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2005 WRX subaru impreza Wagon 51k 5spd - $12200 (Firm)
Date: 2012-02-25, 10:48AM CST
Reply to: [email protected]
2005 Wrx wagon 5 speed with only 51k miles. This Subaru looks and drives perfect. Comes with Miglia MT3 16x7 wheels with Dunlop M3 winter sport tires,factory option engine block heater, in dash 6 disc CD changer, Kenwood Premium factory sound, Homelink, dual mode heated seats,factory leather Momo stearing wheel,factory alloy/leather wrapped Momo shift knob,factory option boost gauge and short throw shifter. The interior is flawless and still has a new car smell. I am not a smoker and the car has never had food eaten in it. All fluids were changed to Amsoil products when purchased new. Amsoil 5-30 motor oil changed every 5000 miles. I just had NGK iridium spark plugs installed at the dealership and my average mileage jumped from 24.5mpg to 26.2mpg. This reading was taken in the winter and should increase with warmer weather. This is a great car and the new owner will be very pleased with its overall condition. Only selling because my family has gotten bigger and I need an suv. Please call or text if you have any questions. 218-310-0165. Thank you
Contact:
Texts (some paraphrasing)
Me:
If you have a little time please send some addition information regarding the wrx to ********(my private e-mail) How many other owners? Smokers car? Age of owners? Anything you have replaced, and any accidents. Thanks I am interested but live 6 hours away so i cant just pop over for a look.
Current WRX owner:
I am the second owner. I purchased the car as a lease return with less than 20 thousand miles on it. The car was daily driven by my wife. She's 33 Neither of us smoke and the car as it did new. Can i give you a call in about an hour?
*
Owner calls me in about an hour. Tells me that the title may show a salvage title due to a deer strike that required replacement of the bumper front fender and head lamp assembly. Also, tells me that the wife also has a Celica GTS for her summer car and only drives 7 miles to work every day. Other than that not a very constructive conversation, but not all that weird.
*
Texting
Me:
Still interested in the car. Everything looks fine on my end. Will you be around at all this weekend? The earliest I could get there is Saturday. Based on our call yesterday I will probably just write a check for the amount you are asking. I would like it if you e-mailed me the VIN Number. I do trust you, but I trusted the last guy too so I better at least check it. Thanks. have a good night.
**I bought a subaru last year from a used car lot. Ended up returning it the following day after I had a chance to start really going through the engine. Dealer did take the car back. Resold it and then took over a month to pay me back. (dealer was shutdown this year for similar events [12 felony accounts if I remember right].) This information was also presented in the phone conversation to the WRX owner**
Current WRX owner:
My only request is that you get a certified cashiers check from your bank. I will be around Saturday morning from 5am-noon.
Me:
No problem. See you Sat morning.
Current WRX owner:
Sorry for being so blunt but I have to be safe.
Next day*
Me:
What is your full legal name? Or who do you want the check made out too?
Current WRX owner:
Jesse S***** H******* *I'm being nice I really should post his full name*
What bank are you using?
Me:
Bremer
Me:
That is all taken car of.
Current WRX owner:
I'm going to work. I'll be in touch after 10:30PM if you have any questions. Thanks again.
later that night
Me:
I'm going to crash for the night, but could you send me the VIN number on that car at some point tonight or tomorrow? Thank You. Have a good night.
Current WRX owner:
Here you go JF1GG29605G805479
Me:
Thank You
(Rather than go to bed I start researching the car.)
Current WRX owner:
Just got 8 inches of snow. Most people could not get to work. WRX has no problem with traction. My wife and I are going to miss this car
......................................................................................................................
Summary of Research Findings
- Wife is 31 not 33
- No title transfers occurred between 0 and 48471 miles.
- Neither the seller nor his wife has lived in the state where the car was registered (WI) from 20K to 49K miles. (Supposedly when he bought it)
- There was a car accident and the title showed that it was salvaged. The accident did not include a deer. It did include doing a 180 off an on-ramp into a concrete center divider and the car had to be towed away from the accident. (Accident occurred in Madison Wisconsin which is hundreds of miles away from where the car is being sold)
- It appears that "Current WRX owner" Has had the title for 29 days
Weirdly I'm not mad about the whole thing (Other than having to redeposit the cashiers check). I'm just really glad I didn't drive six hours to get a car that likely has frame damage. Nothing could compare to what I went through last year with the outback sport.
I'm not sure I would have been able to notice the damage. The car is fairly dirty this time of the year, and if I was expecting repaired deer damage, I probably wouldn't have thought anything off it. Based off the information in the accident report most of the damage was to the rear passenger side of the car. I'm not sure I would even think to look at the rear end on a wrx. The recent snow would have made test drive conditions fun but poor for figuring out if the car drove straight.
Hopefully, this post makes its way into google and helps someone out.
The crappy thing is that someone is going to buy this car, and if the repairs were done right they might be none the wiser, but most likely there will be some serious problem down the road.
I have not let the current owner know that I have found all of this information. I'm not sure I plan to talk to him again. I will probably just get angry if he lies to me again... Who lies about the age of their wife?
3/2/2012
Update:
He contacted me last night and asked if I was coming this weekend. I was nice, but I let him know that I don't deal with people who lie to me.