Carfax is not all. My experience is that Carfax don't necessarily show a collision repair that had no effect on the title status.

There is a firm called CCC Information services who maintains a database of vehicle history and my experience with their information shows they have a lot more to offer than Carfax.

One of the car I owned held a clear record on Carfax report. But the car did have an obvious sign of previous collision repair.

That particular car has been good to me, but was totaled when some guy wrecked into it. In the process of determing value, Farmers Insurance presented a report on my vehicle obtained from CCC Information Services which contained repair records that was not in Carfax. I actually learned that it has had two repairs prior to my ownership. Apparently, they maintain all records of body work paid for by insurance. I ran Carfax on that car about a year later and it showed the total loss, but the previous minor damage records were still absent.

Is there anyway an individual can get their hands on CCC reports without going through an insurance company?

Maybe a private investigator might be able to.

If you are friends with an insurance agent ask him about it. Use your connections and I'm sure you'll come up with something.