I found a 1999 Ford Escort Wagon on Craigslist that I'm interested in buying. Owner says he's selling because he has another car that he prefers driving and doesn't need this one anymore. Ran a VIN check that looked pretty good (clean title, two owners of which the first was a corporate lease, regular maintenance, no accidents) except for one thing: In 11/2007, it's as if the car dropped off the face of the earth. No records at all after that date. No maintenance, no DMV renewals, no smog checks. Also, if the mileage the seller told me is accurate, the car has been driven only about 10,000 in the last 4.5 years.
And it gets even stranger: The seller maintains that the car has current registration and smog. I paid for Carfax and Autocheck reports and neither has a record after 2007. Has anyone heard of such a thing? What could explain this discrepancy?
Many thanks for any and all help!