BUYERS BEWARE -- PLEASE READ BEFORE PURCHASING A VEHICLE FROM THIS SELLER…read more
My brother purchased a Chevrolet Impala from this seller for $6,000 cash. The Facebook listing advertised the vehicle as having approximately 137,000 miles.
After purchasing it, we discovered the odometer actually displayed approximately 105,000 miles, while the vehicle's CARFAX history documented 267,000+ miles. When questioned about the discrepancy, the seller told us the instrument cluster had been replaced. That information was NOT disclosed in the Facebook advertisement before the purchase.
It gets worse.
Within LESS THAN 50 MILES of leaving with the vehicle, the check-engine light came on and the car went into limp mode. It showed code P06DE, relating to the engine oil-pressure control system.
Then we attempted to register the vehicle and discovered another major problem: the seller wasn't the person named on the title. The title already had another person's signature/assignment on it, and we were told at the tax office that the paperwork could not simply be transferred to my brother as presented and that we would need to go through the bonded-title process.
We immediately contacted the seller and requested our money back. To his credit, he did respond and ultimately agreed to take the vehicle back--but my brother only received $5,200 of his $6,000, meaning he lost $800 on a vehicle he owned for essentially no time and drove less than 50 miles.
I'm sharing this because people buying inexpensive used cars are often spending money they worked extremely hard for. A buyer should be given accurate information about a vehicle's mileage, title situation, known cluster replacement, and condition BEFORE handing over thousands of dollars.
We have screenshots of the original advertisement, CARFAX mileage history, odometer reading, diagnostic code, title paperwork and communications regarding the transaction.
My advice: do your homework, run the CARFAX yourself, verify the VIN and mileage, make sure the seller's name matches the title, and have the vehicle inspected BEFORE exchanging any money.
My brother learned an $800 lesson. Hopefully posting our experience prevents someone else from learning the same one.