutoCheck, a vehicle history service integral to auction houses and dealer inventories. AutoCheck is used by dealers to uncover issues like frame damage, salvage, and flood history through auction data. It represents what many consider the industrial-strength alternative to consumer-focused reporting.
Until now, consumers have predominantly relied on
Carfax
for vehicle history. With KBB and AutoTrader embedding AutoCheck directly into their listings, the service may compete—or even edge out—Carfax in consumer visibility and usage.
Potential Benefits
Trending Now
'Never Knew This:' Honda Civic Driver of 3 Years Reaches for Key Fob. Then She Realizes It Has a Little-Known Feature
'Why I Hate New Cars': Man Tries to Replace a Headlight Bulb on His 2022 Toyota Corolla. Then He Learns Something Unexpected
With this partnership, customers are expected to have access to more granular data.
AutoCheck provides deeper insight into critical issues like structural or frame damage, salvage, flood history, odometer rollbacks, and auction notes. These details often exceed what's offered in basic consumer-grade reports. This means the partnership could result in a more transparent car-buying experience.
Consumer demand for vehicle history upfront has escalated. Some think having more data about a used car scares off potential buyers, but the opposite may be true.
Cox Automotive itself has highlighted benefits. For example, listings with free AutoCheck reports purportedly see 44% more lead conversions on AutoTrader's vehicle detail pages versus competitors.
Jade Terreberry, senior director of strategic planning for Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, characterizes the partnership as a game changer.
'This collaboration delivers a more transparent, personalized experience for consumers and a smarter, higher-performing solution for dealers,' Terreberry told
Motor1
via email. 'Dealers gain 80–90% visibility into consumer behavior—far beyond traditional CRM systems—and benefit from 44% higher lead conversion on Cox platforms.'
Things We Still Don't Know
There are some unanswered questions about the partnership.
First off, is it really new? Consumers have had access to AutoCheck through standalone subscriptions or via dealer sites for years. What's new is the wider rollout and front-and-center placement, though it's unclear how widespread or visible it will be.
Secondly, will all listings include it, and is it free? Cox says reports are on 'eligible listings.' What qualifies as eligible? Is this added at no cost, or will buyers need to pay? Past integrations suggest options regarding how much and whether consumers pay, but details on this rollout's scope are currently vague.
And finally, are consumers going to see dealer-level data? The big question: Does this integration include all the granular data dealers get at auctions? Or is it a curated, sanitized version that looks good in marketing but doesn't provide full transparency? Until sample reports are compared, the real scope of the data remains uncertain.
More Data, Less Guesswork
The headline promise of this new partnership is simple: more data, less guesswork. By embedding AutoCheck vehicle history reports directly into Kelley Blue Book and AutoTrader listings, Cox Automotive reportedly aims to level the playing field between buyer and seller.
Traditionally, AutoCheck has been a behind-the-scenes tool used primarily at auctions and in dealer operations—a backroom advantage for professionals. Now, that same dataset is being put in front of the public.
This shift could alter how cars are bought and sold, particularly in the mid-tier and online resale markets. Buyers will have easier access to information about prior accidents, frame damage, title issues, and other red flags—insights that once required paying for a report separately or trusting a dealer's word. That transparency, while a win for consumers, may not be so welcome for all sellers.
Dealers, especially those who have long relied on AutoCheck as part of their sourcing and pricing strategy, may lose a modest but meaningful edge. When every buyer has access to the same information, dealers may need to compete more on pricing, warranties, or customer service.
Private sellers could also feel the pressure. If a consumer compares a private-party listing without a vehicle history report to a dealer listing that includes an AutoCheck, the expectation of transparency may make cars without reports harder to sell.
This development also raises the stakes for competitors, particularly Carfax, which has long enjoyed near-monopoly status in the vehicle history market thanks to strong branding and dealership integrations.
On the other hand, AutoCheck is cheaper, often offers more detailed information, and now has a massive distribution channel via KBB and AutoTrader. That combination could begin to chip away at Carfax's dominance—or force it to improve access and pricing to stay competitive.
Other automotive marketplaces like CarGurus, Cars.com, and TrueCar may also need to upgrade their vehicle history reports to compete, lest they risk appearing outdated.
Consumers React
Payne describes the partnership as 'awesome.'
He says consumers want to know what the dealer knows. In his view, the partnership between Kelly Blue Book, AutoTrader, and AutoCheck is a strong step towards greater transparency in the car buying business.
'Finally, a big company went out on a limb and is hanging its future on consumer transparency,' Payne says in the TikTok.
His audience isn't so sure.
Several said that AutoCheck has been around for years, so this really isn't going to change anything. Some questioned the quality of AutoCheck, with one quipping that it's 'the Temu version of Carfax.' (Temu is an online retailer.)
'Auto check is inferior to Carfax in every way,' another said. 'At least at this point. Maybe they'll make it better.'
Payne wasn't perturbed by the haters. 'I understand that a more transparent and consumer friendly buying process isn't important to everyone,' he wrote sarcastically in response to one.
At least a few people are as excited as he is. 'This is great news for lenders as well!!!' wrote one.
Motor1
reached out to Payne via direct message and text message. We'll be sure to update this if he responds.
More From Motor1
First-Time Shopper Buys Her 'Dream Car.' Then the Salesman 'Scams' Her out of Her Audi
GM's EV Sales Are Booming. But Can It Catch Tesla?
'We Paid...to Get It Fixed': Woman Says Her 2020 Ram's Steering Wheel 'Randomly' Locks Up. The Dealership Says It's Fine
The Cheapest Ford Maverick Now Costs $30,000 Thanks to Tariffs
Share this Story
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Reddit
WhatsApp
E-Mail
Got a tip for us? Email:
[e-mail]
Join the conversation
(
)