Purchasing Used - Dealer Won't Provide Maintenance History

[Larry Arizona]

Someone with a carfax account should be able to run the VIN for accidents.

Just because the dealer doesn't "participate" doesn't mean that truck doesn't have a vehicle history report.

Sponsored

 

[powerboatr]

Also as it is 3/36 still in place for warranty
I would also ask your insurance agent to run a history, as a second look for mishaps
If owner did service outside ford network. It will not show up in service history
Plus if you buy it. Go to 3rd party like Granger, Zeigler etc to get ford ESP at much better price



And. This forum and the people here
Helping out ...is why this is the place for f150s.

 

[jp1450]

Someone with a carfax account should be able to run the VIN for accidents.

Just because the dealer doesn't "participate" doesn't mean that truck doesn't have a vehicle history report.

I have a complimentary Carfax account that my Ford dealer provided to track service history on my 2013 KR.

I ran VIN 1FTFW1E84MKE11215 and it indicates there are six (6) history records on the vehicle, but I cannot get the details without purchasing a report for this specific vehicle. Anyway, it looks like there is something there that the dealer is not willing to disclose....

 

[NiftyF150]

Run for the hills!

 

[fatBatman]

As everyone said, run away from that deal.

Yeah, the truck is still under warranty and there maybe nothing wrong with it at all but sitting for 5 months is a red flag. Being nontransparent about something for sale is another, larger red flag. There are no privacy laws against pulling maintenance records. You are pulling records on a car not a person.

You came on here to ask because your gut was telling you something isn't quite right about this deal. Trust your gut!

 

[AlphaBravo]

I have a copy of the Carfax for this vehicle. Under detailed history, it shows

1. Vehicle manufactured and shipped to original dealer,
2. Vehicle purchase reported,
3. Title issued or updated,
4. Registration issued or renewed,
5. Registration issued or renewed,
5. Vehicle sold - lease vehicle returned to dealer

No accidents reported.

 

[amschind]

Walk away and post the name of the dealer so that others know to avoid them.

 

[Chili]

I was in the same boat a few years ago and the Ford dealer let me see the service records of a 20k 18-month-old truck I wanted to (and ended up buying). I didn't ask for or even want a printout, but he had no problem showing what I asked for.

That vehicle ended up getting bought back and the rep for the buyback said if I wanted to keep it after an acceptable fix, it would not be on the title/ Carfax that it was a buy-back. I also know my parents had a totaled and fixed car that even later had a completely clean car-fax. It was an insurance claim larger than the value of the car and they fought to have it fixed for sentimental reasons.

 

[Eighthtry]

Run! When you get tired climb into your Z06, and run some more. You may need to get a couple of friends to help in the relay department.

That is pure BS.

 

[JohngaltinOC]

Does the truck have a slight lemony odor to it?

 

[Calson]

With every vehicle I have sold I have provided the buyer with all the maintenance and repair records. With a dealer one is gambling as to the condition of the truck.

I would never buy a used vehicle from a dealer. With a private party it is not as cut and dry in terms of needing to get an auto loan from a local bank but the buyer has a much better idea as the condition and history of the vehicle.

A dealer also needs to buy a vehicle and pay for the flooring costs and then sell it and make a profit. That is going to mean paying at least 10% more for the vehicle as compared to buying it from its current owner.

Lots of tricks of the trade for masking problems with the engine or transmission or rear end of a vehicle and if it fails there is the cost of not having the vehicle, costs of possibly spending a night or two in a motel, and the cost to repair the vehicle. It may be helpful to have an extended warranty but it is going to be with a third party outfit and no guarantee they will step up when there is a problem. This also adds to the cost for the vehicle.

 

[discothan]

Plenty of other women I mean trucks on other dealer's lots to pick from.

 

[Wolf Man]

 

[BarryT82]

Find something else. When I was in the market for a truck back in June 2022 I found one at a dealership that refused to offer a CarFax or service information. They gave me the same type of line about not participating in CarFax and that they examine vehicles before selling them. I looked it up myself and it had been wrecked, but they didn't want to tell me. It could be the same shady dealership. CarFax isn't always accurate because things go unreported, but it does help. Trucks aren't selling so it's a buyers market. I've bought vehicles from all over the country and flown to pick them up or had them shipped. You'll find something eventually.

 

[AlphaBravo]

Thank you to everyone here who commented on this situation. I wanted to be sure that I wasn't asking for too much to have the dealer show me the maintenance records, and you all agree that the dealer should provide those. A couple of forum members checked their Ford computer system, and it doesn't look like any maintenance records related to this vehicle appeared in the system. I would have thought that if a Ford dealer enters a maintenance records for a vehicle, that record would be accessible by other Ford dealers, but at least for this vehicle, that is not the case. I will take all of this as a learning experience, and I will move on to try to find another vehicle that meets all of my requirements (I guess that I am too particular, because I have not seen many out there for me). ?

Sponsored