Hello Oil Connoisseurs,
I'm looking at the following vehicle: a 2002 Toyota 4Runner 4WD V6 Limited Trim. Here is the Craigslist ad:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/d/streamwood-2002-toyota-4runner-limited/6894394777.html
I checked out the vehicle today, and the odometer matched the listing at ~155K mi.
The VIN is JT3HN87R129076790.
The free MyCarfax lists the last reported mileage at 202K for emissions testing on 2/15/2018. I know in some cases discrepancies exist in mileage on Carfax reports that can be the result of an error or a fat finger, etc. However the entire service history progresses incrementally, therefore I believe the 202K in 2018 is correct.
The backstory on this one is that this guy is selling it on behalf of his Uncle, who has moved out of the state. The vehicle is also titled in the name of a used car dealership (red flag? curbstoning?). However I got a peek of the title and it's filled out and signed by this guy's Uncle, all ready for me, the buyer, to sign.
Investigating further, I created a MyToyota account, which will give you the service records for when the car was taken to a Toyota dealership. The last service at Toyota for this 4Runner was 12/19/11 at 130,528 mi. It goes without saying that I should give increased credibility to the mileage reported by Toyota. It also makes sense, going back to the Carfax, with emissions testing 1/7/2012, at 131,000 mi. Comparing the 131K to the 155K odometer reading currently on the car, I find it hard to believe the vehicle was only driven around 25K miles from 12/19/11. That's around 3K miles a year!
I put down a $100 deposit because I requested extra time to gather funds. We are scheduled to meet tomorrow to complete the sale. I feel after further research that I should walk from the sale. I'm struggling back and forth because I believe the guy is genuine, or at least acted very genuine. The car was last registered 10/2018, with a new owner reported. I believe this is when his Uncle purchased the vehicle. Perhaps the current owners were victims of odometer fraud?
We settled on a purchase price of $4,000, which honestly is pretty good at 155K or 200K+. The vehicle drove great, no leaks, and minimal rust. However, I can't trust anything else that guy said, so I might be looking at large repairs down the road. I could pay for a full $40 Carfax report but I don't want to dump anymore money in this investigation. What do you guys think? Walk? I signed that my $100 deposit was non-refundable, but I'm not sure if I should request it back in the name of fraud.
I'm looking at the following vehicle: a 2002 Toyota 4Runner 4WD V6 Limited Trim. Here is the Craigslist ad:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/d/streamwood-2002-toyota-4runner-limited/6894394777.html
I checked out the vehicle today, and the odometer matched the listing at ~155K mi.
The VIN is JT3HN87R129076790.
The free MyCarfax lists the last reported mileage at 202K for emissions testing on 2/15/2018. I know in some cases discrepancies exist in mileage on Carfax reports that can be the result of an error or a fat finger, etc. However the entire service history progresses incrementally, therefore I believe the 202K in 2018 is correct.
The backstory on this one is that this guy is selling it on behalf of his Uncle, who has moved out of the state. The vehicle is also titled in the name of a used car dealership (red flag? curbstoning?). However I got a peek of the title and it's filled out and signed by this guy's Uncle, all ready for me, the buyer, to sign.
Investigating further, I created a MyToyota account, which will give you the service records for when the car was taken to a Toyota dealership. The last service at Toyota for this 4Runner was 12/19/11 at 130,528 mi. It goes without saying that I should give increased credibility to the mileage reported by Toyota. It also makes sense, going back to the Carfax, with emissions testing 1/7/2012, at 131,000 mi. Comparing the 131K to the 155K odometer reading currently on the car, I find it hard to believe the vehicle was only driven around 25K miles from 12/19/11. That's around 3K miles a year!
I put down a $100 deposit because I requested extra time to gather funds. We are scheduled to meet tomorrow to complete the sale. I feel after further research that I should walk from the sale. I'm struggling back and forth because I believe the guy is genuine, or at least acted very genuine. The car was last registered 10/2018, with a new owner reported. I believe this is when his Uncle purchased the vehicle. Perhaps the current owners were victims of odometer fraud?
We settled on a purchase price of $4,000, which honestly is pretty good at 155K or 200K+. The vehicle drove great, no leaks, and minimal rust. However, I can't trust anything else that guy said, so I might be looking at large repairs down the road. I could pay for a full $40 Carfax report but I don't want to dump anymore money in this investigation. What do you guys think? Walk? I signed that my $100 deposit was non-refundable, but I'm not sure if I should request it back in the name of fraud.