I've been looking for a new P-car toy lately and while running a Carfax on a 964 I found on the internet, I ran across something that didn't seem quite right, so I'm posting here in hopes of getting more information.

The following is the Carfax history (I hope it's legible here)....

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Date: Mileage: Source: Comments:
03/04/1994 13,448 California
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Atherton, CA Odometer reading reported for title
or registration

04/25/1997 21,119 California
Inspection Station
Belmont, CA Passed emissions inspection

03/19/1999 24,630 California
Inspection Station
Belmont, CA Failed emissions inspection

03/19/1999 Vehicle Repair Center
Belmont, CA Vehicle serviced

03/19/1999 24,653 California
Inspection Station
Belmont, CA Passed emissions inspection

03/17/2000 California
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Atherton, CA Title issued or updated

03/26/2001 Vehicle Repair Center
Belmont, CA Vehicle serviced

03/26/2001 27,634 California
Inspection Station
Belmont, CA Passed emissions inspection
03/03/2003 29,733 California

Inspection Station
Los Altos, CA Failed emissions inspection
03/03/2003 Vehicle Repair Center
Los Altos, CA Vehicle serviced

03/20/2003 Vehicle Repair Center Vehicle serviced
ECM repaired

03/20/2003 29,772 California
Inspection Station Passed emissions inspection

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Emphasis mine)
09/14/2004 Florida
Motor Vehicle Dept.
Boca Raton, FL
Title #0091319503 Title issued or updated
Exempt from odometer reporting
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Emphasis mine)

05/31/2006 32,217 California
Inspection Station Failed emissions inspection

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Note: car was a California car its whole life, then suddenly shows up in Florida and gets an "Exempt from odometer reporting" notice on a new title issue. Then it's back in California and for sale.

Of course this could be an entirely innocent purchase of a California car by someone in Florida and then a move back to California, but it got me wondering whether there is any kind of scam going on where a car with, say, a salvage title can be shipped to and registered in Florida and get it's record cleaned up???

Signed,
Paranoid (??) in Cali

 

While this does seem odd, I highly doubt someone would use Florida to "wash" a title. Florida has new regulations in place that are not condusive to "title washing".
I know of a 928 (that I was close to purchasing) that was damaged, declared totaled (because of its age) , repaired by the owner(original) , and then was not allowed to be driven in Florida. Someone out west bought it and drove it home. This individual had to jump through lots of hoops to get this car back on the road , and there was a time that it seemed it would not be put bak on the road.

 

Yes, there is such a scam but to my knowledge it involves a stolen car. The thieves steal a car in one state. They find a wreck with a salvage title and buy it in another state. Then they re-title the car in another state and change the vin on the stolen car to match the re-titled salvaged car. One problem is that unless they are really good the vin on the windshield may look doctored.

Alan

 

Multiple failures of emission inspections are troublesome. Chronic problems/