If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

 If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

 The VIN is supposed to be in the listing if the cars.  Search around
for the Insurance Company lists of flooded cars from Katrina or Rita.
One is at www.nicb.org, but there's probably others.  And run it
through Carfax also.

 I tried to repeat the same search you did - I punched in '05
Corolla, $1K to $10K, within 100 miles of 91367' and got 4 cars back,
though all are apparently different sellers.  The first three list the
VIN and they came back clean from the NICB check.  The fourth car was
listed in Pico Rivera, CA with no VIN posted - and the last two words
in the description before the price: salvage title.

 Bada-Boom.  Gee, wonder why they didn't want to list the VIN?

 If you go to look at the car, check inside the trunk and under the
hood, bring a flashlight.  They can't clean back in all the recesses
that you can see into with a flashlight and mirror.  If the car was in
a flood, it'll probably have a visible water ring of dirt just like
the soap scum ring around the bathtub...

 And if the person selling the car objects to your checking for damp
(or missing) insulation under the floor mats, or looking in the deep
corners of the trunk that closely, or won't let you take it to an
independent mechanic to be checked over, RUN AWAY.

 There are going to be a LOT of cars for sale out there that were
submerged to the dashboard or higher, and some might have been brand
new sitting on the showroom floor with 10 miles or less on them.  Or a
near-new car that was out on lease.  When they are totaled out by an
insurance company the cars are all supposed to be sold for scrap only,
but...

  The crooks can buy them from the wrecking yard, dry them out and
get them running long enough to launder the titles through another
state and sell them as 'used', but in a few months (more or less) a
flood damaged car can become the biggest box of headaches you've ever
dealt with.  

     --<< Bruce >>--

Actually, I looked up the prices for new Toyotas and a basic configuration
costs around 13K, not 16K like I thought writing the original email.

It still sounds weird that a new car with 700 miles on it goes for 2/3 of
the original price. I've seen this price offers from a few different private
sellers already. How come a new car with a reputation like Toyota looses
nearly 1/3 of its price after literally a few months and a few hundred
miles? Also, it doesn't have a warranty. I thought Toyota gives a waranty
for the first 36K miles, how is it possible that after 700 miles there's no
warranty? It shouldn't cost the seller anything, yet he claims there's no
warranty.

-S

Salvage Title. Wrecked or flooded.

t's ok to put in a link, since a searched is only seconds longer.  I was a
few sort of cheap that said salvage title $10K or so for a new $14k car is
about the best you can do unless you offer financing.  The daughter's 05
Scion after a year has 4000 miles and I doubt it's worth more than 10K or
so.  My 04 Tacoma 4x4 has 3000 miles after 18 months, and I've found that is
a rare exception to holding price.  It was worth $4000 more to buy new to
me.  My only regret was not buying a 10 year old 4x4.  Who's going to take a
new truck into the mud?  And I'd pass on the automatic.  and for off road,
I'd pass on the extended cab.

Anyone have a 10 year old regular cab Tacoma 4x4