Stolen GMC Syclone Returned to Owner By Unknowing Buyer

Chris Teague
by Chris Teague

Buying things from private parties can be risky. Even if you’re sure that you’re purchasing a legitimate, genuine product, exchanging any amount of money with a stranger is no fun. One Texas man recently had a terrible experience buying what he thought would become his dream car, only to discover his new purchase was a stolen vehicle.


Jake Rowe found the GMC Syclone of his dreams in Odessa, TX, but the warning signs started popping up almost immediately. The first was the truck’s price, which at $4,200 was significantly less than most examples. That seemingly too-good-to-be-true price was just the beginning, as the seller also admitted that they didn’t have a title for the pickup, saying that the seller’s deceased husband lost it before he died. The seller told Rowe they’d gotten the truck as payment for clearing a property for the older woman after losing her husband.


Rowe got a bill of sale, called the widow, and ran the VIN to find that it was not reported stolen. His peace of mind didn’t last long. Once he got the truck home, Rowe checked Facebook to see it had been listed by a different person with a different price, and when he contacted that seller, he got the same origin story that his seller gave, only with a different widow’s name.


“I got the truck home, and got back on Facebook, and noticed the truck was listed by a different man with a different price. I reached out and asked how he got it, and I got the same story, but the lady’s name was changed. So I knew something was up,” Rowe told The Drive.


The Syclone Facebook group helped Rowe track down the truck’s origin story, which revealed the actual owner’s identity. They had no idea it had been stolen, but Rowe did the right thing and returned the Syclone to its rightful home. Police told him not to expect his money back, but members of the Syclone community started a GoFundMe to help out, which has raised more than $2,400 as of this writing.


[Image: Jake Rowe via Facebook]


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Chris Teague
Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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  • Carsofchaos Carsofchaos on Nov 04, 2023

    After a while you stop feeling sorry for the victims. I mean seriously how many red flags did this guy need to see before he walked away from this "deal of a lifetime"? Way underpriced, no title, got it in payment for some work being done. Come on man!

  • ToolGuy ToolGuy on Nov 15, 2023

    $5,247 raised of $5,000 goal (Sep 15 2023)

  • Aaron Recently cross shopped both cars. Decided to go with the civic sport. Like the non direct injection 2.0 engine (no long term carbon buildup) and preferred the Hondas transmission over the Toyotas. The civic interior seems much nicer and roomier. Also Honda had many more civics available to choose from vs Toyota. Got almost 2k off sticker. Felt it was the better deal overall. Toyota was not budging on price.
  • FreedMike Not my favorite car design, but that blue color is outstanding.
  • Lorenzo Car racing is dying, and with it my interest. Midget/micro racing was my last interest in car racing, and now sanctioning body bureaucrats are killing it off too. The more organized it is, the less interesting it becomes.
  • Lorenzo Soon, the rental car lots will be filled with Kia's as far as the eye can see!
  • Lorenzo You can't sell an old man's car to a young man, but you CAN sell a young man's car to an old man (pardon the sexism, it's not my quote).Solution: Young man styling, but old man amenities, hidden if necessary, like easier entry/exit (young men gradually turn into old men, and will appreciate them).
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