Bent axle? Replaced tire? Fishy dealership?

If that's true, there could never be a bent axle.

-- Jim '88 LX 5.0 (now in car heaven) '89 LX 5.0 vert '99 GT 35th Anniversery Edition - Silver Mods to date - Relocated trunk release to drivers side, shortened throttle cable, PIAA Driving lights.

To answer one of your questions... AFAIK, tires do not have any special unique "code" or any identifier.. maybe they don't carry that specific brand of tire or something.

"One last thing, I didn't say it was damaged while being transported...I'm just asking what the procedures are for when that happens " not you... I believe somebody else or others suggested it.

Yes.. it is your fault that you didn't take it immediately to the service department when you were experiencing problems with the car.. and this mistake has a costly price. Sorry, but you dug yourself into a hole...

-Mike

transporter

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We bend axles all the time on our off road vehicles. We seldom break them.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

AZGuy wrote:

Tires do indeed have all kinds of codes, including a serial number. Have the dealer run the serial number and the manufacture can tell where and when it was made, to whom it was orginally sold etc.

mike hunt

snipped-for-privacy@recorddeal.com wrote:

It was defiantly wrecked. You should see if you can find a record of it, starting with the dealers body shop. Keep the VIN number handy and think of ways to ask questions about the car. Ask the body shop if they have a record of it. Cruise into the service dept with the VIN # (not the car) find a service writer that wont recognize you and ask them to look it up. Tell them something like "I think I'm due for service, can you see in the computer using the Vin number? and "I remember you doing some work on the rear of the car, will the computer show that?, I forgot what it was and want to write it down in my book" -----you get the idea.---- Remember, *someone* was paid to fix that car. Try to think of creative ways to find out who did. Ask a used car salesman at your dealer where they send used cars to get body work. Tell them you are looking for a cheap alternative to their body shop for some work you need done. It is common for dealers to use someone elses body shop for repairs cause its usually cheaper. GL

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It had 17 mile on it when you got it. Could it be a sales man took it home as a demo? Then wrecked it and had it fixed under the table without the dealerships knowledge?

Those tires are probably not real common. I would check out who sells that exact tire locally. Then try to find out if the shop shows a special order or sale of one only. Maybe by the moulding numbers you can determine whether the replacement was a OEM or aftermarket tire. I would try to find out the same info from the dealers parts department if you can find a mole. What about the rim? Chances are if it bent the axle and destroyed the tire the rim was trashed too. That's probably a factory only part. If you can find out what ford dealer sold or ordered only one rim and like tire your on the right track.

Bob

The VIN# is on the bumper cover, take a look to see if it is missing.

mike hunt

Scott M wrote:

When a vehicle is damaged in transport:

The dealer has a right to refuse it, or get a credit on it. Plus the cost of repairs.

Why do you think the dealers have people that check in the cars when the truck comes in, and when it's a late night delivery, the cars are dropped off pending signed invoice.

I worked in a dealer body shop, and this guy bought up all the transport damaged vehicles he could get his hands on, he sold them at a reduced price, and still made a killing!

Refinish King

transported...I'm

transported...I'm

dealerships

I would say the same thing, all evidence points to this car having been hit and then patched up.

But weren't you the least bit concerned that there might me a safety issue with brand new car that's shaking and making noise? Sounds kinda foolish to me.

nospam

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That's not true, I bent an axle on my 1982 Ford F150 with a 9 inch rear end and 31 spine axle. Items like axles aren't hardened to the point that they will break before bending. That would extremely unsafe.

nospam

problems/issues

Tires bear a DOT number. Most of the characters on a tire are raised; the DOT number is relieved. Most tire places will record the DOT number on the RO any time new shoes are mounted. I would suspect this number bears a unique identifier and could be traced back. If the tire is indeed 'odd,' and you get lucky enough that the guy who mounted it didn't forget to scrawl down the number, then *somebody somewhere* should have a record of that tire on an RO for the car's VIN, unless the wheel was carried in. In that event, the RO should still have the purchaser's billing information.

Dealerships do > Tires do indeed have all kinds of codes, including a serial number. Have

A quick google search turned up many links on DOT numbers.

basically, it a 11 digit number. Like DOT H2 MW YAU 3701

THE FIRST two (H2) would be the plant code The next two (MW) would be the tire size the next three (YAU) are manufacturer specific these are probably going to be the most use to you the last four (3701) is the date code.

Bob

I don't understand why they are willing to replace the bumper and repair the door but not the axle.

-- Michael Culley

Since there is a law that requires ALL replacement tire SN be registered back to the tire company, perhaps the manufacturer of the tire would tell who registered the tire (if they did). If it shows the selling dealer registered the tire and it's not an OEM factory SN it would suggest the dealer is lying (wouldn't that be a shock...)

I had the same kind of thing happen about 15 to 20 years ago at a dealer in austin named Landmark Ford (part of the Mark Johnson family) I almost got screwed over with a truck that had a bad transmission with only

5000 miles on it. I went through the hoops of them telling me that I did something wrong to the truck and that I caused the rust and sludge to build up and they tried to make me keep the truck. I just called the loan company I got the loan through (I think it was Ford Credit but not sure) and told them what was going on. They got the matter cleared up within 24 - 48 hours and I recieved an apoligy from Landmark. I am not too sure if this helps but it wouldnt hurt to let them know what is going on. The bank or loan company will want you happy so that you will pay for the car

IceMan

This is a very interesting angle to take. They want you happy and to pay the loan as well as the fact that the loan is secured by the vehicle itself if you don't pay it. Great tip!

Going with the following assumption: Owner did not wreck the car.

Somebody did. If the axle is bent, the rim was destroyed or repaired. Trust me, I've hit enough curbs in my youth. Liked to slide sideways with the parking brake on. However, I never did any damage to the frame when this happened. If it did frame damage, they were going faster than 60 mph sideways. I hit a curb at 50 and bent the axle and rim w/ no other damage.

Trace the tire numbers. That will be one of your biggest clues you will be able to find.

Are you sure this is a factory Mach I? If it was damaged in shipping, could another dealer have had a damaged Mach I in worse shape and then traded the car to another dealer?

problems/issues

the door but not the axle.

Very big mistake here.

Probably accident

there is a DOT code on the side of all tires sold in the US, small letters but there.

Could have happined at the factory, but unlikely as it would have showed up in the PDI (Pre-Delivery Inspection). We would have jumped all over that type of damage if we found it, because we get paid to fix it. We will hold up a car's delivery if it is missing an ash tray, because we will get paid to install it.

Missing inner fender? Mighty fishy that no one went after that kind of easy money before it went on the showroom floor.

Depending on the extent of the damage it is either an insurance write off or sent to a body shop by the receiver, shippers just ship.

Daily, depending on who needs what.

Yep, and probably on Carfax. No one works for nothing, and to get paid in a dealership a record is generated.

I don't know the facts so can't make any judgment, but I can understand the dealership's position. In the last few months here are some actual examples of what my team has seen:

03 Cobra with less than 1000 miles, rear tires replaced with Nitto and worn to the cord, intake poorly drilled for NOS, PCM erased, car burning oil. Claimed never driven hard and it came that way (we PDIed and sold it and know it didn't)

GT with burnt rings and valves, dry NOS system still hooked up. tried to say we installed it to void the warranty.

GT with leaking head gasket and supercharger. said he had no idea how that got in there.

GT with missing PCM, won't start. Tried to say factory must of left it off.

Expedition with burned out transmission, mud caked so thick on the undercarriage we had to hose the stall out and scrub off the lift. Claimed he never took it off road and it just went bad driving kids to school.

Ford Focus with three factory aluminum rims (other was "lost"), spare tire on right front, strut pried somewhat straight (prybar marks visible), right suspension trashed. wants new car because something is wrong with steering

Ford Focus with a window broken out and the radio missing, claim we forgot to install the radio (he already had the $$ from his insurance)

Cougar with aftermarket alarm system grounded to PCM, said it came that way.

F150 with 35,900+ miles running horrible, oil leaks, check engine light, still has assembly line oil filter on engine (IE oil never changed). Claimed we have been servicing it according to schedule. When we pull records and show it is first visit, he wants his first free oil change (had his coupon in his owner's manual)

and I can't even guess how many dozens of cars we've had where people have obviously hit a curb and claimed the wheel just cracked for no reason (even when there are still bits of it embedded in the aluminum).

Now looking at that, and bearing in mind the other two teams have seen much of the same, what do you think the reaction would be when a Mach 1 with 4k miles, one mismatched tire, a bent axle, ABS light and poorly repaired body damage shows up with the owner saying it had always been like that?

Wulf

PS: We have an abnormally high number of transient customers, so alot of these folks probably wouldn't try this at home.