Purchased 2000 Land Cruiser from a fraudulent odometer seller. NEED HELP

[joseph A]

I am reaching out to seek advice from anyone who has experience with their Land Cruiser because I am in a hole.

I just purchased a 2000 Land Cruiser in CA that was advertised as a single owner with 70,000 miles for $16,000. The ODO on the vehicle reads 70,000. But after purchasing we found a car fax report that says the vehicle has 281,264 miles and 3 owners. The seller had a carfax report and invoices from Toyota that showed the mileage that he advertised but it seems to be fake after pulling our own carfax (we effd up by not looking at this before purchasing..I know).

I am now in a dilemma.. I have a truck with significantly more miles than I thought it would have and repairs may be 10fold. Do I sell the truck and try to get back some money and take a loss? Or do I keep the truck?

I plan to take it to Toyota to get a full inspection on it so that I have a list of said repairs/ maintenance. At what expense is too much to continue on with the truck that has 281,264 miles on it? What are red flag repairs?

I was under the impression that the vehicle was well maintained but now I feel violated not knowing if it was taken care of.

The shit thing is, the truck is in beautiful shape inside and out. Yet, didn’t catch the fraudulent odometer and falsifying the amount of owners.

I bought this vehicle as a family car to have daily for my 10 month child. I thought I was buying a well maintained machine because I need reliability. I sold my 2009 access cab Tacoma for this to upgrade to a 4 door and now I feel absolutely effd.

Can anyone offer any sort of advice so that I can think clearly on what do next in this situation? Do I continue with maintenance/ repairs for the truck with high mileage or do I sell now and cut my losses?

Thank you,

Joseph

 

[RideWithYanu]

A single owner 100-Series with only 70k miles for $16k should have been a huge red flag.

Your best option is to hire an attorney to assist you, but I would have little hope of getting a favorable outcome. I don’t mean to rub salt in the wound, but for future you should be doing significantly more research on such a vehicle purchase.

Edit to add: In addition to this forum, IH8Mud is an excellent resource for information on maintaining a high miles 100 Series.

 

[Bappy]

You need to go after the seller what he did was fraudulent. First thing I would do is report out to the Police second hire an attorney. But like the last guy said 16k is your first indicator! Don't just let the scumbag off the hook!

 

[joseph A]

A single owner 100-Series with only 70k miles for $16k should have been a huge red flag.

Your best option is to hire an attorney to assist you, but I would have little hope of getting a favorable outcome. I don’t mean to rub salt in the wound, but for future you should be doing significantly more research on such a vehicle purchase.

Edit to add: In addition to this forum, IH8Mud is an excellent resource for information on maintaining a high miles 100 Series.

Thanks for the reply, I am seeking ways to report it through the dmv and civil court
I see what you mean, it was something that happened to fast. My mechanic inspected at it during the visit and he felt good about.
Do you think I can sell this vehicle?

 

[gxsandiego]

If you hire an attorney you could spend another 16k and get nowhere. It looks great. I would report the seller, get an evaluation from Toyota and then decide. Hiring attorneys in California is expensive and emotionally draining. 281,000 miles on a Land Cruiser is like 70K miles on any other car. You could have a gem there given the shape it's in or a problem if it needs a lot of maintenance. Don't despair, this can happen to anyone. Let us know how things work out for you

 

[joseph A]

You need to go after the seller what he did was fraudulent. First thing I would do is report out to the Police second hire an attorney. But like the last guy said 16k is your first indicator! Don't just let the scumbag off the hook!

Yeah.. feels disgusting thinking about it. I called the police but they said it is a civil case so I will be calling the court on Monday.

 

[andialpha]

At 16k you haven't lost an existential amount of money given that the car is in absolutely great shape.

Have it inspected and if the breaks and other safety relevant parts are ok I would drive it with no regret and I would be happy.
Maybe it turns out to have problems down the road, but that could happen to any car. If the repairs are too expensive, sell it off to somebody who will repair it themselves and take the loss as you would with any other used car.

But again that car looks awesome and you might easily get three trouble free years out of it.

I would report it to the police as fraud and maybe the seller gets in trouble, but I would not sink money into a lawyer or go out of my way to fight this. In the end you got a car that's actually worth around 16k.

EDIT: BTW this could be sold on Cars&Bids and you might get close to 16k for it. They sold way worse looking models for about that price. You didn't get that great steal but if it drove nicely without any issues or noises on the way home you might have gotten a "fair" deal despite the bad taste of the fraud. Probably needs some preventive maintainance but heck, I looked at those pics a few times now and its a really nice car.

EDIT #2: sorry, just came to my mind. If you still have access to the seller and if it's not a too shady/dangerous setting then go to them and tell them you found out and reported them to the police. Police told you that if they don't settle with you right away they will start a criminal investigation for odometer fraud and document fraud. Then ask them to give you 5k right away to settle or you don't withdraw your report and you let the police come after them. Maybe it works and they rather keep 11k than nothing. Obviously you need a friend coming with you if you do that.

 

[RideWithYanu]

I am certain there will be no outcome that leaves you feeling like justice has been served to the person who defrauded you. I’m really sorry about that - it sucks.

The price you paid is probably right for the miles and body condition, but it depends on the quality of the engine.

I would take it to an independent service center that specializes in Land Cruisers, and have them give it a full inspection so that you know what you’re in for. Likely what you’ll be looking at:

If the timing belt and water pump weren’t done at 270k, they’re overdue. Expect oil leaks from the valve covers, oil pan, or rear main seal, and if the radiator and hoses are original, replace them now to prevent overheating. The starter, alternator, spark plugs, and fuel injectors might be worn if they haven’t been replaced in a while.

On the drivetrain, the transmission fluid should be drained and refilled if it’s been over 60k miles, and the transfer case and differentials need fresh fluid too. The suspension is likely tired - worn shocks, control arm bushings, and ball joints can make it feel loose. If the steering rack or tie rods have play, they might be due as well. Brakes should be checked, especially if the pads, rotors, or master cylinder are original.

Inside, things like window motors, door locks, and HVAC controls can start failing, and rust is always worth checking, especially around the frame, suspension mounts, and exhaust. If the previous owner kept up with maintenance, a lot of this may already be handled, but focusing on timing belt, suspension, and drivetrain fluids will help push it past 300k miles. I would assume the worst, since you bought it from scum.

 

[LouNYC]

What does the title say. If the seller altered any motor vehicle document, it is considered fraud. Reach out to your local prosecutor's office. They will have you speak to a Fraud detective who will guide you.

 

[EOD Guy]

I am reaching out to seek advice from anyone who has experience with their Land Cruiser because I am in a hole.

I just purchased a 2000 Land Cruiser in CA that was advertised as a single owner with 70,000 miles for $16,000. The ODO on the vehicle reads 70,000. But after purchasing we found a car fax report that says the vehicle has 281,264 miles and 3 owners. The seller had a carfax report and invoices from Toyota that showed the mileage that he advertised but it seems to be fake after pulling our own carfax (we effd up by not looking at this before purchasing..I know).

I am now in a dilemma.. I have a truck with significantly more miles than I thought it would have and repairs may be 10fold. Do I sell the truck and try to get back some money and take a loss? Or do I keep the truck?

I plan to take it to Toyota to get a full inspection on it so that I have a list of said repairs/ maintenance. At what expense is too much to continue on with the truck that has 281,264 miles on it? What are red flag repairs?

I was under the impression that the vehicle was well maintained but now I feel violated not knowing if it was taken care of.

The shit thing is, the truck is in beautiful shape inside and out. Yet, didn’t catch the fraudulent odometer and falsifying the amount of owners.

I bought this vehicle as a family car to have daily for my 10 month child. I thought I was buying a well maintained machine because I need reliability. I sold my 2009 access cab Tacoma for this to upgrade to a 4 door and now I feel absolutely effd.

Can anyone offer any sort of advice so that I can think clearly on what do next in this situation? Do I continue with maintenance/ repairs for the truck with high mileage or do I sell now and cut my losses?

Thank you,

JosephView attachment 26141View attachment 26142

Can you say Lawyer, Open and shut case..........

 

[LcAz]

Can you say Lawyer, Open and shut case..........

I agree but any cent spent on recovery is a total loss. In all likelihood even with an open and closed case one has to spend probably 10k. Then another 5k to try and collect money over time, to actually get back a realistic 8k. 21k investment for 8k is just insult to injury but is the sad truth. In the vast majority of cases these are low life’s that done have a cent. Can’t collect much from nothing.

 

[No15]

Odometer fraud is treble damages. Just fyi

 

[alfiolevy]

Thinking out loud - just sell it.

 

[Browndirtcowboy]

If it seems too good to be true, it is.

 

[joseph A]

At 16k you haven't lost an existential amount of money given that the car is in absolutely great shape.

Have it inspected and if the breaks and other safety relevant parts are ok I would drive it with no regret and I would be happy.
Maybe it turns out to have problems down the road, but that could happen to any car. If the repairs are too expensive, sell it off to somebody who will repair it themselves and take the loss as you would with any other used car.

But again that car looks awesome and you might easily get three trouble free years out of it.

I would report it to the police as fraud and maybe the seller gets in trouble, but I would not sink money into a lawyer or go out of my way to fight this. In the end you got a car that's actually worth around 16k.

EDIT: BTW this could be sold on Cars&Bids and you might get close to 16k for it. They sold way worse looking models for about that price. You didn't get that great steal but if it drove nicely without any issues or noises on the way home you might have gotten a "fair" deal despite the bad taste of the fraud. Probably needs some preventive maintainance but heck, I looked at those pics a few times now and its a really nice car.

EDIT #2: sorry, just came to my mind. If you still have access to the seller and if it's not a too shady/dangerous setting then go to them and tell them you found out and reported them to the police. Police told you that if they don't settle with you right away they will start a criminal investigation for odometer fraud and document fraud. Then ask them to give you 5k right away to settle or you don't withdraw your report and you let the police come after them. Maybe it works and they rather keep 11k than nothing. Obviously you need a friend coming with you if you do that.

Thank you for the reply.
Do you think that having a false odometer reading on the car will hinder a sale?

Odometer fraud is treble damages. Just fyi

can you elaborate on the damages? What do you mean?

 

[joseph A]

Thinking out loud - just sell it.

This is what my wife thinks too. I am getting mixed responses about it. But at the moment I don’t know what the evaluation is so I’m at a stand still. My father in law ended up having a contact to a specialist so we are going to get it mechanically evaluated first.l through him first then go from there.

 

[joseph A]

If it seems too good to be true, it is.

Pain.

 

[Area 51]

Have the Toyota dealer look it over real good and supply a report.
Drive the wheels off it.
Low level crimes like this are accepted and encouraged in Ca these days.
Don't waste too much time and definitely any money getting no where.
The dealer assessment is a valuable place to start.
It may very well be worth what you paid. You were just scammed and swindled.
The price is fare market from whats on Craigs list or close enough.
How do you prove your claim is the key element here if you think you have a case?
What does the receipt say?
What does the pink slip transfers show?
What does the add say?
This whole posting sounds kinda scamy to be honest.
Its my nature to be suspicious.

Don't forget to have the timing chain checked or just replaced.
They fail at this mileage.
Then the engine lunches big time.
Good luck.

 

[Lineman]

A Lawyer’s fees may make it too expensive to recoup that amount of money. You would probably spend more and get less. Small Claims in CA is max at 12,500. No lawyers. Maybe asking for the max amount and letting go of the rest, if you win, might be a good route? Might be around 100 dollars to file..

 

[No15]

Thank you for the reply.
Do you think that having a false odometer reading on the car will hinder a sale?

can you elaborate on the damages? What do you mean?

Odometer fraud is pretty serious. If you go to court and win your damages you could get 3x the award.

Treble damages - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org