VIN number check? Advertised as 2006 but VIN suggests 2003?

[fender22]

Hi all. Just about ready to buy what is advertised as a 2006 Defender this week with a vin number of SALLDHM573V051841. I just did a check on one of the European decoder sites and according to it the VIN is a 2003 vehicle?
I've done a revs on the vehicle so the VIN is the correct number. Could it be possible it was made in 2003 and took LR until 2006 to sell it?

Can anyone offer any advice here ta?

[p38arover]

Even if it was sold in 2006, it's still a 2003 or 2004 model and the resale value (when you sell it) will reflect that.

What does the compliance plate or build plate say?

[Scouse]

Defenders of that era don't have build plates.
The compliance plate date will give you an idea of how long it was sitting around before going to the dealer.
If it's a strange colour, it may have sat at the dealership for a while but they wouldn't have held onto it for more than a few months, 6 at the most.

[p38arover]

What's your reading of the VIN, Scott?

[Scouse]

Well, it is a 2003MY & it was sold as new in 2006 :eek:.

It is a late 2003 build & an early 2006 sale but even so, it spent a long time in the PrixCar yard.

I would imagine the dealer bought it very cheap as an incentive to move it on though.

[spudboy]

I'd say it's a 2003 build but it either got stuck in a warehouse before coming to Australia, or it sat unsold at a dealer here for a long time. There were a couple in Adelaide like that when I was looking for a Defender.

[Scouse]

It arrived in Australia in October 2003.

[p38arover]

If that's the case, as far as any buyer is concerned, it's a 2003 model. Anyone who buys it now will find, when they go to sell it to a dealer, the dealer will say it's 2003 model and trade it accordingly.

[Scouse]

the dealer will say it's 2003 model and trade it accordingly.And when the dealer sells it, it will be a 'Sold 2006' car & priced accordingly ;).

[Bigbjorn]

There was legal action in the early 1970's taken by a group of Jeep buyers against Annand and Thompson. They had bought old stock Jeeps, some three years old, as "new" cars and were seeking compensation for loss of value as their purchases say in 1969 of 1966 manufacture Jeeps were regarded by the trade as 1966 models, not 1969 when purchased as "new". The court was asked to determine what was a "new" car and had the buyers suffered a loss by buying "old" cars without being informed by Annand & Thompson of the true year model, and was there deliberate deception by A & T.

What came out, and anyone in the trade could have told them, was that the new vehicle trade regarded vehicles as new if not previously sold at retail, or registered for use as a demonstrator or company car. The used vehicle trade of course, identifies by year model. No compliance plates then.

I don't recall the outcome.

[ugu80]

ADR compliance plates mean little as to year of manufacture, they reflect the date the vehicle passed Australian compliance. I was once speaking with a BMW (motorcycle) exec and I questioned the compliance plate (with a very recent date) of a 'new' BMW when it was common knowledge that model ceased production over 12 months previously. He replied that they had 50 sitting in their warehouse and the compliance plates were affixed when they moved them to the dealers.

[101RRS]

There was legal action in the early 1970's taken by a group of Jeep buyers against Annand and Thompson. They had bought old stock Jeeps, some three years old, as "new" cars and were seeking compensation for loss of value as their purchases say in 1969 of 1966 manufacture Jeeps were regarded by the trade as 1966 models, not 1969 when purchased as "new". The court was asked to determine what was a "new" car and had the buyers suffered a loss by buying "old" cars without being informed by Annand & Thompson of the true year model, and was there deliberate deception by A & T.

What came out, and anyone in the trade could have told them, was that the new vehicle trade regarded vehicles as new if not previously sold at retail, or registered for use as a demonstrator or company car. The used vehicle trade of course, identifies by year model. No compliance plates then.

I don't recall the outcome.

You beat me to the punch on this one - as I remember the complainants won. What brought it to light was that these "new" jeeps started to develop severe rust problems after they had been sold. They had been stored outside in the weather for the 3 -4 years prior to being sold.

Garry

[sniegy]

The Tenth digit depicts what year the vehicle is regardless of when complianced(Most European Vehicles do this anyway).
So the 3 would relate to an 03my (By the looks complianced in 06)
The "V" depicts another interesting note, & that is that the vehicle was assembled in South Africa.:o
UK Assembled vehicles have an "A" as the 11th digit.
FYI.

Cheers

[scott oz]

In summary

A new vehicle date is taken from when it's first registered.
The build date is when it was built.

When you go to dealers to BUY they will quote the first registered date
When you go to a dealer to sell/trade it's the build date they use.

Who said you can't have your cake and eat it too.:eek:

In your case it's a 2003 build first registed in 2006.

When you're looking for parts it will be a 2003