Used '93 explorer dead after 5 days of purchasing

[Brock94]

I know a guy that had a similar problem. He made a couple hundred photocopies of a flier truthfully describing what happened and the dealer's unwillingness to help-- saying it was his opinion that no one should buy a car from that dealer. He stapled it to every public bulletin board and telephone pole he could find in the town-- the dealer ended up taking the car back when he agreed to stop posting these things.

 

[goobenet]

It would get really expensive, but put that flyer in the daily paper for a few days... If you live in a marginally large city, it'll catch someone's attention.

 

[explorerscope]

Update: False Odometer readings

I decided to do a car report from www.carfax.com and found out the mileage reported in 1998 for my vehicle was 127,000.0 and today it reads 98,900.0 Now this has one of the older odometers which has 5 digits and last one(white) would be a decimal,correct?. I believe that this vehicle starts over at 00000.0 when it reaches 99999.9 you see my point? so therefore in 1998 the reading looks like 27000.0 but was actually 127000.0 as reported. Anyone else has a 1993 explorer to verify this? Take a look at the carfax report at this link...
http://www.carfax.com/cfm/FSBO.cfm?report=CFX000008086395

see the mileage? but now it reads 98,900.0

If I am correct this odometer is actually heading on 200,000 miles and not 100,000 as the dealer told me and I think he knew that fact. I know there are laws against reporting false readings or knowingly selling a vehicle with false readings,even though the car is exempt from reporting to the DMV. Right now I'm seeking to get the DMV records of the mileage to make my case. What do you think?

As for the problem with my vehicle which I stated in my first post, a mechanic is working on it. He owns a 94 ford explorer and so is familiar with the vehicle systems. I rather pay a family mechanic than an unscrupulous dealer.


Scope

 

[spindlecone]

What did the dealer write down as milage on your contract and or DMV paperwork?
If the odo was dicked with, the dealer could be in deep s$$t, and you could be smellin like a rose
Good luck

 

[IAmTodd]

Whoopsies. Someone could be in a little trouble. Definetly find that out and get in touch with the DMV!!

 

[Ira]

I know that with my 91, the odo does start back at 00,000.0 after it hits 99,999.9 miles. It is possible that it did only have 27,000 on it in 98 and it now has 98,900. Have you looked/seen the title to see what it was actually showing, and are you sure that there is not a check mark on it showing that it has exceeded 100,000 miles? Many times, (at least in TN) there is a box on the back of the title that can be checked if the mileage is either (a) beyond the odometer's capability ie. rolled over or (b) not the original odometer, or (c) broken. Personally, I would try to locate the previous owner and find out what he could offer in terms of his mileage at time of sale, condition, etc.

 

[goobenet]

Here in MN if the vehicle is over 10yrs old it's odo exempt and they just put in the base value instead. Carfax should show you progressively what the mileage was, but if it only had 1 owner, and a dealership has to report it when they buy it, you should have 2 refrences on carfax. Then again, it might've come up exempt. I know for lease vehicles, exery time you take it in for an oil change they update carfax with new odo readings. My truck has a 5 digit too, it's a bit confusing, everyone first thought i had a truck with only 12k miles on it, then they counted. If it is comming up on 200k, that'd be just over 15k miles a year. Does carfax show any fleet registrations? I wouldn't believe that it only had 27k in 1998. I would believe 127k though.

EDIT: As i re-read i see the link for carfax. After reading it, it did have a lease registration, so i would say that the 127k would be accurate. (Since most lease companies make money on mileage per year allotments) And the newest title on there states exepmt from odo readings, yea, he tried to tell you it only had 98k on it because the odo says that... 5-digits suck for that reason. He didn't even have to tamper with the odo to roll it back. Get the bastage for all he's worth. I know up here in MN truth in sale is quite a big racket. If they knowingly misrepresented the mileage, they're in a world of hurt.

Do you/are you having a new title issued to you? If so, all they have to do is slip up and report 98k on the title and blam, instant discrepancy, since they've already got 127k on the paperwork. I suppose the dealer could use the defense of "i just reported what the odo says, since it's 5-digits, it reports 98k"... But i don't think there's a judge in this country who would buy that.

I would say, pending the answer to a few questions, you have quite a leg to stand on. If the odo says (1)98k now, and it said 127k in 98, that's about 12k miles a year over the past 6 years, so whoever's had it, didn't drive it too much.

 

[explorerscope]

Define Exempt:

Ok I guess I can try to get on to the DMV but what exactly does exempt mean? I think in Florida any vehicle older that 10yrs is exempt, so that will include my 93 explorer...but does this mean the dealer can say any mileage he wants or mess with the odometer? or is it that no matter how old a vehicle is, the odometer must still be reported correctly, even though it is exempt from being reported to the DMV. On the forms my dealer didnt write in the mileage he just wrote "exempt".

I saw the mileage and recorded it for my own personal records and I specifically asked them the mileage and they said its only 98,000 and has low miles, so I thought, even though it was a 93, the price I was paying for it was good considering the mileage. I would not have paid that much if it was actually heading for 200,000 miles. Anyone also know if this is grounds to void my contract?

Scope

 

[goobenet]

Your word against theirs if it's not in writing anywhere. Exempt means that they no longer are required to report the odo readings to the DMV. I've got a 94, and it's got 116k or so on it, but unless grandpa owned it, and never drove it, i'm pretty sure it's 200k.