Pro tip: that $900 Facebook truck was a repo, and the seller told me at a gas station in Dayton
I was about to hand over cash for a clean looking Ranger when the guy let it slip that the bank still had the title because it got repo'd off his cousin. I looked up the lien on the Ohio BMV site on my phone right there at the pump, and sure enough the loan was still open for $2,300. Now I run the VIN for an open lien before I even drive out to look, and it has saved me twice since. Everybody worries about rust and miles but a missing title is the one that leaves you with a lawn ornament. What is your first check before you even text the seller back?