Has anyone bought out of state??

[JimmySox]

Hey ya'll,

I am in the hunt of purchasing my first 4runner, and am wondering who on the forum has the experience of buying out of their home state. How does it work transferring the title and all that stuff? Do you know how it is different buying from a dealer out of state vs. a private seller?

I'm trying not to by too far out of state because I do have to get it home. I guess it's the novice in me being nervous about driving an unknown vehicle 3-4 hours with possibly 150k+ miles on it...

 

[4-Ripcord]

I bought mine from a private seller in Colorado. No problem with registration, its the same process.

Be sure to get a guarantee of some sort that the vehicle is mechanically capable of a long trip in its current state.

 

[Hyde802]

My 92 PU came from out of state. Transferred over with no problems, however because of its age, VT does not require a title for it, which may have made it easier for me.

 

[chucknorris]

check your local Department of Motor Vehicles for out of state title transfer....it varies by state.

If I was nervous about driving a 150k mile vehicle a few hundred miles, I probably wouldnt consider buying it in the first place.

 

[hrt4me]

I'm flying to SoCal in the morning to buy an '85 T4R and drive it back to Dallas... I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[ogden8]

Make sure you get a bill of sale from the owner, and he signs over the title to you correctly. You can always check the dmv website of your state, I'd do it for you but I don't know what state you are in. You can also stop by the dmv and ask the clerk, bring a notebook and pencil.

 

[habanero]

Bought the 99 out of state. Drove up with the hubby in my 96 as a road trip w/sightseeing and camping then picked it up and he drove it home. Lots of good pics beforehand, lots of questions answered plus a carfax (not foolproof), got a very good vibe from the seller who turned out to be just as great in person. Would have preferred to purchase in town but what I wanted simply wasn't being sold here during the months I was looking.

 

[JimmySox]

I'm flying to SoCal in the morning to buy an '85 T4R and drive it back to Dallas... I'll let you know how it goes.

Would love to hear about the trip!!

 

[jirehn]

Not yet,But if you buy from out of your state do you have to pay tax?

 

[mrlouie]

Usually you pay the sales tax when you register the title in your home state. No way to avoid paying sales tax that way.

 

[Gatafly]

Yep, bought my '04 a few months ago from half way across the country. Got lots of pics and had the dealer describe it the best he could. It was a one owner truck and they said I could talk to the previous owner if I wanted to. It was like new except rust on the frame and suspension which I knew I would take care of with POR 15. I sent the wife out to get it and drive it home. Everything worked out great except that she did not want to hand over the keys and tried claiming it was hers.

 

[Hepar]

I live in Seattle and bought mine in San Jose from a private seller. Worked flawlessly. I think you really have to follow your gut there. If there's any hesitation about the seller, don't do it. I made the transfer of titles at the bank as we swapped payment. Cost me $100 for a one-way ticket and then the gas to get back. It was a great drive. Actually met up with a friend in Shasta who was driving back from Tahoe, so we rallied the rest of the way home together.

 

[hrt4me]

Would love to hear about the trip!!

Everything went well, and the seller was great to deal with. Drove around San Diego for a few days during my conference, and then hit the road, not knowing what to expect. Drove to Scottsdale, AZ, to meet some buddies to shoot in the desert, then went northeast through the Apache National Forest, with great camping and hiking along the way. In New Mexico, we visited the Gila Cliff Dwellings and several ghost towns, as well as Truth or Consequences, Las Cruces, Roswell and Carlsbad Caverns on the way home. Overall a fun road trip with great weather, hiking and camping along the way. And the T4R didn't miss a beat and made the trek home without issue. My only regret is not taking more time to stop and do/see all the things along the way, including the Imperial Sand Dunes and many other OHV parks and tons of interesting fire roads and forest trails and desert roads which would have been so fun to explore.