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Accident Report on CarFax

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by SLOsquirrel, Dec 15, 2011.

  1. Dec 15, 2011 at 7:55 PM
    #1
    SLOsquirrel

    SLOsquirrel [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Scott
    San Luis Obispo, CA
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    2005 TRD OR 4x4 6-Spd Access Cab
    Icon Mid-Travel w/ Billet UCA's, All-Pro Expo's w/ Icon Resi Shocks, ARB Bumper w/ Warn M8000 Winch, Method NV's w/ 285/75 R17 BFG BFG AT KO2's, TC Gussets (spindle, shock towers, LCA cam tabs, etc), DMZ Engine Mount Gussets.
    good evening everyone -

    so i've been actively looking for the right second gen tacoma the last 6 months and finally came across a color combo with the packages i've been searching. Its a 2005 access cab, 4x4, trd (package 2), V6, 6-speed, white ext w/ grey leather interior, and only 60k on it. the thing looks spotless in the 16 photos the owner provided me (car is 4 hrs away)

    i run a carfax today and it has an accident report on 8/2007 when the second owner owned it. current owner is the third owner (bought it from toyota dealer in late 2008) and has/had no idea of the accident.

    im trying to get more details about the damage but can't get more details on the accident from carfax other than "accident reported involving front or side impact with another motor vehicle involving left side impact" and "damage reported after accident or other incident damage to left side damage to left side quarter post". so i'm torn on the car because it's pretty much everything i'm looking for but i can't get over the accident report.

    this truck is beautiful, female owned, and has EVERY service record through toyota dealerships since new (down to tires and wiper blades).

    if anyone has been in this position before, i would love to hear what you did or any advice moving forward with the current owner if i just suck up and try to make a deal with them. THANKS
     
  2. Dec 15, 2011 at 8:40 PM
    #2
    foxmotox7

    foxmotox7 We'll see said the zen master

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    Fox
    Goin where the wind don't blow so strange
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    aFe Pro Dry Filter; Weathertech Digital Fit Mats; BFG AT/TA KO 265-75-16; Weatherguard Black Saddle Box; Truxedo Tonneau Cover; DeeZee Bed Mat; AVH-4300DVD w/ SiriusXM, Backup Camera; AMP Moto X-Tender; Adventure Truck Tent
    If the truck was closer I'd say go take a look at it and do an inspection for yourself. Alot of times you can feel over spray in certain areas of the truck that have been repainted and it will give you a good idea of how extensive the damage was. Also any parts under the hood that were replaced should look noticeably newer than original. The other things that bother me is the 3 owners in 6 years. This may or may not be an issue, but I always look for 1 owner vehicles when purchasing used. What are they asking for the truck? Personally I would pass on it due to the accident and 3 previous owners, not to mention that it is 4 hours away. As an owner of a 2005 Super White Access Cab TRD Off-road I can personally verify that it's a great truck. I say pass, and wait for a 1 owner with no accidents. There are always good deals out there, you just have to be patient. (I know it's hard) Good luck either way, post up some picks when you get your taco.
     
  3. Dec 15, 2011 at 8:50 PM
    #3
    drwoodr

    drwoodr Well-Known Member

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    side steps, heated seats, tonneau cover, rocky mounts, RAAMMat, 12v outlet in dash
    I wonder about Carfax sometimes. The truck I traded in for my 2012 had a Carfax report, and it hurt my trade-in value because all it said was "front end collision", which would scare a lot of people off. What really happened was that someone put a dent in my chrome bumper in a parking lot, I never did find out who. I got a new bumper, and since it cost more than my deductible, I put in a claim. I probably lost more it resale than I got from my insurance, and all the truck had was a newer bumper than before.
     
  4. Dec 15, 2011 at 8:51 PM
    #4
    TACK

    TACK Well-Known Member

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    Interesting
     
  5. Dec 15, 2011 at 9:53 PM
    #5
    cooktaco

    cooktaco Well-Known Member

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    If you have access to the service receipts the name and phone for the second owner might be on one of them. You could call and ask about the truck and acccident. Might hang up on you but then again they might tell you what happened.
     
  6. Dec 15, 2011 at 9:59 PM
    #6
    SAIRS

    SAIRS Well-Known Member

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    Kelly
    Utah
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    Super White 2012 Double Cab LB TRD SPORT
    Icon Extended Travel Stage 1, Total Chaos UCA's, Dakkar leaf pack, Beefed DCLB Sliders with extended kickout and custom BSP, Beefed Custom exo-rear tube bumper, Toyota bed mat, tailgate theft mod. Front mudflaps removed, Access LE soft tonneau cover, Weathertech digital floor mat, Weathertech window deflectors, Weathertech license plate frames. future plans = diamond plate tailgate mod, Venture Shield, TRD supercharger...the dream goes on and on....
    My last three cars that I purchased have been wrecked and I didnt realize it until after I purchased them. It is often hard to tell if a car has been wrecked and repaired.

    One car that I own now was in a wreck two years ago. the other driver was at fault. We thought the damage was minor and didnt call the cops to report it. we exchanged insurance info. His insurance took care of everything. It cost over $5,000 to fix, but the claim against the car does not show up on the car fax despite going through the insurance. I dont know why it worked this way, but it just did.

    Its hard to find a car that hasnt been wrecked these days.
     
  7. Dec 15, 2011 at 10:59 PM
    #7
    Crom

    Crom Super-Deluxe Member

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    If I'm serious about a used vehicle I hire an expert body shop guy to do an on site inspection of the vehicle before I buy. I've also paid for an independent factory dealer PDI service before buying used.

    I have no faith or respect for carfax.
     
  8. Dec 15, 2011 at 11:04 PM
    #8
    TACOMA TRD

    TACOMA TRD Well-Known Member

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    I would not hesitate to buy a accident vehicle if you are getting it for right price. you need to deduct 1500-2000 off the normal retail price for collision vehicles. it only hurts the trade in value when you go to get rid of it. Even if its a minor dent like stated above, once that yellow mark is on the report. you need to deduct.

    Right price = no problem.
     
  9. Dec 16, 2011 at 1:37 AM
    #9
    Large

    Large Red

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    Fender bender to carfax = frontal passenger collision / damage. Big words that only hurt the resale, get a 3rd party company ( auto check or similar ) to assess the damage & do a full inspection of the truck.
     
  10. Dec 16, 2011 at 3:05 AM
    #10
    timmah

    timmah Member

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    Dry Ridge,KY
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    ORU 3" front, Brighton Spring 2" rear, AllPro spacers, BDS shocks, Yokahoma Geolanders 265/75/16, K&N, Anzo headlights
    Last Nov. I had a lady pull over on me, and all I had were a couple scratches (that are still there) and broken mounting tab on a headlight. CARFAX states that I have had a head on collision when I checked. Its your call man. It may be nothing. Go look at it for yourself, you won't be satisfied.
     
  11. Dec 16, 2011 at 4:17 AM
    #11
    Simon's Mom

    Simon's Mom Wag More Bark Less

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    x2
    my accident never showed up on carfax.
    Replaced grill & bumper cover due to hitting a snowbank.
    I did disclose it to potential buyers.
    Ended up trading it in. Carfax now shows dealer services @ service intervals I never went for.
    It is common now dealers give free reports right off their websites.
    Your call.
     
  12. Dec 16, 2011 at 4:32 AM
    #12
    babytruck

    babytruck Babytruck, babytruck...I've got a babytruck :)

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    Since she bought it from a dealer and it has low miles, ask her if she bought it as a certified used vehicle. Toyota will not certify them if the accident was of concern. And yes, they inspect them up and down because they don't want to warranty a car that has potential problems.
     
  13. Dec 16, 2011 at 2:15 PM
    #13
    SLOsquirrel

    SLOsquirrel [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Scott
    San Luis Obispo, CA
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    2005 TRD OR 4x4 6-Spd Access Cab
    Icon Mid-Travel w/ Billet UCA's, All-Pro Expo's w/ Icon Resi Shocks, ARB Bumper w/ Warn M8000 Winch, Method NV's w/ 285/75 R17 BFG BFG AT KO2's, TC Gussets (spindle, shock towers, LCA cam tabs, etc), DMZ Engine Mount Gussets.
    Thanks everyone for the responses. Below is my latest correspondence with her:

    MY EMAIL TO HER:

    Rachel,

    I just ran a carfax. Did you know the truck was in an accident in late 2007 (9/24/2007)? The carfax doesn't give me much of a description and was wondering if you had any info on it?

    It was with the second owner and happened about a month after he bought it.

    Let me know.

    Thanks,
    Scott

    HER REPLY TO ME:

    Hey Scott,

    Yes I did know it was in an accident, that happened after we bought it from the dealership. I looked at the service records again and it looks like we purchased it in early September of 2007 (I was mistaken), and we were the second owners, for some reason I thought we were the third. As for the accident I was hit at the driver side front fender at about 15 mph, the fender was replaced the damage was all cosmetic and was fixed immediately after the accident. I should have all the paperwork on the accident in Oregon, I could fedex at a later time.


    Are we still on for 10:00am tomorrow? If so I will need to send you my address.


    I was also wondering if you decide you would like to purchase the truck, would you be purchasing it tomorrow? Or at a later time? Like I promised, you are the first person viewing the truck.


    Feel free to give me a call if you have an questions.


    -Rachel

    MY RESPONSE TO HER:
    Hey Rachel,

    Thanks for the reply. I realized after hanging up with you on Wednesday that I had asked you a ton of questions but forgot to ask about accidents. I also thought you were the third owner because it lists three owners on Carfax. Was the truck originally in your mother or fathers name and then transferred to you? The reason I ask it that it shows the second owner purchasing it 8/13/2007 the accident happening on 9/24/2007 and the third owner "purchasing" it 3/27/2009.

    I can talk with you later this afternoon about the accident to get some specifics, but if you could give me the name of the bodyshop that did the repairs it would help put my mind at ease. Also, any info you have in Oregon on the accident would be great once you get back up there.

    I was still planning on being there at 10am tomorrow. If everything pans out and I decide to buy the truck I would be purchasing the truck tomorrow.

    Talk to you soon.

    Thanks Again,
    Scott


    MY CONCLUSION:

    This is the truck I've been looking for for a long time (6+ months). It's got everything I've been looking for.

    • Access Cab
    • 4x4
    • TRD (Package #2)
    • V6
    • 6-Speed
    • White Exterior
    • Grey Interior (Leather is a BIG unexpected plus)
    • Low Miles (60k)
    • All service records from Toyota since new (EVERYTHING - Even Tires!)
    • 2nd owner (Female owned since 2007 with 25k miles)
    • Very Good / Excellent Condition
    • Asking Price of $16k
    I don't like that it's been in an accident, but it sounds fairly minimal and I'll get more detailed info from her later. Besides it's cleaner than and has lower miles than any of the other Tacomas I've looked at which seems more important than a lil fender bender.

    Price isn't super low, but it's fair and there's always room for negotiations (these things really hold there value and sell fast in CA).

    I'm gonna drive up to see it early tomorrow. Anything I should specifically look for? What do you think I should start my offer at?

    Only issue she mentioned is that the Airbag light is on (currently researching this issue).

    Here's some pics of it:
    http://s749.photobucket.com/albums/xx139/rweaver_13/truck/?action=view&current=photo29.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs749.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fxx139%2Frweaver_13%2Ftruck%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3Dphoto20.jpg

    Thanks Again Everyone.
     
  14. Dec 16, 2011 at 2:20 PM
    #14
    ashjwilliams

    ashjwilliams Well-Known Member

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    LOL I always take my father with me when shopping used vehicles. He has done bodywork / paint for 25 years so he can easily detect the extent of the body work and damage, typically just by visual cues alone.
     
  15. Dec 16, 2011 at 2:32 PM
    #15
    beerye

    beerye Steel Curtain!!

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    We always use a "paintgage" here at the dealership. It works everytime and will tell you if the panel has been painted or if its factory so you know if its just the fender or if anything else has been repainted.
     
  16. Dec 16, 2011 at 4:30 PM
    #16
    foxmotox7

    foxmotox7 We'll see said the zen master

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    Goin where the wind don't blow so strange
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    So it sounds like you would be the 3rd owner of the truck. If you get there and decide you want to buy it; I would offer her $15,000 on the spot. Seems like she is eager to sell it. 60k miles is low for a 2005. Figure avg 12k/yr x 7yrs=84k. Hopefully she'll bite on $15,000, but even at $16,000 it sounds like a good deal to me. Good luck with your purchase! Keep us updated
     
  17. Dec 16, 2011 at 4:37 PM
    #17
    kimo

    kimo Well-Known Member

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    I'd be all over that truck, good price with low miles !
     
  18. Dec 16, 2011 at 5:51 PM
    #18
    Quo Fan

    Quo Fan Well-Known Member

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    In my experience, dealers only keep the best vehicles. If there were anything major wrong with the vehicle, they would have wholesaled the vehicle out.
     
  19. Dec 16, 2011 at 9:06 PM
    #19
    babytruck

    babytruck Babytruck, babytruck...I've got a babytruck :)

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    She seems to be an honest person and is going to come up with the paperwork. That would reassure me in itself. But I'd still like to know about the "third" owner.
     
  20. Dec 16, 2011 at 10:59 PM
    #20
    WATacoRider

    WATacoRider Well-Known Member

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    The airlight bag issue. do a search on here. I remember some other member having that issue and it was costly to fix at Toyota, but I believe he was able to fix the part himself?
     

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