How accurate is Toyota's service history website?

[njfastlife]

Looking to buy a used 4th gen. Came across an ad for a 2005 with 52k miles.

Ran the service history check and got this:

However ran a Carfax and AutoCheck and got this:

Guy seemed legit. Older man. So confused right now.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Depends what the service writer constituted as a "Body Repair."

We use that sometimes for things like "Clip Fender Back On," "Install Headlight," "Install Grill" "Install Running Boards," ect.

Do you have a VIN or more detailed service records?

 

[njfastlife]

Depends what the service writer constituted as a "Body Repair."

We use that sometimes for things like "Clip Fender Back On," "Install Headlight," "Install Grill" "Install Running Boards," ect.

Do you have a VIN or more detailed service records?

I have the VIN. The body work isn't most concerning. It's that it says 90k miles when seller tells me it has 52k.

 

[Capq45]

I dont know how that all works. Reason being I recently sold my old car and I am the original owner with 140k miles on it. Dmw said it had 156k in 2008. Im thinking I might have gone and registered my other car at the same time at AAA and the other car would have had those miles. Never got it straightened out with them and the buyer didnt care.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I have the VIN. The body work isn't most concerning. It's that it says 90k miles when seller tells me it has 52k.

I don't know that's too even a number on the history... can you PM me the VIN?

 

[njfastlife]

I don't know that's too even a number on the history... can you PM me the VIN?

Sent

 

[Jernik]

I've seen where someone fat fingers in the mileage on my service receipt before. Assume that same info gets into the computer. In my case, I think they entered 128,000 instead of the 118,000 the vehicle had on it at the time.

As far as Toyota goes, don't know that I'd have too much faith in them... A month after I went in for my 6 month 5K checkup, they started sending me notecards in the mail saying I was late for my 12 month 10K mile checkup. I just now made 1 year on my purchase, and received another card last week saying I'm past due for the 18 month 15K service.

 

[Blue Seat Lyfe]

I don't know that's too even a number on the history... can you PM me the VIN?

Wondering if you could elaborate on what this would be..did the whole tranny get replaced? I am looking at this 2006 TLC at Ben Myatt Chevy so they might have taken it to this Toyota dealer to do it.

VIN - JTEHT05J162086729

 

[mnofpeace]

out of curiousity i looked up my own...it was correct, including the lumbar support motor fix under warranty.

 

[njfastlife]

Depends what the service writer constituted as a "Body Repair."

We use that sometimes for things like "Clip Fender Back On," "Install Headlight," "Install Grill" "Install Running Boards," ect.

Do you have a VIN or more detailed service records?

Not sure my PM is working. Called dealer and they said they did an alloy wheel replacement.

JTEBU14R050064098

 

[BlackWorksInc]

You do know I work during the day right?

I looked up the history and all I see is one visit in '05 at 7k and two visits on 10/15 & 10/17, 2014 for a damaged alloy wheel; both tickets at 90k exactly. My guess is a lazy service writer wrote down a random mileage? (Did you ask the owner to provide a picture of the pink slip with the odometer in the background?)

 

[Synister]

I think the answer the OP is looking for is "its only as accurate as the person making the entrys". I use the service tracker to self report ALL of my own maintenance and the dealer entries that are there are pretty accurate.

 

[d_clark]

The service entries are not reliable.

Here is my experience with a local dealer.

I took my vehicle in for an oil change in the fall of 2013 with around 70k miles. They entered the service correctly for that trip. However, that was the last trip I made to that dealer. However, for the next 2 years, they would update the service record with entries for everything from oil changes, to wipers, bulbs, transmission flush, diff fluid changes, brakes etc.

When I sold my 4th Gen, I looks up the service records, they indicated I had service done the month prior, and had 146k. Problem was two fold, 1, I had not used them for service in 2 years, and my vehicle had around 90k on it.

The service manger looked the records up, and supposedly found the issue, another person, with the same name, with the same year 4runner. The story was apparently that when he dropped his truck off, they would look the name up, see an entry and make no further checks. Took them about 3 months to get it cleared up.

I sold that truck in March, I got a survey for service done in Aug, Supposedly had 156k on it. When I contacted the particular dealer, they tried to explain to me that they verify the VIN, and the odometer everytime a vehicle is in for service, but could not explain how I got service done on a vehicle I no longer own.


What new owner had done (per carfax)
05/12/2015
99,662
Manistee Ford
Maintenance inspection completed
Brakes checked
Battery/charging system checked
Two tires mounted and balanced
Two tires balanced
Tire condition and pressure checked

Latest service I supposedly had done on this truck. (Service record was emailed to me by dealer)
08/03/2015
156,519
Kool Toyota of Grand Rapids
Maintenance inspection completed
Oil and filter changed


Records are only as good as the person entering the data.

 

[Wakko]

Sounds like a bad headache....