Pre Purchase Inspection Help Please!

Most pre purchase insp. around here by reputable shops is about 125 to 150. Personally I wouldn't take a lawnmower to a Meineke shop. I don't think they'll do anything for you myself.

 

I can't tell you how many of these threads I have read through where there is somebody in a similar spot (or worse) that bought a used truck only to find the frame completely rusted out. Then they complain about how Toyota wont waranty the frame ... blah blah blah.

Could have been worse.

 

Crodell6, This is how you try to get someone to calm down? (Might be time to put your big boy pants on, suck it up and fix your truck.)?I think you come off a little brash in that statement. I would have been pissed with that response and I am considered a easy going, roll off the shoulder kind of person. In your defense, I would never buy a vehicle based on, not looking at it and someones opinion.

 

I'll post up some pics later tonight. The second meineke shop was legit and took the time to let me get under the truck myself and look around. I got a call from their corporate office about this today. So this is the actual answer and you guys were right. They told me I'm on my own. That a certified mechanic inspected the vehicle and gave it a clean bill. So what happened since then is my own responsibility. They dont know what I have done with the truck since I left the shop and i can't prove anything was wrong at the time of inspection. It's not as bad as I had originally thought, just a worn carrier bearing and over greased u joints that sprayed out. I learned some lessons here. 1 I physically see the car before I buy it. 2 pre purchase inspections are a complete waste of time. 3 if it's cheap, there's a reason. This is the first time I have ever actually had a PPI. I honestly thought i was doing the right thing. I've owned my faults here and can only move forward. I'm keeping this truck till the wheels fall off, and when that happens I'll take it to a more reputable shop lol. I also want to own the fact that I responded to some members input out of emotion and not necessarily thought. I apologize for that and really do honestly appreciate the feedback. Thanks again guys.

 

Chris, I say no need to apologize. Totally understand why you would be upset. I didn't see anything wrong with any of your responding statements. I never did a pre-purchase deal and never will. We are on here to learn and help other members. It's all good!

 

This is what I saw and freaked out..that to me looks like a blown joint. They all had this same pattern.

 

1) Go to the manager ( in person ), speak to him privately so that none of the workers can hear. You have to have an absolutely calm, cool, and collected attitude. Reasonable above all else and be willing to listen.

2) Ask to have a different tech do another inspection without interference from the first tech and not informing the second tech of what’s happening. This way, you’ll get a more unfiltered and truthful opinion. If the inspections are the same, then the shop isn’t trained well. Cut your losses and move on. If the second tech finds the issues, on to #3.

3) Ask the second tech how long ago the damage happened ( best educated guess ). If AFTER the first inspection, you’re on your own and you should pay for another inspection. If BEFORE the inspection, then you have the manager on a hook because now both of you know the first tech botched the inspection. You can at least now have some negotiating power to get a nice discount from them on the repairs. The manager would likely be willing to make things right on a compromised approach.

Remember, there is a time to be a bull in a china shop and a time to offer honey to get what you want.

 

Yeah, that's very smart. I have taken it back to another shop and had them inspect it. The manager at that shop looked at the truck with me himself and another tech. The tech and manager agreed that the other shop missed the carrier bearing. The u joints feel solid, no movement in any direction while on a lift and turning shaft or tires. So they decided that a previous lube shop had overfilled the joints and they sprayed the excess. They offered to make me a deal to do the carrier but it's a cheap and fairly easy fix that I can do myself. I want mad that I would have to replace something or that I couldn't do it, I was more angry because it looked so obvious to me. I would have thought that the tech would have at least mentioned something to me about it.

 

It's all good, I'm a bartender in vegas....thick skin comes with the game, unfortunately so does a quick temper at times lol. No worries, if your in Vegas I'll buy u a beer.

 

Troll level: expert

 

You mean steal a beer from your employer and give it a way?

 

Woww... hahahaha, man this forums full of awesome people.
Nah man I dont have to steal anything. You assume that about me because of what?

 

Having a muffler shop check out a vehicle ? Not a good idea. Pay $50.00 for an inspection ? You get what you pay for. Although the Toyota dealer will charge more, they would have given you a complete inspection for $90.00.

The little that they found, carrier bearing, etc., is nothing compared to engine or trans problems. Did you ask to see the guy that did the inspection ?
We do not get mechanical issues solved at muffler shops.
Good luck on your purchase.

 

Totally normal BTW, they're greasable and you over grease them to force the old grease out, then it sligns everywhere. All of my Toyotas have this

 

Can confirm. I over did my U-Joints and flanges with grease to make sure all the old crap was evacuated, and the first drive I took on the highway I smelt burning. Turns out it was the grease sling everywhere (including the exhaust) and burning on the exhaust pipe.

If anything that grease stain is a good sign, it means that whoever owned it before had the drivelines greased again.

 

It's much more glorious on the Land Cruiser, both DS are always turning, then you have all of the axle links, the steering links, the knuckles, the birfields. The whole thing is basically just grease with an engine.

 

I wish greaseable driveline components were more common nowadays. I don’t see it anymore.

 

yeah, quality greasable u joints are really nice, but they're technically stronger without a hollow grease channel so many omit them. But spicer has a HD line of joints with an uber reinforced grease channel and the two Japanese toyota joint providers are strong

 

If he spent $90 at a dealership then he would have wasted $90 instead of $50... Been there done that...

 

That’s really frustrating. Thankfully it’s just some pieces and parts and isn’t a larger system issue.