Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

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JaysVibe
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Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 4:17 pm

Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by JaysVibe »

I just bought a 04 Vibe last week, I got scammed by the lady, she said it had 117k miles and that it was an AWD 1 owner, stupid me for trusting her, the odometer was pitch black and she said that I could see it at night but that wasn't true, she slap an AWD emblem on the back and is not AWD, and the car has 173kmiles not 117k according to the carfax report I ran after I bought it, Now I have to live with it, I want to fix the odometer, the car seems to run ok, no issues yet but ima have it inspected today legally by the dealer, my dome light dosent work, anything I should know about these cars? how good are they? I notice that in the mornings when I started it sounds like the engine is accelerated but once it warms up it sounds better, my dome lights dosent work and I think my rear strut is shot cause I hear a noise from the back right on bumps,,, any info would be appreciated...
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vibrologist
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Location: Iowa

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by vibrologist »

That's too bad. Is it your first car?

At this point I would consider taking the seller to the small claims court. Having some evidence would be helpful.

If you are really stuck with it I suggest to take it to an independent mechanic for an inspection and making a plans of what to do next and when for how much. You are not providing enough information to say more.
The mileage is not that scary if the car has been taken care of but from your description it likely has been neglected.

Good luck!
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe

"It is important to know the difference between 'accurate' and 'precise' even if you are neither!"

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=43476
Caretaker

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by Caretaker »

If you indeed were scammed, I am sorry. I am a bit confused about some things though:

1. was this lady selling her car at her house? It takes a lot of balls to scam someone out of a purchase which could potentially be dangerous to the new owner. In this day/age, with the amount of nut jobs running around, inviting someone over to your home under false pretenses can be very dangerous to the seller's property.
2. why are you taking the car to a dealer for an inspection? Dealers know nothing about the Vibe in particular, and hire the worst mechanics in the industry. You should have taken it to your favorite local mechanic before purchasing it. Now that the deed is done, take it to your local mechanic where they won't just "mine for gold" and will have your best interest at heart.

I hope it all works out for you.
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joatmon
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Location: SMC MD

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by joatmon »

some random thoughts

The 4th and 5th characters in the vehicle identification number are the model - SL=Base, SM=AWD, SN=GT. Not that it matters now, but if the VIN is SM but its no longer an AWD, then at some point some serious mods were done to it.
If you want to find a bright side to look on, the AWD had more components, so you never have to worry about a failure of a transfer case, viscous coupling, rear differential, etc with a base, and a base has more HP and gets better MPGs than an AWD. That's fine, unless you get stuck in the snow, but if that's a real concern, then get some real snow tires for the winter

Did she say 117K miles, or was it written down as 117K? Depending on who says it, "one seventy" can sound a lot like "one seventeen"

You say the odometer doesn't light up. Is it just the odometer section of the instrument cluster, or does the entire instrument cluster not light up?
(and I know it seems like a stupid thing to say, but did you try adjusting the dimmer switch to the bar position for full brightness?)

If the dimmer switch is set to off, then the dome light won't work. Otherwise, could also be bulbs, or maybe a fuse.

I have recurring problems with a clunk or thump from the rear on bumps, but I've been lucky and so far every time its been caused by something loose in the cargo area. Open the rear deck, take out the tray over the spare and look all around for something loose. Also be sure to check the long narrow compartment right behind the rear seats, and the two removable side panels that provide access to the tail lights.

Might also be a good idea to take out the couple of bolts on the bottoms of the rear seats, fold them up and see whats under there. In last used Vibe I bought, I found the previous owner's checkbook under the rear seat, along with some Barbie accessories and about $2 in change.

But welcome to genvibe, folks here will try their best to help you with whatever we can
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tpollauf
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Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by tpollauf »

Welcome to GenVibe. From an optimistic standpoint, you only got "shorted" a bit .... not scammed! As others mentioned we need more info to really determine if you got scammed. Price? $3000 for this said Vibe would have been a good deal but we don't know what you paid. Photos for us to comment on: rear diff, it it's there. Interior. Moon & tunes package? Overall condition of the car? We'll help you get this Vibe in it's best shape so you can begin driving it with confidence. Oh, the biggest missing piece of info ... LOCATION :!:
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2009 Vibe GT (manual), 2009 G8Gt, 2009 Vibe GT (auto)
2014 Silverado, 2004 Vibe GT

"everything is modifiable"
JaysVibe
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by JaysVibe »

tpollauf wrote:Welcome to GenVibe. From an optimistic standpoint, you only got "shorted" a bit .... not scammed! As others mentioned we need more info to really determine if you got scammed. Price? $3000 for this said Vibe would have been a good deal but we don't know what you paid. Photos for us to comment on: rear diff, it it's there. Interior. Moon & tunes package? Overall condition of the car? We'll help you get this Vibe in it's best shape so you can begin driving it with confidence. Oh, the biggest missing piece of info ... LOCATION :!:
we met on a fake address. a nice place upscale. she never lived there ,we met. she and her boyfriend who portrayed to be a retire state trooper came at me so humble and looked legit. the dash lights work but not my odometer. idk if is cover with some kind of film or theres a fuse for that. i pay 2750 for that car thats in decent shape but she lied about not only the millage but the awd and said it was a 1 owner when there were actually 3. is been 2 weeks now and mechanically is good. the battery light shows a little bit at dark but not during the day (idk why) but theres no problems with the car besides the dome and the odometer. the radio dosent show the display either but works. i found the actual owners and they told me that the car has been reliable for the 9 years they had it and always had its rutine maintnance. the dealer did a 50 point inspection and everything looked good. plus i had it inspected legally too. it has new tires and the factory alloys 16s. it has the AWD emblem on the trunk but its a fake. im glad that the car is mechanically sound but i got raped. this car i would of payed maybee like 1900 but she got me for 2750. i know they are basically toyota built and powered by timing chain so im hoping that at least i get reliability on this. any info on this cars will help. plus NO is not my first car ive been thru aloooot of cars i was just decieved by their looks and act. BUT it is my first ever toyota. first VIBE..
Misanthrope
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Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:10 pm

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by Misanthrope »

The price you paid isn't horrible actually. Since it appears to be mechanically sound, don't sweat it. After reading the reviews on vibes, I'm convinced that theses cars are little gems. Kind of like VW beetles, or old 80's Corollas. Proper maintenance and you'll get much useage.
Hey, I actually let passion get me and paid a bit too much for my 09 GT, but realize it was my fault so.....
However, vibes are great little cars and I think we'll both be fine. Good luck with it. 8-)
JaysVibe
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by JaysVibe »

Misanthrope wrote:The price you paid isn't horrible actually. Since it appears to be mechanically sound, don't sweat it. After reading the reviews on vibes, I'm convinced that theses cars are little gems. Kind of like VW beetles, or old 80's Corollas. Proper maintenance and you'll get much useage.
Hey, I actually let passion get me and paid a bit too much for my 09 GT, but realize it was my fault so.....
However, vibes are great little cars and I think we'll both be fine. Good luck with it. 8-)
l know but it bother me that they lied to get more money out of me. I know I could of bough it for way less, but is my winter car since I cant drive my Camaro during winter, but I just wanted the awd but I have new tires on it and in todays storm did pretty decent. ill keep it now since I put over 100 miles in less then a week and it runs very good,,,, now I want to make it look nice with some wheels on summer and ill like to paint the cladding....
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vibrologist
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Location: Iowa

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by vibrologist »

but I just wanted the awd but I have new tires on it and in todays storm did pretty decent
I think you will get over this disappointment. My base Vibe tracks and steers fantastic with winter tires. I found my set used during the summer in 2014. So I am not at all surprised your new all seasons (I assume) work "pretty decent".
I don't know if I would worry about the battery light. It may be worth while to clean contacts and ground connections just to see if it goes off. If you are really concerned have the alternator and battery tested.

all the best!
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe

"It is important to know the difference between 'accurate' and 'precise' even if you are neither!"

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=43476
Misanthrope
Posts: 44
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2017 12:10 pm

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by Misanthrope »

JaysVibe wrote:
Misanthrope wrote:The price you paid isn't horrible actually. Since it appears to be mechanically sound, don't sweat it. After reading the reviews on vibes, I'm convinced that theses cars are little gems. Kind of like VW beetles, or old 80's Corollas. Proper maintenance and you'll get much useage.
Hey, I actually let passion get me and paid a bit too much for my 09 GT, but realize it was my fault so.....
However, vibes are great little cars and I think we'll both be fine. Good luck with it. 8-)
l know but it bother me that they lied to get more money out of me. I know I could of bough it for way less, but is my winter car since I cant drive my Camaro during winter, but I just wanted the awd but I have new tires on it and in todays storm did pretty decent. ill keep it now since I put over 100 miles in less then a week and it runs very good,,,, now I want to make it look nice with some wheels on summer and ill like to paint the cladding....

I understand. I would've been peeved as well. Sigh. My username says it all my friend. Stupid humans...
JaysVibe
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2017 4:17 pm

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by JaysVibe »

im not succeeding in posting a picture of it :roll:
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vibrologist
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Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by vibrologist »

JaysVibe wrote:im not succeeding in posting a picture of it :roll:
Try reducing the file size by first cropping and/or resizing with the target of 120KiB. File format: JPG.
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe

"It is important to know the difference between 'accurate' and 'precise' even if you are neither!"

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=43476
soccerdad
Posts: 18
Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2017 8:15 pm
Location: Central Coast CA

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by soccerdad »

Bummer that you got scammed, but that price is actually fairly good for a vibe with 170k on it, at least where I'm at (central cali).
Ryche156
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2018 2:52 pm

Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by Ryche156 »

I bought an 04 base with 102,000 for more. But it was a one owner car. I had to change all interior lights since none worked and done a transmission flush and fill. Looked like it had never been changed. Made a huge difference. Other then an oil change I haven't done anything else.
I've had it 4 months and it's got 104,700 miles on it. I don't drive much so it should last a good while.
I had an 03 base but totaled it back in 2011 at 120k miles. That car went everywhere and I put a ton of miles on it.
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kc6yot
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Re: Got Sacammed on a Vibe, now i have to live with it

Post by kc6yot »

Please check with your local PD, tampering with the OD and miss representing actual mileage, IE roll backs is a federal crime. I got stuck once on a car, seller said it only had 121,000 miles but I found his purchase of a new dash display on e-bay turned out it was like 221,000 miles, TN state police did a good job, took what I sent them got all my money back, seller got the car back. I live next door in AR and with the mileage issue all I could get was a salvage title.
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