Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.

So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?

OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
right?

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:57:09 -0500, VinnyB
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.
Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.

I think the seller is "snowing" you.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:33 -0400,
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:57:09 -0500, VinnyB
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.
Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.

Agreed, except one wouldn't have to be the 9th digit. Add one and
subtract one, or interchange 2 numbers, and it would check out.

I think the seller is "snowing" you.

Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump. So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had
only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.

Anyhow, it's good to understand this vin stuff for this time and future
times too.

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 16:05:04 -0400, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:33 -0400,
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:57:09 -0500, VinnyB
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.
Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.

Agreed, except one wouldn't have to be the 9th digit. Add one and
subtract one, or interchange 2 numbers, and it would check out.

It's not that simple. Transposing numbers WILL cause the check digit
to fail (most common problem when entering numbers)

I think the seller is "snowing" you.

Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump. So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had
only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.


30 miles and you are thinking he's not telling the truth?? I had
customers coming from 75-95 miles away to have me (or my team) service
their vehicles. When I was in Elmira, a gentleman used to bring his
'68 Firebird from Toronto for even oil changes and lightbulb
replacement because I was the only guy, after having taken it to
several Toronto dealers as well as out of town dealers - to be able to
make the car run properly for him. When I told him I was leaving the
garage where I worked he put an add in the paper to sell it the very
next day.... When I was service manager at the dealership in Waterloo
I regularly serviced cars from Toronto, London, Woodstock and all over
south-western Ontario.A good 10-15% were from more than 30 miles away.
Anyhow, it's good to understand this vin stuff for this time and future
times too.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 16:38:17 -0400,
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 16:05:04 -0400, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:33 -0400,
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:57:09 -0500, VinnyB
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.
Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.

Agreed, except one wouldn't have to be the 9th digit. Add one and
subtract one, or interchange 2 numbers, and it would check out.

It's not that simple. Transposing numbers WILL cause the check digit

Okay, if you say so, but as you say, it is possible by making to
mistakes to have the wrong thing and still pass.

to fail (most common problem when entering numbers)

I think the seller is "snowing" you.

Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump. So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had
only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.


30 miles and you are thinking he's not telling the truth?? I had
customers coming from 75-95 miles away to have me (or my team) service
their vehicles. When I was in Elmira, a gentleman used to bring his

It depends on where people are coming from and to. In this case, he
tells me she livs and home and commutes to Va. The town where the car
actually resided is 30 (I thought. Actually 68) miles in the opposite
direction. There are plenty of places around here to get the car fixed
and no one is going to go 30 miles to find someplace better. And it's
not even one favorite place. It's 3 different places over the years.

Or she could get it fixed in Va. where she's been going to school. He
says she doesn't drive during the week, so that's a perfect time to have
the car fixed. Not to drive 100 miles north.

'68 Firebird from Toronto for even oil changes and lightbulb
replacement because I was the only guy, after having taken it to
several Toronto dealers as well as out of town dealers - to be able to
make the car run properly for him. When I told him I was leaving the
garage where I worked he put an add in the paper to sell it the very
next day.... When I was service manager at the dealership in Waterloo
I regularly serviced cars from Toronto, London, Woodstock and all over
south-western Ontario.A good 10-15% were from more than 30 miles away.

I knew more about this situation than you did when I reached my
conclusions.

Anyhow, it's good to understand this vin stuff for this time and future
times too.

On Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 4:38:25 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 16:05:04 -0400, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:33 -0400,
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:57:09 -0500, VinnyB
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.
Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.

Agreed, except one wouldn't have to be the 9th digit. Add one and
subtract one, or interchange 2 numbers, and it would check out.

It's not that simple. Transposing numbers WILL cause the check digit
to fail (most common problem when entering numbers)

I think the seller is "snowing" you.

Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump. So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had
only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.


30 miles and you are thinking he's not telling the truth??


Thirty miles I wouldn't be worried about. But if this means what I think
it means, I'd be worried about that:

"I saw the auction papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date. It was probably last week."


Does that mean that while the seller says it was his daughter's car
Micky saw papers showing it was an auction car?


Some things I'd do to try to avoid a lemon:

Research the car model online, learn what problems it's known for.
There are various car forums where people are sharing tips,
maintenance problems, etc. You can also ask people there that
have that car and know what goes wrong with it. For example,
BMW in the 2000s managed to somehow make V8 engines that were
a complete disaster. Valve stem seals going at 60K, oil leaks
from all kinds of seals that are difficult to replace and that
cost a fortune for the work. Same car with the 6 cyl, the engine
is reliable and it's a very different story.

I'd also get the car checked over by a mechanic. It's essentially
free. You negotiate the car deal, tell the seller you want to have
it checked. The mechanic will very likely find things worth more
than the $125 and you can negotiate a new lower price. I've done
that from the other side. I had a corporate car that I had driven
and was flipping. It had 60K miles on it. A buyer negotiated the
price, took it to a nearby shop, came back and said they told her
it needed a new muffler and she wanted another $250 off. I agreed,
even though I knew it was BS, I haven't replaced a muffler or
exhaust component on anything in decades, certainly not at that
mileage. But it was still a decent price and I worth it to me
to get it done. If you have a shop that you use for work, you
can also call them and ask them what they think about a certain
model, if it's OK or known to have big trouble, etc.

On Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 4:05:11 PM UTC-4, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:33 -0400,
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:57:09 -0500, VinnyB
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.
Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.

Agreed, except one wouldn't have to be the 9th digit. Add one and
subtract one, or interchange 2 numbers, and it would check out.

I think the seller is "snowing" you.

Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump.

What do you mean by "same repair shop"? Same shop that the seller
told you has serviced the car? If that's the case, why would you
ever think the VIN number could be wrong? The chances of the same
year, same model, same everything of another car with a different
VIN being at the same shop is lottery odds.





So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had
only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.

Anyhow, it's good to understand this vin stuff for this time and future
times too.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:48:24 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 4:05:11 PM UTC-4, micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:33 -0400,
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:57:09 -0500, VinnyB
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.
Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.

Agreed, except one wouldn't have to be the 9th digit. Add one and
subtract one, or interchange 2 numbers, and it would check out.

I think the seller is "snowing" you.

Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump.

What do you mean by "same repair shop"? Same shop that the seller
told you has serviced the car?

No. He didnt' tell me any shops.

I mean that year after year they went to the same shop. Actually a
dealer. Then they changed to an "auto and tire" store and went there
year after year, (and when they were ready to sell, I think they traded
it in at that first dealer.)

If that's the case, why would you
ever think the VIN number could be wrong? The chances of the same

Because the stories didn't match and there is almost** always a
possibility that someone is telling the truth.

**We won't get into that here. There are enough other threads.

year, same model, same everything of another car with a different
VIN being at the same shop is lottery odds.

You didn't like my theory that vin numbers might be assigned
consecutively in a given plant that turns out basically the same car for
hours or days at a time?





So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had

68 miles.

only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.

Anyhow, it's good to understand this vin stuff for this time and future
times too.

On 9/17/2017 4:05 PM, micky wrote:


Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump. So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had
only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.

Anyhow, it's good to understand this vin stuff for this time and future
times too.


I don't see that as a problem. If you were to check my car service
records for various cars over the past 20 years, the only places used
were 22 miles and 26 miles from my house. Maybe daddy took care of it
for her using a local to him shop.

I'm also glad to see everyone used the proper term VIN. I hate when
people call it a VIN number or an ATM machine.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 17:13:06 -0400, Ed Pawlowski
wrote:

On 9/17/2017 4:05 PM, micky wrote:


Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump. So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had
only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.

Anyhow, it's good to understand this vin stuff for this time and future
times too.


I don't see that as a problem. If you were to check my car service
records for various cars over the past 20 years, the only places used
were 22 miles and 26 miles from my house. Maybe daddy took care of it
for her using a local to him shop.

But he lives right here too, and that I knew already. I didn't know
how old she was or if she was still living at home, but he said today
that she is, when she's not at college.

I'm also glad to see everyone used the proper term VIN. I hate when
people call it a VIN number or an ATM machine.

I see your point. I'm glad you're glad.

On 09/17/2017 04:13 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:


[snip]

I'm also glad to see everyone used the proper term VIN. I hate when
people call it a VIN number or an ATM machine.

Yes. There's also the confusing "vin" (as if it was a word).

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.

Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.
I think the seller is "snowing" you.


The seller has ~ all the advantages, in these situations -

1. he's a pro rip-off salesman - using your vulnerabilities
2. he knows the laws - fine details
3. he knows ALL the tricks - working your emotions
4. he has done this before - many times

You are an innocent, idiot, gullible rube - but you hold the
Trump Card - your cash - protect it.
Put all the "unbelieveably-great-deals" out of the picture -
sop up your greedy drool - and buy a good car at a fair price ..
from a respectable seller.
.. or spend about 2 years, driving all over the countryside -
test driving and haggling over poor examples of what you want.
Just my 2 copper-pennys worth.
John T.

On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.

So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?

OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
right?

A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.

In rec.autos.tech, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:19:59 -0400, FrozenNorth
wrote:

On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.

So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?

OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
right?

A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.

I've thought about check digits. If I made mistakes on two numbers, it
could defeat the check digit. But I doubt I made two mistakes.

Carfax pretty much has to check it becuase I'm sure it has to look at
all 17 numbers, and if it's not there, that's what it would say.


Back to my camera, the pictures are in Gallery, though how one is
supposed to know that, I don't know. I took a new picture to make sure
where they were going and I found the new one but nothing for weeks
before. And once I got a message that Gallery is not available. Plus
I've got several photos from just before those weeks where only 1/4 or
more of the screen is photo and the rest is blanks. I think maybe
there's a problem with the SD card. Phone is broken in other ways too.

I'll know if I had the VIN right by tomorrow. I could go look right
now, but somehow I can never read it off the dash, even with a
flashlight.

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:14 -0400, micky
wrote:

In rec.autos.tech, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:19:59 -0400, FrozenNorth
wrote:

On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.

So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?

OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
right?

A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.

I've thought about check digits. If I made mistakes on two numbers, it
could defeat the check digit. But I doubt I made two mistakes.

You would have to make pretty "smart" mistakes. One digit off leaves a
1 in 11 chance the check digit would match 2 digits off reduces the
odds considerably.

see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicl...it_calculation
to see how to check the check digit - -

Carfax pretty much has to check it becuase I'm sure it has to look at
all 17 numbers, and if it's not there, that's what it would say.


Back to my camera, the pictures are in Gallery, though how one is
supposed to know that, I don't know. I took a new picture to make sure
where they were going and I found the new one but nothing for weeks
before. And once I got a message that Gallery is not available. Plus
I've got several photos from just before those weeks where only 1/4 or
more of the screen is photo and the rest is blanks. I think maybe
there's a problem with the SD card. Phone is broken in other ways too.

I'll know if I had the VIN right by tomorrow. I could go look right
now, but somehow I can never read it off the dash, even with a
flashlight.

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:14 -0400, micky
wrote:

In rec.autos.tech, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:19:59 -0400, FrozenNorth
wrote:

On 2017-09-17 2:29 PM, micky wrote:
Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.

So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?

OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
right?

A VIN has a check digit, which will help verify the VIN, same as your
SSN and your credit cards, not sure if carfax checks it properly though.

I've thought about check digits. If I made mistakes on two numbers, it
could defeat the check digit. But I doubt I made two mistakes.

Okay, I went back to look at the car again. It's only 0.7 miles away.
That's by chance but it's good because I've been there 5 times.

And I had the number right, and not only that, it doesn't have plates
but on the front is a dealer advertising "plate" that names the dealer
where carfax says the owner had his early and late work done. (I think
he had his warranty work done there, the later work at a tire store, and
when he traded it in, he went back to the same dealer. They changed the
pully and balancer and auctioned it, around a month ago, and the guy I'm
dealing with has had it on craigslist for a little over 2 weeks.

So he's lying, but I can tolerate a little bit of lying, esp. since it's
hard to avoid. Today he said explicitly that drving to Virginia means
mostly highway driving, and he's also told me the belt and pump were
just replaced, when actually I'll need another one in 2 or 3 years.
After the deal is finished, I'll ask him if he's sure he did the belt
and pump on this car, or maybe he's thinking of another car, and maybe
he'll set me straight. I'll point out that if I wait too long, the belt
will break and the car will be in trouble, and I don't think he's
malicious, only looking for a sale. I'll try to report back.

And the town isn't 30 miles from here, it's 68, and where it is, much,
maybe most of the driving probably was highway after all, though the
seller doesn't know one way or the other. Anyhow, the car looks
beautiful, better than the more expensive ones I saw.


Carfax pretty much has to check it becuase I'm sure it has to look at
all 17 numbers, and if it's not there, that's what it would say.


Back to my camera, the pictures are in Gallery, though how one is
supposed to know that, I don't know. I took a new picture to make sure
where they were going and I found the new one but nothing for weeks
before. And once I got a message that Gallery is not available. Plus
I've got several photos from just before those weeks where only 1/4 or
more of the screen is photo and the rest is blanks. I think maybe
there's a problem with the SD card. Phone is broken in other ways too.

I'll know if I had the VIN right by tomorrow. I could go look right
now, but somehow I can never read it off the dash, even with a
flashlight.

I had the right vin. It's the story that's false. Can't have
everything.

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote:

Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.

So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?

OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
right?

I understand the VIN is also tied to other large components of the
vehicle. As an example; the rear axle of a rental truck used in the
OKC bombing flew a long distance and landed in the street. The numbers
on the rear axle was directly to the VIN, make model and such.

Check your state laws. Can a "totaled" car, paid out by insurance, get
a legal title?

You could sell your current used car for a higher price. Houston lost
~500,000 cars flooded. Be careful out there. You could pay for never
ending electrical problems.

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:15:34 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote:

Looking to buy a car, check the VIN on carfax, and the repair history
there conflicts with the seller's story about where the car has been.

So maybe I copied the VIN wrong, probably just one digit, but the make
and model of the car that carfax reports is the same as the one I'm
looking at. Does that mean I have the right VIN?

OTOH aren't the last 6 or so digits just a sequential number from the
assembly line that makes, at least for a period of time, just one make
and model, and maybe 2 or 3 submodels?? So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right? If I got the last digit, or even
the next to the last, I might have the car that came off the line next,
right?

I understand the VIN is also tied to other large components of the
vehicle. As an example; the rear axle of a rental truck used in the
OKC bombing flew a long distance and landed in the street. The numbers
on the rear axle was directly to the VIN, make model and such.

Check your state laws. Can a "totaled" car, paid out by insurance, get
a legal title?

You could sell your current used car for a higher price. Houston lost
~500,000 cars flooded. Be careful out there. You could pay for never
ending electrical problems.
Here in Ontario, the seller is required to produce the "sellers kit"
- dealers are not - but you can go to any Service Ontario office or
kiosk and request the "sellers information" package - at your own
expense - and it will tell you if the vehicle was ever registered
out-of-province, and the registration history of the vehicle.


A vehicle written off by insurance can be re-registered with a
"salvage" branded title - but if the write-off was out of province and
it was repaired before importation, it may not have the "branded"
title - but you WILL know it was from out of province - and quite
possiblt the last province or state it was registered in.