(Not sure if this counts as a sales post) Just a couple weeks ago in the streets of Chicago I bought a Rav4 with “94,000” Miles on it, I bought for $12,000 with cash, I drove it home, title in hand, not thinking much of it, After a week or two I soon realized the car was running horribly. I ran Carfax and it turns out the odometer was rolled back by over 130,000 miles.
I checked the title and it’s not the same name as the person who had the car listed. Going to be contacting the police tomorrow to see what happens. CarFax is reporting the car had 4 different owners so it can’t be that hard tracking the guy down right?
Just wondering what are my chances of getting in a courtroom with this guy? Moneys a bit tight and I can’t sell this car with the current odometer because it’s illegal.
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Getting the guy in court? Zero. You couldn’t sell it right now PERIOD because you don’t have title. The real risk you have is that the car was stolen and the guy who sold it to you was “washing the title” (or sometimes “floating”).
Police will run a report on the VIN and see what they come up with. I don’t see many ways this works out favorably for you, unfortunately. If the name on the title is legit, that’s the owner, and your best hope is he never actually transferred title to the “other guy,” but then may realize he has you over a barrel to sign over the title.
Like I said, no great outcomes here. Stinks, don’t mean to dump on the situation, but it just isn’t good.
That car has been handled by multiple people. Lesson one only buy a car from the person who is named on the title. I wouldve ran away at that point. As far as going to the police, try the secretary of state police. They might say contact local. Local will tell you it’s a civil issue. God forbid the car is stolen which may be the case. You probably should plug an obd computer into the port and verify the public Vin vs the Vin for the computer. Most likely you bought a retag.
OP’s thought process after reading your comment… “what is a police secretary going to do?” LOL
You spent 12k and didn’t bother to spend what like 100 dollars or whatever it is to check on the car? Stupid is as stupid does.
It’s less, much less. People aren’t bright. I used to sell used cars and sometimes had to beg buyers to get them inspected (online buyers) . It made no sense. I’ll give a stranger 30k+ for a car based on photos and their word.
No. Spend 100-300 and get it inspected. This way when you get it delivered or waste your time flying out we don’t have the stupid conversation of “you didn’t tell me”
You will get nowhere with the police or courts. It’s BUYER BEWARE!! Paying that much cash, you should have checked it out.
CarFax mileage isn’t always right. Especially if the last odometer reading was at an emissions testing place. Those people don’t pay attention. I bought a 2014 Prius 2 years ago with 6.6k miles. CarFax showed the car was last recorded with 66k miles at the emissions test facility Because they made an error.( I had copies of all the service records proving the car only had 6.6k on it)
It shows the mileage with each individual information added, serviced, sold or repaired.
You can sell it TMU. Might loose money but you can sell it
I tried buying a used car for my kid off FB marketplace. The number of “selling for my grandma, it’s not my name on the title” posts was ridiculous. Verrry sketchy out there. I dislike dealers, but for used cars they do have some value. Bought a high mileage Yaris from a Subaru dealer (🤷♂️), she had a clean title and she’s been a gem ever since.
In the streets of Chicago? How did you find this car?
The same thing happened with me and a Sienna. Granted, it was only a third of what you paid but other similar condition Siennas were going for cheaper with +180k miles. Odometer read 130k and after doing the car fax, it turns out it actually had 230k.
There were red flags that should’ve told me to stay away but you live and you learn.
Because it’s odometer fraud, it would be the FBI that you’d be contacting. But very likely the RAV4 is stolen, and that is a washed title. I would check the VIN in the door jamb to make sure that it matches the VIN in the windshield, but also there’s a VIN on the frame, underneath the vehicle on the driver’s side. I would also check to make sure that matches the title you’ve gotten.
How would it be easy to track him down if his name was not even on the title lol?
This is an expensive lesson. Sorry bud.
Like the dude who goes: “Oh fuck, got aids from a 3rd world Indian prostitute. Better put on a condom while boarding my flight home. Wish me luck, YOLO”
Even with the carfax… you should always get a car looked at… we see alot of cars that have suffered from “floods” and that’s not in the carfax.