Shown a clean CarFax, severe structural damage concealed for 5 months
If you are standing in their showroom or lot right now reading this: this is your sign. Run. Get out of there and leave now!
Warning to all buyers: shown clean CarFax, concealed severe structural damage report for 5 months! Engine light came on day 1.
CarWise Gurnee (Elite Motors Inc.) showed me a CarFax with minor damage at the desk to justify $38,170 on a 2019 Toyota Tundra. They withheld my signed deal copies for 5 months despite my written requests from February through May. When the documents finally arrived on July 15, 2026, they included an Experian AutoCheck revealing severe structural damage, with my signature at the top margin of a standalone printout that had no disclosure text or signature block (see both reports side by side).
Check engine light came on day one. I bought the truck at 73,031 miles; the light came on at 73,171, only 140 miles later. Day 2 revealed what I see as zero pre-sale inspection: when I brought it in, they simply turned off the engine light without making repairs and told me to wait 30 days before filing warranty claims, past the 15-day/500-mile Illinois warranty window. They also told me the factory filter wouldn't fit, it's a cone filter, and I discovered it was detached at an auto parts store I went to for a new cone filter just 2 blocks away right after I left the dealer. It had been rolling around in a dirty air box so long it also broke the wire screen on the air filter (see photos). I took my findings back to the dealer and nothing else was done about it. Two days later the light came on again with a Fuel Too Lean code, indicating an injector problem. They turned off the engine light again and told me to rely on the warranty if it came back.
I viewed the truck at night in snow, and management repeatedly refused my requests to bring it into a lighted bay for inspection. Snow packed in the treads hid dry-rotted tires.
Sold a warranty the truck could never use: A high lift or huge tires can void a warranty. This truck had both. Two red flags, ignored. That was no accident. Paid $4,590 for warranty, refunded only about $3,890. I've shelled out $5,321.83 in repairs thus far.
Unsafe and forced $1,098 GPS add-on: I was told Wells Fargo required a $1,098 CarChief GPS device. Wells Fargo later told me it was not required. The unit sat unanchored about an inch from my left foot, next to the pedals, despite its own FCC label warning to keep it 20cm from people.
Engine knock: On the last cold day of last year the engine developed a knock that goes away when warm. The dealer calls it an exhaust tick and says it is normal. It is loudest on the driver side, and Tundra owners and fan pages say this is a known timing chain tensioner problem. Fixing it means removing the whole front of the engine, and while you are there you might as well do the chains too.
Illegal gag clause: The contract tried to ban negative reviews, which federal law (15 U.S.C. 45b) voids. That is part of why this review exists.
Tax discrepancy: My Buyer's Order bills $3,102.88 in tax, but the state form reports $3,183.00. That is an $80.12 gap between the dealer's own documents, and tax filings are supposed to be accurate.
Estimates so far for needed work, not yet done: $4,187.27 for fuel injectors and $10,080 for suspension replacement. Formal complaints filed with the Illinois Attorney General on Oct 22, 2026 and the FTC on Oct 24, 2026. Demanding full contract rescission.
Prospective buyers: Run both CarFax and AutoCheck reports on-site, require all figures in writing, insist on indoor bay lighting, and get a third-party mechanic inspection.
Advice to management: Never underestimate a customer with the time, financial resources, and legal backing to hold you fully accountable. I have all three, and I will see every process through to its conclusion.
If this helped save you from a bad deal, please mark this review as "helpful" so other buyers can see it before signing paperwork!