CarFax reports are not free. Once you set up an account and pay for the service you can run the report.

If the car is too old CarFax won't have any data.

They have to get your car back & give it to you. Keep their car until they get it.

I was a car dealer for a dozen years. Usually dealers hold off on selling cars until the financing is finished. But in rare cases, they have to get the car back.

I returned 2-3 cars in a dozen years. Whoever bought it wont get the title so they will have to return it.

Don't return their car until they get yours back.
And quit dealing with the sales rep. Deal with the general manager or the used car manager only.

As far as rolling over $5k worth of negative equity, that's happens maybe once every blue moon. The dealer selling a car contingent on refinancing $5k worth of negative equity would never happen in a million years.

I expect your story is fabricated.

Auctions open to the public tend to have the worst of the bad cars. And you may have a few wholesalers bringing decent cars in search of retail customers. (The decent cars wont be cheap)

Its a risky environment. That said, you might be able to find a decent deal if you are careful and drive cars before buying them.

Understand & appreciate the term "as is".

If you have access to a dealer only auction, you have a better chance at a decent car and deal but its still risky. I used to stick with repos & new car dealer trade ins. Because their is a lesser chance of it being patched up.

That said I once bought a $2500 Honda civic a repo that ran fine before I bought it, and the motor went bad 12 miles down the road. Freak thing but freak things can happen. I ended up having to spend $1200 on a used engine with labor and it took me 7 months to sell the car for a $400 loss.

Another time, I bought a car that was fine for a week as I drove it everyday. And then out of the blue the high gear in the transmission went bad.

So freak things can happen and be expensive. As a dealer, the good deals usually made up for the bad ones.

They can repo when its one day late.

You had the "right" to pay on time, maintain insurance and never have to worry about a repo.

As for when they will actually repo it, it depends. If you paid on time for 28 straight months they will cut you more slack than a first or second payment default.

Plus, how you communicate matters. Ignoring them or lying to them doesn't help.

The last thing most lenders want to do is repo a car. But you cant assume you can get 60 days behind and never catch it up either.

Generally, 45 days is when they get serious about repoing. Buy here pay here dealers sooner.

I recommend a 1992-96 Ford F150. I have a 1996 Ford F150 and I love it. There are plenty of parts available and pretty much endless options for modifications and customization for trucks. It can be bought for pretty cheap and parts are also quite cheap. I would recommend getting an extended cab because there's more interior room. Gas mileage is what you'd expect out of an average pickup truck. If it's 4WD or RWD, that can make a difference in gas mileage. It can be better if it isn't driven hard and is properly taken care of. What are you using this truck for? Offroading? Business? Towing? Winter? There are all sorts of different makes and models to suit different needs and wants. If you're looking for a diesel, I'd recommend the 1992-97 Ford F250, F350, or F450. Really any truck should be a good one as long as it was properly maintained and well taken care of. It won't matter if it's made by Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Nissan, or Toyota.

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Be careful. It may be wise to be a little paranoid on this deal. Inspect the car thoroughly. Bring a knowledgeable mechanic with you. Inspect the title. It must be an original (feels like money when fresh from the bank). Do not accept a B&W or color copy of the title. There may be a lien on the vehicle that doesn't appear on the title (people have found that out after they buy the car but can't get it titled into their name). The person selling the car must have the same name as on the title. If the person won't provide government issued ID, walk away. Remember, you're giving this person $12,000 of YOUR hard earned money. Don't let your love of this car cloud common sense. Trust NO ONE. You might be able to take the VIN# and see if the police have anything on it (like a stolen vehicle report).

Based upon the link below, I would suspect that the seller doesn't really know what he has or there's some serious problems that will take money to fix, or it could be a stolen vehicle (especially if he can't provide a clean title).