Saved by Carfax! I have to share this one

[Neil]

So, I'm searching for a decent used car, just basic transportation, for my daughter who gets her license in two weeks. I've been dealing with every scammer on Craigslist, people who forget to mention that the car doesn;t run until you show up to test drive it, and things like that. I thought $4-$5k range would have some decent cars. I haven't found them yet.

So my wife calls me this morning and says she's found a great deal at one of those strip mall dealerships. Its a 2005 Ford Focus with 49,000 miles! Only $5,999!

So, "someone" runs a Carfax for me on the car for me and I get the real picture.

The car started life as a rental. It has been titled by 4 owners in less that 3 years. Owner three put 30,000 miles on it in less than a year. And the best part ..... in the last 6 months it actually LOST almost 2,000 miles! Amazing! I guess the dealership has been driving around backwards for a while. Heres the actual carfax on the car!

2005 FORD FOCUS ZX4
1FAFP34N15W251827
SEDAN 4 DR
2.0L L4 FI DOHC 16V / FRONT WHEEL DRIVE

No reported issues or recalls, Warranty Expired.

Owner 1
Purchased: 2005
Type: Rental
Where: Virginia
Est. miles/year: ---
Est. length owned: 1/28/05 - 12/20/05
(10 months)


Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
Not Reported NICB Vehicle manufactured
and shipped to original dealer

01/28/2005 5 Virginia
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Virginia Beach, VA Title or registration issued
First owner reported
Registered as
rental vehicle
(major car rental company)




Owner 2
Purchased: 2005
Where: Virginia
Est. miles/year: ---
Est. length owned: 12/20/05 - 2/28/06
(2 months)


Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
12/20/2005 Virginia
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Virginia Beach, VA Title or registration issued
New owner reported

02/28/2006 21,646 Auto Auction Sold at auction
in Eastern Region
Listed as
a manufacturer vehicle

Dealers routinely buy and sell millions of used vehicles at auction each year.

03/02/2006 21,662 Dealer Inventory
Mc Lean, VA Vehicle offered for sale




Owner 3
Purchased: 2006
Where: Maryland
Est. miles/year: ---
Est. length owned: 4/18/06 - 5/16/06
(28 days)


Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
04/18/2006 21,814 Maryland
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Suitland, MD
Title #36451961 Registration issued or renewed
New owner reported
Loan or lien reported

05/16/2006 Dealer Inventory Vehicle offered for sale




Owner 4
Purchased: 2007
Type: Lease
Where: Maryland
Est. miles/year: ---
Est. length owned: 3/19/07 - 4/11/07
(23 days)


Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
03/19/2007 50,941 Maryland
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Plano, TX
Title #37934820 Title issued or updated
Registration issued or renewed
New owner reported
Registered as lease vehicle

Don't be confused by the two locations in this record. The title was held in Plano, Texas but the car was registered to be driven in Maryland.

04/11/2007 Auto Auction Sold at auction
in Eastern Region
Listed as
a fleet vehicle

[LETHALxLS1]

I found a good price on a low milage z/28 a few months back and Carfax saved me from even taking a 3 hour drive to look at it. It had 5 owners and had been repoed twice. The stealership that had it for sale bought it from a auction. The salesman I talked to said-" O yeah its the cleanest z/28 around-If you want a z/28 you will want this one. Nicest I have seen/driven. Its a very tight car" Yeahhhhhhhhhh right!!!

[0rion]

See, when I read stories like these it just blows me away. Used car salesmen are usually so honest.

[Hot Black Trans-Am]

I believe everything salesmen tell me. That's how I got my 5 speed 4th gen T/A.

[fluke]

Car Fax is definitely a very useful tool, not fool proof - but very good.

[LETHALxLS1]

The Z/28 was located in Boca Raton Fl. which is a known retirement haven for rich old people. The salesman was using every angle he could- " I believe the car was owned by a retired couple that wound up selling it cause it just sat in the garage all the time" hahahahahahaha!!!! I mean I realize this guy is a "salesman"(crook) but come on the ad had a free Carfax link-did he not know that?

[L3THAL_Z28]

nothing wrong w/ a repo...my car was once repoed by the bank and it was clean as hell when i got it from the stealership...take a look at it in my profile...thats how it was when i picked it up...never been happier.

[LETHALxLS1]

I always associate a repo as a car someone takes out and runs the piss out of because they know its going back and dont give a fk. Just my outlook and not always true.

[JwMonE99]

I love it when i talk to the sales people becasue they hardly ever know shit about the cars. I found mustang GTs with LS1 motors, 5 and 6 speed automatics, V8s with the 3.8 liter, ect. ect.

[KyleLs1]

carfax saved me from buying a stolen car before i bought my TA.
I was looking at a 03 Acura 3.2CL type S (couldn't find any nice LS1 TAs for sale so i almost settled for this), anywho ran a carfax on it, and it came up clean.. however the vin came up as a USA vehicle (im in Cda) and it showed as being first registered on XX day in Langley British Colombia, but the very next day the same car was registered somewhere in Texas.

By this time I had already agreed to buy the car and was just doing my last bit of homework, so we called the cops... they couldn't give less than a shit about catching someone with a stolen car. So the guy comes over the next day to finalize the deal. I asked him to pop the hood one last time because i wanted to check something... sure enough, where the vin is supposed to be engraved in the firewall there was a half assed bondo job overtop of it.

Told the guy to get the fuck out of my sight...

Carfax FTMFW

[LETHALxLS1]

daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!

[JwMonE99]

Nice save, luckily it happened and now you have a bad ass trans am

[KyleLs1]

Nice save, luckily it happened and now you have a bad ass trans am

yea my plan was to buy it and flip it (it was a few grand cheaper than the market value.... gee i wonder why) so i would have more money to spend on an ls1. But i almost got fucked bigtime! Now i am VERY careful about buying cars.. the last 2 winter beaters ive bought, i bought them from neighbors ive known forever so i know they are clean.

[JwMonE99]

Yea I been looking for a new car (preferable LS1 or LT1) for 10 months now, im very careful, i ran into so much bullshit.

[86 IROC-Z]

Yea I been looking for a new car (preferable LS1 or LT1) for 10 months now, im very careful, i ran into so much bullshit.

If you think they have a lot of bullshit, check out some third gens.

[BadBlueBird*]

I had a guy tell me once that the hood scoop on a 99+ GT was for just in case you wanted to put a turbo on.

Amazing!

[310stanger]

I had a guy tell me once that the hood scoop on a 99+ GT was for just in case you wanted to put a turbo on.

Amazing!

you mean it isn't?

[LETHALxLS1]

I am just glad my z/28 came with a v-6 to save gas!

[pecha]

I believe everything salesmen tell me. That's how I got my 5 speed 4th gen T/A.

is that sarcasm?

[Y2KPewterSS]

See, when I read stories like these it just blows me away. Used car salesmen are usually so honest.

I have yet to meet a car salesman I liked