Buying 2000 4runner tomorrow but Total Loss on carfax?

[firstbat71]

I am supposed to pickup a 2000 4runner sr5 tomorrow for 7,500 out the door. The vehicle has 132,000 miles and it's in excellent condition. I test drove it today for about an hour and it seems flawless I really liked it. So i'm all excited about picking it up tomorrow but i just ran a carfax and it says the vehicle is a Total Loss. It also says No Frame/Structural damage reported. But it does say there is a collision reported on 11/24/10. I asked the dealer if the vehicle has ever been in an accident, he said "no it has not". So now I feel that the has lied and i;m sure he is aware of where the vehicle has been. I really want the 4runner, but after seeing the carfax I don't think I will buy it. What do you guys think? Please check out the carfax here and tell me what you think:

CARFAX Vehicle History Report on JT3HN86R8Y0280565

 

[CharlotteFire]

Nope

Don't do it!

 

[Singtoe]

offer him $3500 or walk away

 

[Big John]

I wouldn't deal with that dealer no matter what. He's already proven to be a scum bag.
I'm guessing it would have to have a salvage title and salvage title price would be half that at best.
I'd ask the dealer if the title is clear (non salvage) just for fun.
That said... I've seen a few people get good salvage title deals, but you really have to know what your looking at and get the rig a a price that reflects it.

 

[Nelsonmd]

Yeah, what Big John said, catch him in his lie. Take the carfax with you. I doubt he will sell it for 1/2 price, because someone is dumb enough to not check the carfax.

He's got to know about it, it just happened. Is it still on a salvage title?

 

[cencyc]

If it has a salvage title, you may have problems with licensing/insurance. However, the reason for the "accident" and "total loss" may not be due to a collision. A girlfriend's car was totaled by the insurance company due to a break in and some other non-collision damage. Granted, this car was an old piece of excrement, but it was still safe and drivable.

What are you planning on doing with the 4Runner? Daily driver, expedition vehicle, rock crawler/mudder?

At the very least, have it fully inspected by several 3rd parties, including a body/frame/collision specialist. Check with your insurance agent to see if you can get any insurance. Check with your DMV to see what kind of title you can have.

If it were me...I'd walk away from the deal and contact the state licensing board, if there is one.

 

[VA07]

It's not worth $7,500 even if it wasn't a total loss.

This is greatly dependent on the area that the purchase is being made. In my area a vehicle like that would sell pretty quickly assuming a clear title. Anything less than 200k miles will sell for anywhere between $5k-$10k assuming everything else checks out okay.

Limited models sell for a premium around here. I have seen several in the 1997-2000 range with over 200k miles selling for over $8k.

Back on topic: Be sure to see a current copy of the title and check your local DMV to ensure that the vehicle does in fact have a clear title.

 

[fightman80]

Here's what I would do:

Have the truck checked out by a mechanic you trust. Let him know that the vehicle's been written off. If all checks out well with the truck, go back to the dealer, let him know that you are aware of the Salvaged Title, and try to deal with him. I'd offer him $5000.00, maybe $5500.00 for it.

That being said, I've bought a car with a front end collision total loss, and it was one of the best vehicles I've ever owned! It was a 95 Chevy Monte Carlo, (bought in 2001), the car had low miles, and I Bought it for $6800.00. I had the car for over 6 years, then sold it for $2000.00 with over 240 000km on the Odometer!

Bottom line, make sure you do your homework, get the truck looked at by a professional, and if all checks out.....try to get yourself a deal! It could be the best vehicle you ever own!

Good luck!

 

[MTDewX8]

get all your ducks in a row for SURE with insurance and such.

it could still be a good runner. but I would be hesitant of the salvage title. but that wouldn't be a show stopper.

you just know that you wont be able to sell it very well down the road. so plan on driving it for a long time. and of course have fun.

good luck on your situation.

I would low ball offer with car fax in hand and knowledge of title info.

dealers can be funny

 

[Diagram14]

If it were me I would verify the title status, salvage throws any and all real value out the window. Get that pre-purchase inspection done and see if they can tell you what all was fixed. If the vehicle appears to be sound based on that inspection I would take the car fax back to the salesperson and tell him I know he lied. Salespeople only understand book values on vehicles, so based on the information you get (ask for a printed report from your inspection) explain to the dealer how much the truck may be worth and offer him maybe $3k and just make sure he knows that you would be doing him a favor. However, if you have 7,500 that youre willing to spend...wait for a better deal!

 

[chris360hawks]

It may not even be a salvage title but it may have been written off by insurance and the owner of the car bought it back and had it repaired and had the clean title in hand the entire time. $7500 is way too much for a truck that has probably been flopped or in a major accident even if it still has a clean title. Find another one.

 

[IanB]

Salespeople don't always know the true history of every car they sell, so unless you are dealing with the same guy who brought the truck in, he may not be lieing, he may just be ignorant. As someone with carsales experience (I hated it), I've found the best car sales people are sales people, not car people. It's uncommon to deal with someone who knows more about the car I'm asking about, than what I already know.

Buyer beware is always in effect. Sounds like you did you due diligence and found out what you were getting into, so good on you. I'd save the expense of an independent mechanical inspection until you confirm the dealer is willing to let it go for what a salvage title is worth, and make it a condition of your offer.

 

[doubleA]

I am supposed to pickup a 2000 4runner sr5 tomorrow for 7,500 out the door. The vehicle has 132,000 miles and it's in excellent condition. I test drove it today for about an hour and it seems flawless I really liked it. So i'm all excited about picking it up tomorrow but i just ran a carfax and it says the vehicle is a Total Loss. It also says No Frame/Structural damage reported. But it does say there is a collision reported on 11/24/10. I asked the dealer if the vehicle has ever been in an accident, he said "no it has not". So now I feel that the has lied and i;m sure he is aware of where the vehicle has been. I really want the 4runner, but after seeing the carfax I don't think I will buy it. What do you guys think? Please check out the carfax here and tell me what you think:

CARFAX Vehicle History Report on JT3HN86R8Y0280565

this is advice from someone who has purchased "salvaged title" vehicles... they are hard to re-sell. so if you want this car and stomach the previous accident then go for it, otherwise keep looking.

BTW... I paid 8k for a 2000 clean title 3.4L with 111K miles on the clock. 7500 is way to steep for a total loss car... 5k tops man!

 

[8sm]

:sobbing:Sounds like you ran into a salesman. Most know absolutely nothing about the history of what they are selling. I would evaluate all the information known to you in print or facts and proceed cautiously. Also compare the CarFax againist a AutoCheck. Check with your local motor vehicle dept which may have helpful information on title. Make certain the vehicle quailifies and is insurable.

I inquiried on about 20 plus runners before I found the one I purchased. Perhaps 2 were legitimate owners but most were scammers, I'm said to say. A few fact finding question, asking them to produce proof of what they are say, disquailified them over the phone. It was really disappointing when you realized the person you were dealing was not truthful.

Trust you gut, even when you think you're being to critical. What did help me form an opinion on what I was considering was the information and experiences I gather from this forum.

Do realise you're purchasing a 10-16yr old vehicle, it will not be perfect and more than likely need some work. However, you can lessen that cost by being dilgent. Again, trusting your gut and those experienced looking out for your best interest. That is not a car salesman, most on craiglist, wholesaler, selling it for my friend, not titled in my name, just bought it.... ect ect ect

When spending money on something you must rely on daily, do not trust anything your told unless you hired that person to evaluate it for you. Or you will be doing this...........

 

[firstbat71]

I talked to the salesman today and he said the car was in a minor fender bender - it was hit on the rear bumper and they replaced the bumper and that is all. He said the carfax is a lie and with any small accident, carfax will sometimes list Total Loss. Carfax does not say it is a salvage or rebuilt title, it says the title is clean, and airbags were not deployed. So possibly carfax made a mistake here listing it as a Total Loss from a small fender bender? In a major collision wouldn't airbags be deployed? Unless carfax missed that part too? Not sure what i'll do at this point, more than likely look for another 4runner. This one drove like new, everything was tight, interior was spotless and for sure owned by a non-smoker. I'm rather pissed off right now I wanted to pick it up this afternoon but after this I can't. Here's the carfax report, doesn't this show a clean title? :

CARFAX Vehicle History Report on JT3HN86R8Y0280565

 

[Hepar]

I talked to the salesman today and he said the car was in a minor fender bender - it was hit on the rear bumper and they replaced the bumper and that is all. He said the carfax is a lie and with any small accident, carfax will sometimes list Total Loss. Carfax does not say it is a salvage or rebuilt title, it says the title is clean, and airbags were not deployed. So possibly carfax made a mistake here listing it as a Total Loss from a small fender bender? In a major collision wouldn't airbags be deployed? Unless carfax missed that part too? Not sure what i'll do at this point, more than likely look for another 4runner. This one drove like new, everything was tight, interior was spotless and for sure owned by a non-smoker. I'm rather pissed off right now I wanted to pick it up this afternoon but after this I can't. Here's the carfax report, doesn't this show a clean title? :

CARFAX Vehicle History Report on JT3HN86R8Y0280565

Well, that might be true, but the bottom line is that it will always have that on the Carfax. Unless there is a way of getting it removed, which I'm not aware of. So if you ever want to sell it down the road, the resell value is going to be effected.

 

[KAILUAZ]

As stated it might not have been in a accident to be "totaled". When I was a MP at Ft Hood someone poured battery acid all over a 96 Mystic Cobra Mustang. Because of the special factory applied paint the car was totaled out.
I would keep looking, I passed a bunch of 4Runners before I found my 77,797 mile one owner (83 year old guy). They are out there.

 

[98LtdT4R]

Don't buy it, just be patient and you'll find a better one with a clean title. Just my .02, I ended up buying a Dodge SRT-4 on impulse which had a salvage title and it was an absolute nightmare to own (things broke all the time) and even worse to sell because no one would pay close to what I paid for it and a lot of people's insurance companies said they wouldn't cover it due to it having the salvage. Ended up losing thousands on it, Biggest automotive mistake I've ever made, and one I'll never make again.

 

[gbc]

I would pass.

 

[cencyc]

I talked to the salesman today and he said the car was in a minor fender bender - it was hit on the rear bumper and they replaced the bumper and that is all. He said the carfax is a lie and with any small accident, carfax will sometimes list Total Loss. Carfax does not say it is a salvage or rebuilt title, it says the title is clean, and airbags were not deployed. So possibly carfax made a mistake here listing it as a Total Loss from a small fender bender? In a major collision wouldn't airbags be deployed? Unless carfax missed that part too? Not sure what i'll do at this point, more than likely look for another 4runner. This one drove like new, everything was tight, interior was spotless and for sure owned by a non-smoker. I'm rather pissed off right now I wanted to pick it up this afternoon but after this I can't. Here's the carfax report, doesn't this show a clean title? :

Okay, let me get this straight. First, the salesperson says it has not been in a wreck. Then when confronted with a carfax report, says it was...but it was minor, nothing to worry about. And Carfax is not telling the truth.

Unless you can talk with the previous owner and previous owner's insurance company, walk away and keep looking.

Kind of reminds me of YouTube - How To Irritate People - The Car Salesman