Help - about to buy a used 2001 2500 quad cab

[MR V]

I am about to buy a used 2001 Ram 2500 quad cab. On the dealer information card is says "Buy Back, must disclose see back". On the back, it says "adjusted steering box". Does anyone know what this means? I have a call into the dealer with the same question. Also I have the VIN number (1B7KF23661J539933), is there anywhere on the web to look-up a VIN to see what work was done by Dodge under warranty. GM has a site you can do this.

 

[work2muchplay2little]

That sounds REAL suspicious for a previous owner who had significant, repeated problems related but probably not limited to the steering, and invoked the lemon law - forcing DC to buy the truck back. I think I'd steer clear, IMO.

 

[gitchesum]

What kind of price are they asking for the truck? I know there has been a lot of talk about steering wander and other steering problems on this site. If the previous owner was upset enough to go through and arbitration and buyback process, it must be a real problem. I would also suggest steering(no pun intended) clear of this one as well. Another one will come along.



Added in edit: I ran a Carfax report on the truck in question. It seems it was also used as a commercial vehicle. Don't know if that would have any bearing on your decision. Just thought I'd let you know.

 

[Skyjacked Ram]

Be really carefull, when I first started looking for a dodge diesel, I found one and it was also a buy back. It seems it had a "wire problem" but what they didn't tell me at first was that the entire interior had to be replaced because the truck burned... they just don't always tell you the entire problem.

 

[rrl989]

"Buy Back, must disclose see back".



What they are telling us in legal mumbo jumbo is:



"This truck is a Lemon and now Mr. Chrysler is stuck with it"





Ron

 

[dewdo]

Run out the door and don't look back! It is a factory lemon buy back and in most cases the original problem is not solved. The dealers buy them from the factory at auction and they in turn try to pawn them off on some un-suspecting buyer.



My son got stuck on one like that.



If you are in the market for a used vehicle you can subscribe to "CARFAX" on the web for three months for about $25. 00 and run all VIN's through them and they will come back and give you the history of the vehicle from the factory to the present. There are also a lot of flood damaged vehicles out there right now that you want to steer clear of.



My daughter was in the market for a used car and had found one she liked. I subsacribed to "carfax" for three months for $25. 00. I ran the VIN through on her choice and found out it was a rebuilt wreck. I was surprised at the number of vehicles she brought me the VIN on that had the speedometers run back, rebuilt wreck etc.



The one big surprise was one she brought me that an elderly woman was selling who claimed to be the original owner and the car had very low miles. I ran the VIn and discovered it had been a rental car in Salt Lake City. Sold to another rental agency in Texas, and then bought back by another rental agency back in Salt Lake City. It was then bought by the elderly lady at auction. The last time the car was in Salt Lake City it had 80,000 miles on it. When my daughter looked at it, it had 30,000.



Buyer beware!



Dewdo in the other Washington

 

[Sky]

I got my Grand prix GTP as a buy back and got a GREAT price. The buy back was something to do with the brakes. Anyway I got it for a good deal and have not had any problems for the last 5 years.



Ask them to put it in writing what the problem was and its fixed and its warrentied.

 

[TBarrett]

On the Lemon Law

When I bought my 2001 Ram Diesel, I got the extended warrenty

and then all was told to me. Basicly, you get a problem on your truck and say you take it in 3 times, I was told and for the same thing, ever getting fixxed or not. You have the opption of going thru a claims process to make your dealer or the manufacturer buy it back. Like a 3 strikes your out type thing. So sounds like the original owner did that. If you can prove the box related problem was corrected by serial # at a dealer, then truck could be OK. Any dealer can input the # in and get a printout of any and all work done to that truck.

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Sounds liek it might be more trouble then its worth. But then again, it may never have the problem again. I would definatley road test it and ask lots of questions and be SURE they will cover any problems with a warranty.