Tundra CarFax Thoughts: Pass or Buy?

I'm looking at a 2009 Tundra with 47,000 miles but it has a weird CarFax report. Does any of this make you want to pass?

• First owner religiously changed oil and services at the dealer through 23,000 miles. Then the vehicle appeared to sit for 5 years with only registrations renewed.
• While it sat, damage was reported to the right side during storage but not with a vehicle.
• It was listed for sale in 2017 and sold twice more, listed as a Toyota dealer vehicle twice.
• Here's where it gets weird. Listed for sale again but had the brake drums resurfaced and brake pads replaced in preparation for sale. With only 24,000 miles on it?
• A couple more sales at auction and now available at 47,000 miles, clean as a whistle minus some paint imperfections that are consistent with a 14-year-old truck. Frame, body, and engine get the green light by my mechanic and body shop. The price is reasonable.

Would you still consider this truck with that report? Appreciate your thoughts.

 

My thoughts, do you trust your mechanic? If so, make the deal if not overpriced. How much is it?

 

Brake drums

Mine is 4 wheel disc brake, did they even make a 2009 with drum brakes?

If you really concerned about history, find some friends who can run previous registration. Find and call the previous owner. I have done this before.

Also if you are a smooth talker call the Toyota dealers listed on the carfax. Provide the VIN and ask for any service history in their system. If it was a dealer vehicle they might even remember it. Toyota would also most likely have a previous owner name in the system. Don’t know if they will tell you that however reasons you may need to be “smooth”

I had one dealer offer me a name and address associated with service records. Explain you are considering a purchase and just want as much history as you can get.

I called the previous owner, Google search gave me a number. He was really cool and told me alot of info about the truck.

 

After Carfax tried to screw my record up with erroneous info, I don't trust them as much as I used to. The trusted local mechanic inspection is more accurate imo.

 

Great advice, thank you. Price is $15k. Might be able to negotiate.

 

Do you have a dealer ad you would be willing to share. Depending on configuration that could be a pretty good deal as long as history checks out.

A super clean low Milage 2013 crewmax black in my area just sold for $18k and that was a pretty fair deal for a one owner garage kept truck.

Car market is really starting to hurt even though dealers are holding out as long as possible in admitting that. Might not be high demand for a 14 yr old truck as most want new. Go work the deal if it looks good.

 

Those Carfax reports are so confusing. If you have a good mechanic who says it’s fine, I would go for it. Will the dealer give you a 30 day warranty at least?

 

I've heard leaving the emergency brake on over a long period of time can distort a brake drum. Don't know if that is fact but would make sense.

 

Have it checked out by a trusted mechanic. It is worth the cost. I agree with carfax. it is only as good as whoever keyed the information. it could be wrong or could be right. But a trusted mechanic looking at it will tell you if there are potential issues.

 

His mechanic has looked at it and gave him the green light.....

 

Seems like it is a buy to me, if it is the right price, then. When i was looking for mine, the carfax reports were all over the place and at least in one instance it did not match what my eyes were showing me.
I got a 2010 Tundy crewmax 2wd 4.6 v8 with 94k in 2020 for 18 thousand. At the time it seemed to me that it was a deal. not sure.

 

As sort of mentioned above, parking brakes use drums. I'm thinking maybe someone set the brake when initially stored. Sat for years and possibly froze due to corrosion in the set position. Even if the pedal was released the brake shoes could have dragged on the drums for a while before it was resolved because many people never use the parking brake regularly. You might have found a sweet deal but I would be really pushing hard as in walking away until they call me back hard on pricing.

 

Wow guys, this parking brake possibility is a big relief. Appreciate all your input. I was worried because I know those brakes are supposed to last forever. No dealer, working the guy down slowly. The paint isn't great but it's a 14-year-old truck. Not a dent or ding on it though.

 

It’s a 2009 MY - we are now in 2023.

On a 15 year old ANYTHING- I’d believe my eyes and instinct far more than the the piece of paper accompanying it saying how good/bad it is or how well cared for it was.

It’s a fairly low risk - you buy it and it’s not perfect (it won’t be) - there are enough other buyers out there who will take it off your hands at an honest price that’s not much less. You buy it - like it - it’s a lot cheaper than anything built in last 8 years from Toyota by likely half.

Don’t go in expecting flawless even with low miles and you will be fine.

 

I use mine almost everytime I shut the truck off

 

X2, as well as either backing into the spot or pulling forward to a pull straight out spot. Many don't do either.

 

Same! I refuse to front face park haha. At work I park in the back, farthest away from everyone else.

 

A trick someone taught me before with our Tundras is to throw the truck into neutral, step on the parking brake, and then throw it into Park. I do it every time now and the gear shift is never difficult to throw into Drive like those things sometimes do.

 

Checking for leaks is a good idea. Anything that sits for awhile has a tendency to leak something. Timing cover and cam towers on the 5.7

 

Years ago...well, decades ago, there was a car guy on the radio who I learned a bunch from. His park brake method was.. when done parking and stopped, stay on the main brake, apply park brake, then shift into park. When leaving, start vehicle, while on the main brake, shift into gear, then release park brake. The weight of the vehicle is never on the Park Pawl in the transmission, when using this method. No more ugly "clunk/clank" when shifting into gear!

 

Yeah... But then you'd have to adjust the parking brake to the point where it actually works

Thanks Toyota.

 

THAT, took a few times but finally got it.