[simonastv]

Hello,

My name is Simon. I would like to buy 2020 Toyota Coroll LE. One of the cars I researched had Vin plate (sticker) manufacturing date saying 05/2019 and the VIN search comes back as 2020. All seatbelt stickers say 2019 and there are lots of parts with the 2019. I am trying to avoid the twin vin car. I know in the past usually once the manufacturing date rolls to the 2nd half it can be considered the next year car and this one I found strange. If the car manufacturing date would be 06(07)/2019 I would agree with the 2020 year but now... 10th letter on the VIN is L which indicates vehicle model year 2020. What do you think?

 

[Old Mechanic]

The key is the number on the VIN which confirms the correct year model. It's is rarely as early as May but not unheard of.
Bottom line is the VIN is the definitive as far as the legal model year.

Welcome to VIN Decoding :: provided by vPIC

vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

 

[simonastv]

Thank you, yes, it is rear, i've neverseen it myself and I am trying to eliminate a swopped vin option because the car title was clean and I found some accident damage so i started questioning the car overall. There is a way, I even bought a UV flashlight to detect the possible location of the original vin in case it is placed on top...

 

[Old Mechanic]

Your car has vin numbers in numerous locations, look at the fenders, doors, hood, truck lid and any other bolt on BODY parts as well as the firewall where the vin is stamped into the sheet metal. Bolt on parts have a plastic tag with the vin and a bar code. A clean title with accident damage COULD be damage that was repaired outside of the body shop legitimate circles. Maybe grandma scraped a fender and the kids paid some body man cash to fix it without any receipt. Or the owner fixed himself to keep his insurance from skyrocketing or being cancelled.

 

[simonastv]

Thank you Sir. stickers can be produced, stuff can be welded, cut out... of course the devil is in the details thats why I am trying to figure out the more details... You see it all started once I found 1000 microns in the left rear panel (should be around 150), i didn't find any welds inside. Very professionaly done - if not my thickness gage would be hard to detect, color chosen perfectly, only like always the transition was very difficult to make. I found that the panel was done, then I found multiple system failures in the vehicle alert history: pre-collision, parking break, secondary collision break, vehicle stability control, check engine. a friend of mine explained that it might be due to the fact that they replaced the front bumper which resulted in a sensor being disconnected and reacted or may be it had a serious accident. It just everything didn't add up. Title is clean and it was a rental fleet car. You see once you know that the professional collision crew works on those cars (they even left a sticker on a rear window) and I found multiple scotch tapes inside of panels.

 

[75aces]

You will be searching the internet for hours trying to find the 2020 model built in 2020 with parts from 2020.

These days, insurance companies are declaring losses on vehicles with minor damage. This is due in part, to expensive pre collision and collision sensors. Air bags are another big one, along with pretensioners in the seat belts.

 

[simonastv]

Thanks, I would agree with you but the guy who rented me a car told me to be very careful. According to him the insurance agencies might be selling cars that's been flooded. It is just business I guess sometimes. Imagine yourself, some company is running an insurance business, huricane comes in for instance to Florida. Owners whose cars been flooded will be asking for the money. The company needs the money back. Company only operates if there is some profit otherwise it is going bankrupt. It is just a cycle and I am just trying to be a careful consumer. If it takes hours to research something I will be researching something for hours... For instance, right now I have a 2nd person telling me that the VIN is on the firewall and there is an engine code on the VIN sticker and the engine itself. I will be researching that as well.
Pretensioners can be activated through a fancy diagnostics computer and I don't have that.

 

[75aces]

Thanks, I would agree with you but the guy who rented me a car told me to be very careful. According to him the insurance agencies might be selling cars that's been flooded. It is just business I guess sometimes. Imagine yourself, some company is running an insurance business, huricane comes in for instance to Florida. Owners whose cars been flooded will be asking for the money. The company needs the money back. Company only operates if there is some profit otherwise it is going bankrupt. It is just a cycle and I am just trying to be a careful consumer. If it takes hours to research something I will be researching something for hours... For instance, right now I have a 2nd person telling me that the VIN is on the firewall and there is an engine code on the VIN sticker and the engine itself. I will be researching that as well.
Pretensioners can be activated through a fancy diagnostics computer and I don't have that.

Pretensioners are activated only in a collision. They have to be replaced. These are one use only just like airbags.

One way to know a deal is suspect, is the price. Many resellers of flood or insurance jobs will lower the price to sell quickly.

If a seller or dealership is not willing for you to have pre purchase inspection by a third party, then they are hiding something.

 

[simonastv]

I tried that once - the price was over the KBB and over the market price but after a thorough inspection I found a paint thickness over 1000 micron (supposed to be 100-150microns) and I found where the filler is and the collision area is, some cars are detailed by professionals...