Weld on frame on a clean title. Did the dealership get over on me ?

Steven Gonzales · April 18, 2020

Hello I am new to GM-Trucks forum and really need some advice to help me get my mind at eaze. I purchased a 2011 Silverado LTZ 4x4 with 61k original miles, clean title, no reports of damage. I was giving my truck a really good cleaning and came across a weld on the front of my frame. When I was underneath the truck. Is this a factory weld ? Or did the dealership get me ? I paid 22k cash because I thought this truck was perfect. 7 months later I come across this weld on my frame. I have highlighted it with a red marker. It is on the front of the frame underneath the engine. Sorry about my poor description as I am a Automotive painter not a mechanic nor bodyman. Any advice will help and thank you to all! I have had the truck for 7 months now that I have brought it off the dealership and I wont be too happy if this is not a factory weld. Is their any actions I can take ? I been doing research and it's illegal to sell a vehicle with frame damage without reporting it to the buyer. Was this a possible cover up from a accident ? If anyone has any info please get to me. I hope to good I didnt spend 22k on a truck that had been in a accident and lied to with a clean title.

Steven Gonzales · April 18, 2020

Here's a closer look at the weld.

dsr611 · April 18, 2020

More than likely, it's a factory weld. Weld looks exactly like the horizontal weld on the top (only thinner). Plus, the whole cross member has the same paint on it. If it was a body shop weld, they would have ground the paint off either side of the weld, welded it up, then repainted just the ground area and weld.

Steven Gonzales · April 18, 2020

29 minutes ago, dsr611 said:

More than likely, it's a factory weld. Weld looks exactly like the horizontal weld on the top (only thinner). Plus, the whole cross member has the same paint on it. If it was a body shop weld, they would have ground the paint off either side of the weld, welded it up, then repainted just the ground area and weld.

Thank you sir so much ! I be pretty bummed if a dealership got over on me. That is very true. No repainting has been done and it all looks original. Just freaked out I pay 22k cash for it

tmo · April 18, 2020

Did you not check carfax? Doesn’t that come free or something when buying a used vehicle. Insurance would be the one to report it on there so it would be out of the dealerships control to have a clean title. Unless you didn’t ask to see the carfax and they just didn’t disclose the information.

You might be able to pull it online for a fee. Also you could ask the service center to pull any maintenance records that the truck had at the dealership possibly. Carfax will tell you more though.

txab · April 18, 2020

autocheck.com is better. Carfax misses so much

Steven Gonzales · April 18, 2020

1 hour ago, tmo said:

Did you not check carfax? Doesn’t that come free or something when buying a used vehicle. Insurance would be the one to report it on there so it would be out of the dealerships control to have a clean title. Unless you didn’t ask to see the carfax and they just didn’t disclose the information.

You might be able to pull it online for a fee. Also you could ask the service center to pull any maintenance records that the truck had at the dealership possibly. Carfax will tell you more though.

Yes sir when I brought the truck from the dealership we went over how clean the truck was and the clean carfax report. I somehow missed this weld. Everything checked out clean on Carfax and I have ran a another report with the NVMTIS on the truck because of the clean title and low miles. I am really in love with my truck and will be devastated if I got ripped off like this, but so far 2 clean reports.

Steven Gonzales · April 18, 2020

8 minutes ago, txab said:

autocheck.com is better. Carfax misses so much

I ran another report with the NVMTIS and everything came out clean. Even my carfax is clean and no salvage history. Just really hope I didnt get played from this dealship. It would break my heart if I found out that I brought a truck cash that has been in a accident and covered up smh.