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      04-15-2018, 11:01 PM   #1
chiefneil
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Pre-purchase inspection for CPO?

I’m looking at buying a CPO for my daughter out in LA. Found a serious possibility - a 2016 with 18k miles for a good price. I’m going to drive out to take a look and close the deal if I like it, but I’m wondering in this case how critical a pre-purchase inspection is?

The carfax is clean, shows a single previous owner with a lease, typical standard maintenance, and nothing else. Would you insist on taking the car to an independent for an inspection?
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      04-15-2018, 11:39 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefneil View Post
I'm looking at buying a CPO for my daughter out in LA. Found a serious possibility - a 2016 with 18k miles for a good price. I'm going to drive out to take a look and close the deal if I like it, but I'm wondering in this case how critical a pre-purchase inspection is?

The carfax is clean, shows a single previous owner with a lease, typical standard maintenance, and nothing else. Would you insist on taking the car to an independent for an inspection?
18k is low enough that I would personally be okay looking it over and then taking it for a drive and verifying it drives as expected.

Do you have any sort of automotive background? If you aren't quite sure how to spot body repairs or shoddy mechanical work, then it is probably best to have a local independent shop bring it in for an inspection. Even if it is mechanically sound, you don't want to find out it was in fact repainted when the pint begins peeling off.
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      04-16-2018, 12:54 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by BrettKA7 View Post
18k is low enough that I would personally be okay looking it over and then taking it for a drive and verifying it drives as expected.

Do you have any sort of automotive background? If you aren't quite sure how to spot body repairs or shoddy mechanical work, then it is probably best to have a local independent shop bring it in for an inspection. Even if it is mechanically sound, you don't want to find out it was in fact repainted when the pint begins peeling off.
Yes, an unreported accident is what I’d be most concerned about. I have no clue how to spot a repainted or replaced body panel. I’m not really concerned about mechanical issues with 2 years remaining on the factory warranty plus one more year of CPO. Although I just looked over the CPO warranty and it appears to be surprisingly limited.
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      04-16-2018, 01:26 AM   #4
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I recommend to have a PPI done just for peace of mind
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      04-16-2018, 03:57 PM   #5
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Chief, what dealer if I may ask? (can dm me if you'd like)

I will say if its a Century West car from Studio city, have the car double checked. They missed so many things on my wifes X3 it's not funny (and it's cpo'd..or was, anyway).
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      04-16-2018, 07:07 PM   #6
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Chief, what dealer if I may ask? (can dm me if you'd like)

I will say if its a Century West car from Studio city, have the car double checked. They missed so many things on my wifes X3 it's not funny (and it's cpo'd..or was, anyway).
The particular car I was looking at is gone, but it was Long Beach BMW.

Stories like yours are why I’m a little wary of CPO being useful for anything except the extended warranty. The extra inspection is just a bit of a PITA since I’ll be driving from Phoenix to LA to get everything done, but it seems like I should make the effort.
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      04-16-2018, 07:13 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefneil View Post
Yes, an unreported accident is what I’d be most concerned about. I have no clue how to spot a repainted or replaced body panel. I’m not really concerned about mechanical issues with 2 years remaining on the factory warranty plus one more year of CPO. Although I just looked over the CPO warranty and it appears to be surprisingly limited.
The CPO is REALLY limited compared to what most think of when it comes to a warranty.
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      05-02-2018, 06:24 PM   #8
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CPO adds a minimal peace of mind...but for the most part, only covers major components. It's still a gamble buying a CPO car at the higher price.........
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      05-03-2018, 01:15 AM   #9
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Pre-inspection on your own dime for a certified pre owned car with a warranty, sold by a dealer? why would you want the hassle and the expense. The car is fine. Its not like some random private party Craigslist car. Somethings wrong and you just bring it to the dealer.
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      05-03-2018, 01:19 AM   #10
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I just bought a CPO 2015 335i with 12k miles on the clock and also debated a PPI. Went so far to discuss it with my mechanic who had been servicing my E46 for the last 4 years. Ultimately he said if the car history is legit, with that many miles it’s a bit overkill to PPI a CPO. So I didn’t. YMMV.
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      05-03-2018, 03:04 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kafkaesque328 View Post
Pre-inspection on your own dime for a certified pre owned car with a warranty, sold by a dealer? why would you want the hassle and the expense. The car is fine. Its not like some random private party Craigslist car. Somethings wrong and you just bring it to the dealer.
Well, considering everything a CPO does NOT cover, it’s not just an easy “Somethings wrong and you bring it to the dealer”.

There is another thread where a person has a CPO and his struts and suspension are bad. $4k is the replacement costs.

A PPI would have easily paid for itself in this (and other) circumstances.
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      05-03-2018, 09:50 AM   #12
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How much are PPIs for something like this? I'm eyeballing a CPO 435 myself...though there're one or two 440s popping up as well every now and then.
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      05-03-2018, 10:18 AM   #13
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Carfax is an absolute joke these days - unfortunately. I have spent enough times on these forums to see the types of tactics people take to avoid reporting damage on a carfax report, and hiding a tune after absolutely hammering the engine.

Tip for you if you are buying CPO....drive two similar cars back to back to see if there is a difference in performance, sound, and general noise level. Check door jambs, and the inside / outside edge of all panels to see if there is paint over-spray.
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      05-03-2018, 10:48 AM   #14
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How much are PPIs for something like this? I'm eyeballing a CPO 435 myself...though there're one or two 440s popping up as well every now and then.
It's only like $80-$100 or one shop hour rate. I suggest finding a local reputable indy that works on BMW or at least german cars.
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      05-03-2018, 11:40 AM   #15
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If you're seriously considering buying, definitely yes on the PPI. Besides its limitations in what it covers, a CPO is liking having the dealer mark its own paper. A dealer has an incentive to forgo on fixing things before a sale. A warranty can be fought over later, and if they end up fixing it under CPO warranty the customer is going to feel real good about buying that CPO so they'll be back for a CPO'd purchase later down the line. A CPO is like an extended warranty, they wouldn't sell them unless they come out ahead over time.

And if a PPI finds anything at all it will immediately have paid for itself, either in walking away from a bad purchase, in negotiating a lower purchase price, or a demand for it to be fixed prior to the sale. I usually go to (another) dealer for a PPI and I've never had them not find anything.
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      05-03-2018, 05:49 PM   #16
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$80? No brainer, worth it. Thanks!
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      05-03-2018, 07:27 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by M2Rush View Post
It's only like $80-$100 or one shop hour rate. I suggest finding a local reputable indy that works on BMW or at least german cars.
It's closer to twice that here in the Wash DC area.
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      05-04-2018, 02:06 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefneil View Post
I’m looking at buying a CPO for my daughter out in LA. Found a serious possibility - a 2016 with 18k miles for a good price. I’m going to drive out to take a look and close the deal if I like it, but I’m wondering in this case how critical a pre-purchase inspection is?

The carfax is clean, shows a single previous owner with a lease, typical standard maintenance, and nothing else. Would you insist on taking the car to an independent for an inspection?
Car fax is junk. Always do an independent pre purchase inspection.
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      05-04-2018, 09:07 AM   #19
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Checking back in to let everyone know I appreciate their advice and comments. It’s a long story, but we ended up leasing a dealer loaner 2018 230i with 4500 miles. Since it wasn’t registered previously, it came with full warranty and maintenance, so essentially just like leasing a new vehicle except a bit cheaper.

Anyway, my lesson learned is that buying a car from out of state is kind of a PITA. Next time I set my sights on a CPO, I’ll stick to local dealers. And will definitely do a PPI.
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