Missing Door Jam VIN sticker??? - Diesel Forum

fordstroke444 · 01-11-2005, 10:33 PM

Questions for the experts. I am looking at a used 04 Limited Execursion with 20K miles. The price is right, but it is missing the door jam VIN/info sticker. Somebody peeled it off and the security tape beneath it reads "VOID...VOID...VOID". Carmax is selling the vehicle. They claim it has never been wrecked or flood damaged. I ran a Carfax as well and it came-up clean. My concern is that it came from Florida, and with all the floods and hurricanes they had this year could I be making a mistake. Just being overly paranoid, but I don't understand why somebody will peel that sticker off. It has valuable info VIN, build date, tire pressures, etc.. I am planning on bringing a buddy of mine who owns a body shop to see if he can find anthing hidden. Also will this missing sticker pose a problem if I take it to Ford for warranty work? Any advice??

Thx,
Robert

TaddL · 01-12-2005, 12:54 AM

the lack of the sticker wont affect warranty work, but like you said, the lack of the sticker is pretty strange. If the deal is too good to be true then it is.

Tadd

CHPMustang · 01-12-2005, 01:59 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Questions for the experts. I am looking at a used 04 Limited Execursion with 20K miles. The price is right, but it is missing the door jam VIN/info sticker. Somebody peeled it off and the security tape beneath it reads "VOID...VOID...VOID". Carmax is selling the vehicle. They claim it has never been wrecked or flood damaged.

[/ QUOTE ]
My first reaction would be "Pass" and my better half would agree 100%

Better safe than sorry.

Bill

clamgulch · 01-12-2005, 02:36 PM

Sounds like it could have been repaired with parts from a chop shop. Make sure there is no corrosion in the wiring. I'd look at connectors down low, like on the passenger's side front corner of the cabin where the reset for the fuel pump circut is.
To the best of my reccollection, all major body parts and panels should have VIN stickers on them. The intent was to stop the chop shops.
Carefully inspect the door hinges to see if the paint is damaged indicating removal or repainting.
Make sure the VIN # just inside the windshield is correct to the title.
I admire your tenacity in investigating something this detail that most people would overlook. You are being smart.

turbodave · 01-12-2005, 04:44 PM

RUN, don't walk away from this one. It's from FL, it has a dubious sticker removal, and with all the stuff in the news lately about thousands of water damaged FL vehicles being sold out of stage, etc.

Well, you get the idea.

Skip this one.

jones · 01-12-2005, 05:01 PM

I live in Ms and went to Baton rouge, La this weekend and seen a ton of cars coming out of Fl. I have seen them all over the place. Be very, very careful.

CHPMustang · 01-12-2005, 06:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I live in Ms and went to Baton rouge, La this weekend and seen a ton of cars coming out of Fl. I have seen them all over the place. Be very, very careful.

[/ QUOTE ]
Most on Auto Transporters I bet.

jones · 01-13-2005, 05:49 PM

No, not really. Most of the ones I seen where being hauled buy a running car and truck that they had bought. You would just come across lines of them. You could see it on their face. "I'm going to make a killing off this car when I sell it to some fool!"
Now that I think about it you could tell some of them had been under water. The way the windows where hazed over.

LRH · 01-13-2005, 06:34 PM

I would double and triple check the truck top to bottom, pull back carpet in several spots, remove a door sill plate, look at any low spots in floorpan and frame for any trace of sediment from past water. Pull all seat belts from retractors and look at date codes on seat belts and any tags on back of carpet ect. Check major body panels for the VIN sticker. I have seen some of the door stickers installed with wrinkles/bubbles and peeling edges; someone may have just decided to remove it as it is not the legal VIN plate. I would check that door to make sure it didn't come off a wreck of the same color, look for the small VIN label on that particular door.

BigTurbo · 01-14-2005, 01:09 AM

Or if you have a connection with local law enforcement, have their VIN guy find the secondary VIN to make sure its not stolen.

Here's an example, thief goes and steals an "X"
thief drives around and sees your "X" in parking lot or on the street, the same model and year as the one thief stole, thief goes up, steals your front license plate, and writes down the VIN from your "X". Thief goes to DMV with your VIN number and license plate number and tells them, "Hey I own this "X" (its your "X") and somebody stole my front license plate. Thief requests new plates to be issued and tells DMV, by the way, I've moved, heres my new address. So your "X" just became subplated. DMV mails new plates that are attached to your VIN to new address (its not your address), thief makes a VIN plate and puts it in the public VIN location (up on dash board), puts the license plates on stolen "X" and new registration card, so basically, your "X" just got cloned by the thief, everything would look legitimate to some poor suspecting buyer. Meanwhile you never get your registration in the mail because thief changed your address with the DMV.

So buyer be very wary if the door jamb stickers are missing or it looks like the dashboard has been taken out, they could have switched the VIN's.

I'd run from this one. My .02

BigTurbo

toalpi · 01-14-2005, 01:17 AM

What is the relationship to flood damage and a missing, peeled off sticker? I don't see any possible connection. All body panels and the paint and the pillar deserve a very close inspection. They should be able to tell you where it was last registered and titled.

LRH · 01-14-2005, 04:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What is the relationship to flood damage and a missing, peeled off sticker? I don't see any possible connection. .

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Flood damage? nothing really; everyone just seemed to figure because so many have been flood damaged in FL so that would be a good reason to move a lot of trucks/cars to other states. Just a likely scenario, and one to look for among others as a missing door jamb sticker on such a late model does raise a red flag. The main VIN is the one visable through the windshield along with usually one on the frame and usually around the cowl air inlet. Someone may have just pulled it for no good reason or perhaps they are trying to hide something. Could have gotten hit in the drivers door only and they just happen to find a wrecking yard door of the same color so removal or the sticker makes sense (to seller). Truck may be perfect and dealer may be lowering the price to get rid of it because no one will buy it without the sticker. Possible it could be a good deal, just requires checking close.

fordstroke444 · 01-14-2005, 10:54 PM

Thanks for all your insight. So what I've found out after thourough investigation is, yes it was repaired (right rear quarter panel/passeger side) took a small hit. Not enough to damage the frame but a small area was bondo'ed, approx 2 ft area down low by the tail pipe. I had my buddy that owns a body shop give it the "once over". He said the repair was done very well and he was not concerned. He checked it with a magnetic measuring device. It still doesn't explain why the door jam vin sticker is gone though. He also pulled the carpet up and checked for rusty bolts, water stains, etc...no real signs. I called Ford corporate to see if I could get a new vin door jam sticker and they said "no they do not reprint stickers anymore". I also had a law officer buddy of mine run several checks via their data bases and he found nothing. No wrecks, no theft, etc. Shows to be a clean one ower (35 yr old lady) from Florida. Motor is tight (6.0 diesel), interior is clean, drives straight and no strange noises w/20K miles. Asking price is $31K, and I believe a new 04 Limited X, 2- wheel drives stickers about $50K.........tough decesion.

CHPMustang · 01-14-2005, 11:20 PM

Would be informative if you could contact the owner for the lowdown,I forget what process is called,there's a term for it.

rechinca · 01-18-2005, 06:54 PM

Check Ford for an oasis check too, I have seen some warranty work pop up on that but not on the CarFAX reports. One member here reported that on a tire replacement issue with the Firestones that the tire dealer or Ford dealer yanked the sticker in the jamb as they thought it was protocol for the replacement as they no longer had the lower D rated tires so the spec'd info on the sticker was wrong and a liablity for them. Food for thought.