Colorado Emissions Question, HELP

[howdy]

I recently purchased a used truck from a dealership in Colorado, the truck was imported from over seas. A mid 80's truck with absolutely no SMOG equipment..no air pump, no cats. I was told at the time of the sale from the sales guy that it would be exempt from the emissions test.

Went in for a smog test, the tech could not find the Vin # on the truck, refused to check the vehicle.

Later I found out the dealership gave me a registration that had the wrong vin # on it. I went back to the emmisions center, told the tech the issue. He proceeded to look around the truck, NO AIR PUMP he claimed...proceeded to put the truck on the dyno.....FAIL FAIL FAIL.

Dealer said they are willing to temporarily fix the problem to pass emissions.......What should I do.

 

[stevec5000]

I recently purchased a used truck from a dealership in Colorado, the truck was imported from over seas. A mid 80's truck with absolutely no SMOG equipment..no air pump, no cats. I was told at the time of the sale from the sales guy that it would be exempt from the emissions test.

Went in for a smog test, the tech could not find the Vin # on the truck, refused to check the vehicle.

Later I found out the dealership gave me a registration that had the wrong vin # on it. I went back to the emmisions center, told the tech the issue. He proceeded to look around the truck, NO AIR PUMP he claimed...proceeded to put the truck on the dyno.....FAIL FAIL FAIL.

Dealer said they are willing to temporarily fix the problem to pass emissions.......What should I do.

You got scammed and it sounds like you need to get a good lawyer.
I don't know about CO emissions laws but here in AZ the only way it will be exempt from emissions is when it gets old enough to qualify as an antique collector vehicle, such as a Model T, otherwise you are not going to register it and can't drive it. You can't even drive an unregistered vehicle off road unless it stays on private land. Here where I live I couldn't even park it at my house if it wasn't registered! Of course if you have the wrong VIN number you aren't going to be able to register it anyway.
You had better start a lawsuit if they won't take it back and refund your money. Your only other options are to sell it for parts or scrap.

 

[SparkEE]

Later I found out the dealership gave me a registration that had the wrong vin # on it. Dealer said they are willing to temporarily fix the problem to pass emissions.......What should I do.

You should definitely start by getting the right truck to match the title or title to match the truck.

There is no VIN on the truck? Was it cut / scratched off? Do the check yourself. The VIN is put in multiple locations to deter that sort of thing. If you can't find the VIN, get rid of the truck. It will cause only more problems.

As far as being exempt, there are very few conditions that will get you exempt in CO. Place of residence is key(many rural counties have much more relaxed requirements). Even if you can get collectors status, you will have to get smog checked every 5 to 10 years. Can't remember.

What year truck? My 87 was built in Japan and shipped for sale in CA. Its got more than enough smog equipment. Its also possible the factory smog equipment was removed by a previous owner.

I'd still try and return the truck to the dealer and find one with fewer ownership mysteries. VIN's, registration and the like are not fun issues to deal with.

 

[Chisla]

It is the dealer's responsibility to provide the buyer with a passing emissions certificate. From CO. Emissions overview " What are the emissions requirements when selling a used vehicle to a buyer that resides in the enhanced program areas? When a dealer sells a vehicle and the buyer gives an address located in one of the enhanced areas, the dealer is required to provide the buyer with a passing enhanced emissions test or a voucher that is to be delivered to the buyer at the time of sale." Dealer must make it pass by law.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Not all counties require a smog check but not having the correct vin might be the bigger problem. Get the dealer to fix this problem.

 

[stevec5000]

It is the dealer's responsibility to provide the buyer with a passing emissions certificate. From CO. Emissions overview " What are the emissions requirements when selling a used vehicle to a buyer that resides in the enhanced program areas? When a dealer sells a vehicle and the buyer gives an address located in one of the enhanced areas, the dealer is required to provide the buyer with a passing enhanced emissions test or a voucher that is to be delivered to the buyer at the time of sale." Dealer must make it pass by law.

I don't see how they could ever enforce that since used cars are generally sold without any warranty. The best thing to do is just not buy a vehicle with problems like that in the first place.