What Happened To A Car That Has Different Door Vin#?
 

Hey, I'm new to here. I'd appreciate some insights from you guys if you have any comments about this car.

I'm looking to buy a 2004 Honda Accord from a small dealer. The dealer claims the car is one owner, no accident, and not a rebuilt. We agreed on a price and signed a contract subject to inspection and icbc claim report.

So I got home and checked the icbc report. It's clean, no accident claim, not a rebuilt status. Then I brought it to Honda dealer for a mechanical inspection. Everything is okay.

Here's when it gets interesting. Then we brought money and our insurance agent to the dealer. Before we pay we wanted to look at the car again. Then I realized the vin # on the door is different than the vin # on the dash and the body. The body and the dash have the same vin#. But both doors on the right side have no vin stickers at all. The front driver's door has a different vin sticker. only the left passenger door vin matches the one on the dash. So we called the Honda dealership mechanic asking what's happening. They said the car is probably being put together and they only check the engine and transmission. We talked to the dealer, he said icbc says it's no accident, there's nothing wrong with the car. He said the sticker on the door is only a part number.. but the Honda mechanic told us every door has a vin # sticker. We thought it's really fishy so we asked him to lower the price or cancel the deal. He said he won't lower the price and if we want to cancel the deal he's not returning our deposit. Then he kept talking about how a 2004 car someone could damage the door and put another door up but it's okay as long as the body is still intact and the engine still runs.

I think the price of the car is good if it's a no accident normal status car, but it seems this car is not in good shape. I'm thinking if the door is something I should concern about or it doesn't really matter as the dealer said as long as it runs.. Any insights from you guys? I want to know what could have happened to this car. Is it still worth buying? Thank you very much in advance for any suggestions!

Btw, I took a picture of the door that has a different vin #. I checked icbc, there is no record for this vin#.

I didnt bother reading all that. Door was replaced. End of story.

edit: read it, just because ICBC says there is no accidents doesn't mean that it is accident free.

I would stay away, not because of the accident, as a door replacement isn't terrible (my gf had a little ding on her door and had to have it replaced) But because the dealer is being a shady fuck. He obviously knows the door was replaced, who knows what else is wrong.

A little ding could need a door replacement. What about replacing 3 doors? Only one door has the right vin# and one door looks like this. Is it welded together? The dealer said it's like this from the manufacturer

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/...a0013be3c0.jpg

Get ICBC to check what happened to the Car with the Door VINs.

That door looks fucked.
No door looks like THAT from Factory.

Get your money back and run.

"No accidents" only means "no damage claims over $2000". It could have had a half-dozen $1500 claims; it could have had a $10,000 accident that was never reported.

holy shit that door looks effed, i dun think honda would glue the door together using some sort of bonding agent like that..but check the left side to make sure.

if 3 doors were replaced...you better run. He should know thats the easiest way to check for accidents without a report or even with a clean report. And then hes telling you its only part of the VIN...wow...

So you have the icbc report? Maybe its out of province and hes only showing you the icbc report because there is a claim in another province. I have heard of some dealers only showing the clean report.

This...

and this....

= walk away

It's pretty easy to buy a wreck from the States or another province, fix it up, import it and ICBC will show a clean record.

Also just as simple as finding a local wreck (maybe from drunk driving or hit and run accident) that never went through ICBC. Records would be clean but the car is still fubar'd.

Thanks a lot guys. I'm not gonna go through the deal. I wish I can get my money back and run, but the stealer refuse to return my deposit. I guess I will need to go through some legal process to get it back

I checked icbc history with the door vin. That vin has no record. I think it's a door from a wrecked car.

He didn't say it's part of the vin. He said it's the part number, which is not true. I went to a Honda dealership afterward, the mechanic told me all the doors have the same vin # as the body.

On the icbc's report, it says it's not imported. So I guess it's more likely this car is a local wreck.

You can get your deposit back.
Just tell them you'll make a claim with the VSA.

^damn I was gonna say that lol.

does the vin check out with carfax?

I didn't check carfax. Anyone can help?

This is the vin on the body
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/...0fc783b7_m.jpg

and this is the one on the driver's door
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/...4ef72761_m.jpg

Did you get your deposit back yet?

Hmmmmm...it has had NO accidents but 3 doors have been replaced for what reason....doesn't everyone get their doors rotated with another car? This sounds likea major disaster and an inspection at a reputable garage and body shop can tell you if it;s been repaired. If the seller says that car is OK then get him to agree in writing to an independant inspection that YOU arrange and if it checks out then you will buy it...if it does NOT then he gives your money back. As a matter of interest, how does he explain replacement of 3 doors on an undamaged car?

Concerning the suspicion you have about the door welding...if it comes from Honda like that then all Hondas of the same model should look like that. Get him to show you the same thing on several other identical Hondas.

Vehicle Summary

* We found 9 records for this vehicle.

* VIN: 1HGCM66304A802202
* Year: 2004
* Make: Honda

* Style / Body: Sedan 4D
* Engine: 3.0L V6 EFI
* Country of Assembly: United States

* Model: Accord LX

Vehicle Summary

* We found 15 records for this vehicle.

* VIN: 1HGCM66403A803521
* Year: 2003
* Make: Honda

* Style / Body: Sedan 4D
* Engine: 3.0L V6 EFI
* Country of Assembly: United States

* Model: Accord LX


Running Now would be a great idea

Damn man, hope you were able to get away with all your money...

Can you (ie. Is he allowed) tell us the dealer this happened with so none of us ever go there lol

lolololol did they tell you is was a us vehicle??

that doesn't say its a us vehicle.
It was made in US...can still be a canadian car.

nvm read it wrong. i forgot some hondas aremt even made in japan ;)

and btw, 15 and 9 reported things might not all be accidents, could be services, oil changes, name transfer etc...

no.. the dealer refused to give it back even we threatened to complaint to VSA

I saw a lawyer. He said I can get my money back and we need to go through small claim court.

I'm not sure what's the difference between VSA and small claim court. Any one has similar experience?

We brought the car to a Honda dealership for inspection. Everything came out okay except the alignment. We questioned Honda why they didn't spot the three door replacement, they said they only check the mechanical stuff, like the engine and transmission.

he said the sticker is a part number, not a vin