Whew, some sellers are still trying to snow the buyers here on eBay! The old saying "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull" really seems to apply in some of these cases. Here are some of the current or recent auction misinformation I've noted:

• These vehicles regularly run a million miles with no problems. That's not true. No vehicle goes a million miles with no problems. Even a big rig, designed to long haul with a diesel that will run non-stop coast-to-coast will not run a million miles trouble free.
• Horsepower claims that are false. The CVPI has a max of 250 horsepower and that's the latest models. The claims that they have higher than that should come with a dyno ticket. If someone has put in a chip, that info should be included and you should be prepared for any problems that arise. Again, without a supercharger or nitrous, you're never seeing 400HP from your Crown Vic. Even then it's not going to be cheap or easy!
• Fast? Come on! The CVPI is not a fast car by today's standards. The 0-60 times are not in keeping with the Corvette or newer GTO or Viper or anything similar. It is not a muscle car in its' present trim.
• Handling is great, but again, it's not a Lamborghini or a Ferrari as some hype it to be. It does not take turns like a race car although it corners well and holds its own with most vehicles. It won't win at Old Lyme or LeMans but won't be left in the dust at Daytona by any similar vehicles either. But don't expect it to be a Porsche!
• Gas mileage? Some sellers tell you these cars get super gas mileage. They do not. No, these do not get high 20's gas mileage. My take on "high 20's" is 27-29 mpg and as I've stated, I've driven these cross country many times, and none have gotten "high 20's" mileage. Getting 25 is a stretch on most and 21-22 is pretty decent on those with the 3:27 axle. The EPA sticker on the window isn't even a realistic expectation of what you will get, since their testing isn't done at today's highway speeds. The average speed of the EPA test is only 48 MPH with zero stops.  Compare that to the real world!  

Don't fall for the hype that people throw out there, when it's clear they don't know what they're talking about. If people feed you lines that are so inflated about performance and longevity of any vehicle, you would do well questioning how much truth is in their statements about the rest of the vehicle as well! Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

I've personally sent messages to some sellers who have misleading, or completely wrong, statements in their auctions, in an effort to assure the information the buyer sees is correct. In some cases, the seller really doesn't know the facts, and they quickly correct the wrong statements or misleading wording. Those, in my opinion, are the good sellers. On the other hand, there are the sellers that won't correct the erroneous and misleading information, and that leads me to believe they know it's wrong, but are still willing to perpetrate fraud on the buyer of the vehicle. That's a shame.

Here's a response from one of the "prominent" eBay sellers of police vehicles on 1/07 regarding their statements on a vehicle that it is a "late 02" and "premium" when in fact it was produced in 11/01 and there is no such thing as a premium package: "Re: Question for item #330069391481 - Ford : Crown Victoria  What are ya stupid? Go bother someone else with your nonsense!" You make your own call on this one. Maybe I'm stupid as they say or maybe it's something else?? Another update is a later vehicle being sold as an "unmarked shift supervisors car." Guess the plugged hole in the roof from the lightbar wiring still makes these unmarked if there are no decals or decal marks? Whew.

10-09-09 Item # 300354567217 says it might have a 3 year 100K warranty and to check with the Ford dealer. I did better than that and checked with Ford Motor Co and the title is Branded (T1) and all warrantees were voided. Thus the vehicle was reported to Ford as totalled, salvaged or otherwise. The vehicle may somehow have a clear California title, but don't expect to have Ford repair it under any warranty when things go wrong. I notified the seller but I note they didn't change anything at least as of this date. Incidentally, sometimes titles will appear clear when in fact the vehicle has been totaled, so you can't always depend on the title to protect you. It all depends on how it was handled and remember, municipalities don't report therir losses to insurance companies. It's entirely possible thet damaged vehicles that are taken to Ford for inspection and deemed unrepairable are shown as branded, yet may othewise show up on State records as clean title cars. Scary, isn't it?

My recent searches show vehicles being severely damaged and being sold on eBay, albeit with a salvage title, being described as having had minor damage when propspective buyers question the sellers about the vehicles past. One 2006 vehicle, previously sold under Item number: 130029469348  shows a great deal of damage, and then later repaired and listed as Item number: 110057905952, yet is described as  "It had previously fallen into a dirt ditch." and "This car had minor bodily damage." Any "minor" damage usually does not result in airbag deployment, the fenders to move, the rear bumper valance to deform, etc. Then in an even later auction, Item number: 110061601528, the same car is again listed with no mention of damage until prospective buyers begin to question why it has a salvage title. The seller states again it had "minor damage." Also, a prospective buyer asks if there is any warranty from Ford and the seller indicates thay don't know. Fact is the vehicle had the warranty cancelled as soon as the title was "branded" as salvage. You get the general idea. This is so close to fraud it's pathetic, but eBay has no way to catch these sellers unless you do it for them! Again, it doesn't have to be a police car for this to happen, but police vehicles are in some pretty unusual collisions and you can end up getting a vehicle that has had a rough life, unless you choose wisely. As a followup, the vehicle was again listed as Item number: 110064642355 indicating a salvage title but with again, no mention of the previous damage. And, for some reason, the seller has now changed their eBay name as well.  February 2007 update: It's now listed once again as Item 130079116878, under a new seller's name, but the same vehicle with no mention of all the damage, just notes it has a salvage title. Heck, folks, the front and rear valance trim isn't even the right one for the police package!

Incidentally, when you look at cars that are listed as having been "unmarked," look closely at repaint likelihood. One place overspray often finds itself on the Crown Vic is the exhaust pipes, as the tips peer out from under the rear valance just a bit, and many shops don't bother to mask them during a fast repaint. Incidentally, look at what the exterior color actually is. The white color for Ford police vehicles over the past ten years is either Performance White or Vibrant White. Any other color, such as "Angel White, Cloud White, Fluff White" or similar is not an original Ford color. There are other white variations available for non-police Ford vehicles,  but the two above have been standard since 1995 or before.

Item number: 180124437143, a 2003 CVPI is being sold as of June 6 as a prior "undercover car" although it has a lightbar hole in the roof and the front door moldings are missing, showing clearly it was a marked unit. How many undercover cars have you seen like this? The car is from Syracuse with horrible winters full of ice and salt and terrible roads and heavy city usage, ( I lived there and drove a CVPI so I really know all about the usage they get!!!)  but someone will buy it as a prior undercover car. Like Mr. T used to say.."I pity the fool!" The seller even states the wrong horsepower, says all the 2003-2007's are the same (they are not) and never answered my associate's question about how come this was listed as an undercover unit with the roof lightbar hole. Like I've always said...buyer beware.  

Steering wheel covers over the original wheel aren't put on to give you extra "goodies" for your buying dollar. They're usually put on the car to hide the damage from rings, keys and other sources. Damage may be nicks, chips or even tears or chunks out of the material. A caution signal that the "pristine" cruiser isn't so pristine after all.  

If you see a 2006 or 2007 being sold with almost no miles, it's almost certainly been factory transit damaged. One seller didn't disclose this in their auction, until I asked them why they didn't let prospective buyers know the vehicle had door and fender damage before delivery to the original dealer. They then did place that in an addendum to their listing. An oversight? Or simply thinking you wouldn't ever know? You make the call. Frankly, you would have absolutely no way of knowing if it weren't for guides like this one! Even with a disclosure, you might not know what you're getting.

On December 8, 2007, I e-mailed seller the seller of item 200181874477 and the discrepancy in miles they show versus what Ford shows officially, and the the warranty start date didn't match up with service dates, etc.  This doesn't mean that a prior Ford dealer didn't make a mistake or otherwise put a wrong VIN in when they did service work over 3000 miles above what this car is stated to have on the odometer, but it's easy for them to check and add a pic to the auction to authenticate mileage. The vehicle was delivered to Sanderson Ford in Glendale AZ and had roof damage and it only cost about $800 to fix. But the records show it had service again thousands of miles away many months later, and now ends up in Kansas?  So?? Where's the mistake? Incidentally, this seller, a Ford Dealer, on their website says the car has 15 miles on it so go figure! They responded on December 13 that they were checking into the discrepancy and acknowledged something was wrong, but yet didn't change the auction details in any way, and their response states the vehicle only has 24 miles on it now. Maybe it's the wrong vehicle?

Lastly, in December, one car keeps showing up on eBay with the inside full of white powder dust. On the latest go-around the seller has had it detailed inside, or at least an attempt at detailing, but the powder still shows in the crevices in the car. Anyone want to guess what that white powder might be from? I asked about airbag deployment since the vehicle has such low mileage and the paint appears perfect as well, and he denies it, so it's simply buyer beware. As pointed out in my guides, always look for fine white talc type powder in cracks and crevices all over the interior of a vehicle with low mileage that's being sold at what you believe is a below-market price. There's usually a reason vehicles are sold cheaply, and the powder ain't from changing baby's diapers either! 

Again, do yourself a big favor and read my guides on Used Police Cars,  Police Interceptor Never in Police Service? and Used Government & Police Vehicles before you plunk down your hard earned cash on a used police vehicle. There are a number of very reputable sellers on eBay with some great cars available, and some that might be less than reputable too. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make the right choice to assure you'll enjoy the great experience of the perfect police cruiser!