Looking at truck, VIN problem

[TWilkening]

I'm looking at a truck from the local Dodge dealer. It's a 2000 2500 qc sb diesel auto 4x4. I had a member run a carfax report, since I knew it had a salvage title. By the report, it was issued a junk, dismantled, and rebuilt title the same day. Later it was issued a rebuilt title. The problem is, when I run the VIN number, it comes back to a 2001 qc 2500 with a V 10. What's the deal here?

On Edit: I thought to look on the dash to see if it was any different. There was a sticker saying there is an Iowa DOT assigned VIN on the driver's door. Sure enough, there is a sticker with a VIN on it. What has to happen to a vehicle to get this to happen to it? I assume there's no way to look up the history on the truck? My guess is the entire body is off another truck, as the glove box vin matches the door. Would there be any trouble insureing or titling this truck? It been liscensed in Iowa the last 5 years. Any help here is appreciated.

 

[VicR]

Also check with your insurer. I looked at a salvage title truck a few years ago and my ins. company said they would want the vehicle inspected to get comp and collision on it.



I hope they are giving a big discount for a salvage title.



-Vic

 

[JR2]

Since the vech had been licensed and registerd in Iowa it should not be a problem, but you will want to make sure. You need to know what exactly it says on the Iowa title. There is a huge difference between salvage, rebuild, junked etc. I own a company that does titles and registrations here in Alaska and we deal with this stuff all the time. The best possible thing you can do is get a photocopy of the title and registration and got to your local division of motor vechicles and talk to them. They can tell you exactly what the story is.



As far as insurance, I have never heard of a problem with a reconstruct vechicle, but once again the words reconstruct, rebuilt, salvage, etc all have various meanings in each state.



As for a price, I would not expect you to pay even low wholesale for the truck. We call these frankentrucks. I would also insist on having a mechanic look it over for signs of major reconstruction. Things like welded frames, wrong frames and other crap. I have seen cars two wrecked cars that have been cut in half and turned into one "good" car so check it out good.

 

[benhall]

Iowa has one of the toughest laws concerning Rebuilt/Salvage titled vehicles. By law, they have to disclose everything about the vehicle since it is less than 10 yrs old. How do I know this? My dad inspected rebuilt/salvage title vehilcles as a state trooper for a couple of years, making sure numbers matched and if they didn't, that they had proof of where a numbered part came from.



Which part of Iowa are you in? If you're in SE Iowa, I can do some checking, even from way over here.



Ben

 

[JLEONARD]

Around here the dealer is required to get the vehicle registered, etc. So it would be a non issue... he wouldn't be able to sell it if he couldn't get all the proper paperwork done.