RUDE AWAKENING- Dealership sold me wrecked truck with clean title?

In 2001 my 1999 Tacoma was rear ended siting still by an f150 going 40+ mph, mine being the first hit causing a chain reaction with 6 cars involved. 9 thousand dollars of damage on a 15 thousand dollar truck, it was repaired. I got the truck valued by carmax last year, they offered me what I thought was to much so I volunteered the accident info, they said that carfax was clean and continued with the same offer. A used car will always be a mystery, who really knows the history of my 2010 that I bought used at carmax.

 

Too many people (including myself in the past) just fall for the looks of a vehicle without a thorough check. Along with what I've learned the hard way and an old used car buying guide, a few tips for what it's worth:

Get underneath and really look around the vehicle for past damage or severe rust
Check the doors for alignment and original stickers, look out for door sticker glue overs.
Check the alignment of the hood, tailgate, etc.
Look for amateur body repair/ mismatched paint
Look at the bed alignment in relation to the cab.
Do the doors close holding a little air?
Ask to see repair and maintenance records
Check the tires for even wear
Look for leaks in the radiator, tranny, engine
Check the steering wheel for excess play
Listen to the engine for noises that shouldn't be there (besides the usual Tacoma gremlins)
Check the brakes for slop, pulsation, fade
Check for smooth acceleration
Find a straight road and briefly take your hands off the wheel to see if it veers right or left more than the usual road crown

I'm sure I've missed a few, but this is a general guide. If your looking private party, you can check a lot of this unnoticed. If your on a lot, and the salesperson is getting nervous and trying to distract you, beware. If they start to sweat, leave.

 

I just want to see the size of this pothole that "might bend the frame more". I my truck wrecked in 2009 and I've been driving it with most of the damage un repaired ever since. It was unreported and still has a clean title.

 

I think I'm going to take it to an actual body shop first thing tomorrow and get a second opinion to see what they say. If it is bad as the first opinion i'll go straight to the dealership.

If he says it isn't that bad i'm on the fence. They still sold me a vehicle that has been in an accident at a premium. Which sucks but seems to be acceptable looking at the certified rules.

 

Buy New.

Every time I've gone vehicle shopping it's always amazed me how pricey 2 yr. old vehicles are in relation to a new one.

For me it's not worth the grief of wondering who's owned it, how it was treated and what has happened to it.

I too wonder about the thoroughness of CarFax reports.

 

So they offered you more than you thought it was worth and you said "no"?

 

I gave it to my son, just wondered what it was worth.

 

OP: I hope you can get a fair dispute settlement from the dealer. All the above situations drive home one clear point; get ANY used vehicle inspected by a disinterested 3rd party mechanic. It can save a lot of grief down the road.

 

unfortunately op its your responsibility to figure this out BEFORE you purchase the vehicle. you need to check carfax and autocheck, some stuff may not show up on one or the other(these are just buyers GUIDES, nothing is 100%). As a buyer you also need to get the vehichle checked out at another shop. doesn't mater if its Toyota or the car lot/junk yard 2 blocks down the road. Your buying a used car and the people selling it to you are just that, salesmen.

You don't have a salvage or rebuilt title. You've had it on the road over a year and had no clue. Either keep using it for what it is or sell it. You don't need to tell the new buyer its been smacked up, its their problem to figure out.

 

I guess that 160 point quality inspection certified stamp Toyota advertises is just garbage then. It's the whole purpose of not buying from a 'junkyard'. I'll see what Toyota thinks of that if needed. Thanks for your input.

 

The truck must have been OK. You have drove it for year and haven't notice anything wrong? I'm saying this whole thing is B.S. Sounds like maybe just an excuse to get rid of a truck you paid way too much for?

 

wow.. just wow. i love my truck. enough with the internet psychiatrists. I'll update the situation to the one's who have offered advice.

 

Good luck. I'd be upset as well.

 

I agree that a Certified Used Toyota should not have this type of damage to the frame. In the certified program it doesn't say "never been damaged". And the side swiped wreck was not on the Carfax at the time you purchased it. Exactly how bad is the frame damage? Got any pictures? A side swipe is not usually a frame damaging event, even a bad one.

You Could Assume, but Why would you "Assume" the dealer bought the truck wrecked and fixed it? That is a silly assumption in my opinion. Dealerships are not in the habit of doing things like this. A used car sales place yes, a New Car Dealer No. Someone probably traded the truck in repaired and they just didn't catch it and the Carfax didn't report it either. I think you are jumping to a lot of conclusions based on nothing. I think the dealer was stung on the deal as you were and probably has no idea.

Post up a picture of the frame damage. I think your mechanic may be exagerateing a bit. If it was damaged so bad that a pothole is going to bend it you would have noticed a year and a half ago.

 

Sienna Vans are unibody and do not have a Frame.

 

You signed papers without knowing how much you were paying? Wow, I don't even know what to say.

 

Always have someone check out a used car before buying, or buy new. I always buy new, used cars have used problems... Always rings true. It doesn't seem like they did it on purpose, I have seen plenty of people not report damage, fix via cash out of pocket, and then it never shows up. I have seen bent frame cars get turned in on lease, gets missed on the lease turn in, then dealer eats it or wholesales it after used vehicle inspection. Any good dealer will just wholesale it and take the loss rather than recondition for sale. I have inspected vehicles for people and on one vehicle you could count layers of paint like rings on a tree. They thought they got a great deal on an Aston Martin Vantage, but I found multiple owners and that it had been in service in like 10+ states. The car was trash, whole front end had orange peel, different shades, splits in the fenders and bumpers, it was all bad. Always have someone inspect it before purchase, independent of the selling party.

 

You're not one pothole away from disaster. Plenty of offroaded trucks on this forum with bent frames, to one degree or another, that drive acceptably.

Worst comes to worst, take it to a trusted offroad shop. Have them gusset and plate whatever it is that is bent. If need be, put on a heimed upper control arm to be able to achieve alignment, and keep on driving.

 

Either way good luck tomorrow! And please keep us posted as to how things are handled.