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Old 05-14-2003, 06:49 PM #1
surfman surfman is offline
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Unhappy Missing VIN # -- should I buy?

I am on the horns of a dilemma.

The 2003 4Runner SR5 V8 4WD that I ordered in February arrived this week at my Toyota dealership. The vehicle had all the options I wanted (AT, DR, EC, GY, LF, NA, PC5, PN, and RF, plus AP, AL, and KG, which were made standard after I had placed the order). I was preparing to enter the new and exciting life of proud 4Runner ownership.

Great, right? Well, as everyone should do, I took the extra time to inspect the vehicle thoroughly, inside and out, before taking delivery. I found the following three defects:

1. Grease on the seat, probably left by the truck driver when he unloaded the vehicle. Fortunately, this problem was fixed perfectly by the dealer with some magic cleaning fluid.

2. Off-centered steering wheel. The first time they adjusted it too far in the opposite direction. Now they are trying again, and I suspect it will be ok.

3. Missing VIN # on the dashboard. If you look very carefully, in just the right light, there is a slight hint of a few letters above where the VIN number should be, but essentially it appears that the VIN # was either not properly embossed or not ever attached. Both the salesman and shop guys had never seen this defect before, and they were very curious about it. The shop manager said it would cost about $1000 to obtain a replacement VIN tag and then to install it, which would require removing the windshield and possibly the dashboard.

Clearly, (1) and (2) are no big deal, but what should I do about (3)?

Is this a show-stopper -- meaning do I cancel the sales agreement, retrieve my $500 deposit, and then start again? Or do I purchase the vehicle only after the dealership has replaced the VIN tag, at their expense? Or do I simply purchase the vehicle as-is?

I would greatly appreciate any advice you can give me.

For months, I have been a frequent reader of the postings on www.toyota-4runner.org. Upon the purchase of the 4Runner, I had planned to become an active participant in the forum, posting photos of my new baby, etc. I had not expected that my first posting would be a negative one.

Thanks very much for your help.
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Old 05-14-2003, 10:02 PM #2
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First off, welcome to 4Runner.org. Second, boy that is a good question. I would almost think Toyota of America should be contacted on this one.

Toyota says this about VIN numbers: "The vehicle identification number (VIN) is printed on the certification label that is located on the driver
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Old 05-14-2003, 11:52 PM #3
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Peter78 makes a good point. Let me add another angle.

Since the VIN is used for registration and insurance purposes, I'm not even sure it would be legal to own without the VIN plate. After all, the sitckers with the VIN can be removed, so the plate is (I think) the "official" VIN proof.

Have you by chance checked with your insurance agent or the state car registration folks to find out?

Something smells funny about this one, too. It may be worth getting the VIN from the tags located inside the door and run a Carfax report -- it may have a record of something wrong that is being passed off as new. Worth a few bucks to make sure.
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Old 05-15-2003, 01:57 PM #4
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Do you have the VIN# in the other places, including in the door jam, on the side of the truck frame, in engine bay, etc.?? If so, then this could be just a manufacturing defect when they did your dash.

If anything, just make sure your dealership (and Toyota) knows about this problem. As long as you have VIN# in the places above, you should be OK with the insurance company. JUST DOCUMENT WELL. MAKE SURE THE DEALERSHIP DOCUMENTS THIS. This will be important if you do resale your 4runner in the future.

Hope this helps.
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Old 02-26-2020, 01:43 AM #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by surfman View Post
I am on the horns of a dilemma.

The 2003 4Runner SR5 V8 4WD that I ordered in February arrived this week at my Toyota dealership. The vehicle had all the options I wanted (AT, DR, EC, GY, LF, NA, PC5, PN, and RF, plus AP, AL, and KG, which were made standard after I had placed the order). I was preparing to enter the new and exciting life of proud 4Runner ownership.

Great, right? Well, as everyone should do, I took the extra time to inspect the vehicle thoroughly, inside and out, before taking delivery. I found the following three defects:

1. Grease on the seat, probably left by the truck driver when he unloaded the vehicle. Fortunately, this problem was fixed perfectly by the dealer with some magic cleaning fluid.

2. Off-centered steering wheel. The first time they adjusted it too far in the opposite direction. Now they are trying again, and I suspect it will be ok.

3. Missing VIN # on the dashboard. If you look very carefully, in just the right light, there is a slight hint of a few letters above where the VIN number should be, but essentially it appears that the VIN # was either not properly embossed or not ever attached. Both the salesman and shop guys had never seen this defect before, and they were very curious about it. The shop manager said it would cost about $1000 to obtain a replacement VIN tag and then to install it, which would require removing the windshield and possibly the dashboard.

Clearly, (1) and (2) are no big deal, but what should I do about (3)?

Is this a show-stopper -- meaning do I cancel the sales agreement, retrieve my $500 deposit, and then start again? Or do I purchase the vehicle only after the dealership has replaced the VIN tag, at their expense? Or do I simply purchase the vehicle as-is?

I would greatly appreciate any advice you can give me.

For months, I have been a frequent reader of the postings on Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum - Powered by vBulletin Upon the purchase of the 4Runner, I had planned to become an active participant in the forum, posting photos of my new baby, etc. I had not expected that my first posting would be a negative one.

Thanks very much for your help.
That VIN number should be printed on every piece of that car. Check the VIN. Usually when the VIN is missing it means that piece of the car has been replaced. Idk how the dash would be replaced though.
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Old 02-26-2020, 02:43 PM #6
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If I was in your shoes, I don’t think I would buy a car that did not have a clearly identified VIN. It’s not normal, and it’s too important to be stuck with a car that others might consider “suspect”

Too much of what you said would have me walking in the other direction.

Sometimes you should just trust your gut.
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Old 02-26-2020, 02:48 PM #7
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16 years too late.
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Old 02-26-2020, 02:58 PM #8
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Quote:
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16 years too late.
DANG! I believe I've seen the term Necro Thread thrown around.

The original post is old enough to have a driver's license.
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Old 08-02-2021, 12:23 PM #9
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i would not buy imo.
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