Buying a used 2013 F30 335i

m3auce · 03-18-2014, 07:10 PM

Hey everyone,

I have my eye on a 2013 F30 335i M-Sport at a non-BMW dealer lot in the NYC area. Unfortunately the service rep I spoke with didn't know anything about the history of the car, where it came from, or how they acquired it. It's got a clear carfax. Does anyone have theories on how a beautiful one year old BMW ends up on the lot of a used car dealer?

I will check for steering wheel rattle and rust in the seats. Anything else I should know? I know it's under factory warranty until 2017, but do you think I should bring it in to the local BMW dealer for a pre-purchase inspection?

G30Nashville · 03-18-2014, 09:50 PM

Yes, pay whatever to a local dealer and have them inspect it. Somehow the car was purchased at auction in order for that dealer to have it in their inventory.

claykin · 03-18-2014, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

Hey everyone,

I have my eye on a 2013 F30 335i M-Sport at a non-BMW dealer lot in the NYC area. Unfortunately the service rep I spoke with didn't know anything about the history of the car, where it came from, or how they acquired it. It's got a clear carfax. Does anyone have theories on how a beautiful one year old BMW ends up on the lot of a used car dealer?

I will check for steering wheel rattle and rust in the seats. Anything else I should know? I know it's under factory warranty until 2017, but do you think I should bring it in to the local BMW dealer for a pre-purchase inspection?

Check build date in drivers door and report back. In general terms 11/2012+ production, you don't need to worry about the steering vibration issue.

BMW dealer can pull service history if you have last 7 of VIN.

m3auce · 03-18-2014, 10:30 PM

VIN decoder tells me "Production date: 07.03.2013" which I believe is in Euro date format, so it's birthday was March 7, 2013

claykin · 03-18-2014, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

VIN decoder tells me "Production date: 07.03.2013" which I believe is in Euro date format, so it's birthday was March 7, 2013

Yup.

Otherwise it would be a MY14.

Mobster1983 · 03-18-2014, 11:47 PM

Run away. Don't trust the carfax report. I have had cars that had significant damage and it never reported on carfax.

Unless you absolutely know where the car came from, I am not sure I would trust it. You don't know if it was in an accident, bought back under lemon law, or if the previous owner just drove the shit out of it.

64-bit · 03-19-2014, 12:28 AM

Mileage, options and how $$?

Vitoco · 03-19-2014, 03:28 AM

Think. What would you do if you were gonna have a brand new power house for only a short time and could care less where it goes later on? Stay away.

Falafel Combo · 03-19-2014, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mobster1983

Run away. Don't trust the carfax report. I have had cars that had significant damage and it never reported on carfax.

Unless you absolutely know where the car came from, I am not sure I would trust it. You don't know if it was in an accident, bought back under lemon law, or if the previous owner just drove the shit out of it.

I've heard these stories as well. People don't report everything to insurance, hence not everything will show up on car fax.

The fact that is it in NYC alone is one red flag. Non-BMW dealer is another flag. New MY is a third red flag.

I would absolutely take it to the dealership for a pre-purchase inspection, and then ask them to recommend a body shop to do a one over look around for you as well. If you're not drooling all over this thing (price, options, ...) I would pass all together. It doesn't sound right.

Falafel Combo · 03-19-2014, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

Hey everyone,

I have my eye on a 2013 F30 335i M-Sport at a non-BMW dealer lot in the NYC area. Unfortunately the service rep I spoke with didn't know anything about the history of the car, where it came from, or how they acquired it. ...

Or he's just lying. Happens all the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

...

Does anyone have theories on how a beautiful one year old BMW ends up on the lot of a used car dealer?

I will check for steering wheel rattle and rust in the seats. Anything else I should know? I know it's under factory warranty until 2017, but do you think I should bring it in to the local BMW dealer for a pre-purchase inspection?

Theories include auction purchase, flood damage, lemon car, stolen car, dealer buy-back, ... Or maybe the previous owner traded the BMW in to that used dealer for a different car (not very likely, but it's possible they paid more for the trade than the dealership offered). These may or may not show up on the carfax, depending on which state they happened in.

Pre-purchase inspection is key.

m3auce · 03-19-2014, 03:24 PM

Thank you for your input everyone. I value it greatly. The car is priced very low so I am still interested and went to see the car today. It's not a long drive from where I live and I had nothing better to do.

Upon arriving, I was surprised that it had MPE exhaust tips, OEM short shifter with suede boot, "M Performance" suede on the dashboard, and black grill. So, the previous owner of this car is probably a forum member. No offense to anyone here... but that's probably a bad sign.

There was a CEL displaying during the test drive. I was very disappointed that they had me drive all the way over there to show me a used luxury foreign car with a CEL. This may sound unfortunate, but I consider that an awesome bargaining chip. Let's not forget the car is warrantied until 2017 and obviously was not lemoned, even after it's original owner's complaints.

I spoke with a more knowledgable service rep this time and was able to find out how they acquired the car. Long story short, the car was a buyback citing some problem where they replaced "injector and plugs." I have this detailed in a signed document dated 10/27/13. BMW then sold the car to this wholesale dealer I am working with.

I left a deposit and scheduled a PPI at a local BMW dealer, different than the one who they acquired the car from. I am looking forward to hear more details on why the original owner had the car replaced.

Assuming the PPI comes back with a clean bill of health, and a REALLY good story on how this car's situation came to be, I plan on making an offer on their already low price.

edited: more accurate details

Falafel Combo · 03-19-2014, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

Thank you for your input everyone. I value it greatly. The car is priced very low so I am still interested and went to see the car today. It's not a long drive from where I live and I had nothing better to do.

Upon arriving, I was surprised that it had MPE, OEM short shifter with suede boot, "M Performance" suede on the dashboard, and black grill. So, the previous owner of this car is probably a forum member. No offense to anyone here... but that's probably a bad sign.

There was a CEL displaying during the test drive. I was very disappointed that they had me drive all the way over there to show me a used luxury foreign car with a CEL. This may sound unfortunate, but I consider that an awesome bargaining chip. Let's not forget the car is warrantied until 2017 and obviously was not lemoned, even after it's original owner's complaints.

I spoke with a more knowledgable service rep this time and was able to find out how they acquired the car. Long story short, the original owner demanded an exchange for a new car because of "injector problems." I have this detailed in a signed document dated 10/27/13. BMW then sold the car to this wholesale dealer I am working with.

I left a deposit and scheduled a PPI at a local BMW dealer, different than the one who they acquired the car from. I am looking forward to hear more details on why the original owner had the car replaced.

Assuming the PPI comes back with a clean bill of health, and a REALLY good story on how this car's situation came to be, I plan on making an offer on their already low price.

I think your logic is pretty solid here. I agree with your thinking. However, please remember. You get what you pay for. Nothing more, nothing less.

There are numerous stories of folks on here and on the M3 threads jumping into cars due to the low entry price, but quickly find out that it was an expensive proposition, in hind sight.

Best of luck. Keep us posted. Should be interesting.

m3auce · 03-21-2014, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpinweiss 335i

There are numerous stories of folks on here and on the M3 threads jumping into cars due to the low entry price, but quickly find out that it was an expensive proposition, in hind sight.

Trust me, I am not interested in joining that club!

The car is queued to be PPI'd today. Over the past two days I've had time to "cool down" (you know how purchasing a car can be exciting) and I am in a very good place mentally to make a smart decision. After/If the PPI checks out, I will only move forward to make an offer if I am confident all of my questions are answered and in writing.

My plan was always to get a great deal on a 100% dependable vehicle that I will own for a very long time and I am sticking to it. If I don't like the situation, or if they don't like my offer, then I walk right out and it's on to the next car.

Tgiancioli · 03-21-2014, 09:46 AM

Hi M3sauce. I looked at a similar car (335i xdrive, msport, manual, loaded) in Chicago (luxury auto xchange in Alsip, IL). The car was a buyback and now has 1605 miles. Was bought back from BMW due to aux fan issue. Was repaired and sent to auction. Apparently the parts were back ordered, so some owners accepted a buyback. This car ran through auction for about 35k. No idea about carfax or if the buyback info is on title. Car is listed for 47$. List was 59$. Really, if BMW fixed the issue, I would not worry about the car, although if carfax or title is affected by buyback, that is a valuation changer. Good luck. If the car you are looking at was bought back due to aux fan issue, my guess is dealer won't check that part specifically.

kevinpb639 · 03-21-2014, 09:54 AM

Good luck and keep us posted OP

Falafel Combo · 03-21-2014, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

Trust me, I am not interested in joining that club!

The car is queued to be PPI'd today. Over the past two days I've had time to "cool down" (you know how purchasing a car can be exciting) and I am in a very good place mentally to make a smart decision. After/If the PPI checks out, I will only move forward to make an offer if I am confident all of my questions are answered and in writing.

My plan was always to get a great deal on a 100% dependable vehicle that I will own for a very long time and I am sticking to it. If I don't like the situation, or if they don't like my offer, then I walk right out and it's on to the next car.

Great. You sound like you know what you're doing. Keep us posted. God speed!

Mobster1983 · 03-21-2014, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

Trust me, I am not interested in joining that club!

The car is queued to be PPI'd today. Over the past two days I've had time to "cool down" (you know how purchasing a car can be exciting) and I am in a very good place mentally to make a smart decision. After/If the PPI checks out, I will only move forward to make an offer if I am confident all of my questions are answered and in writing.

My plan was always to get a great deal on a 100% dependable vehicle that I will own for a very long time and I am sticking to it. If I don't like the situation, or if they don't like my offer, then I walk right out and it's on to the next car.

Sounds like you are doing it the right way. I have learned the hard way, never purchase a car when you get too excited about the deal (that's how I ended up with my M6). BMW should be able to tell you if there are or were any issues so you can make a fully informed decision.

BMWnStuff · 03-22-2014, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

Hey everyone,

I have my eye on a 2013 F30 335i M-Sport at a non-BMW dealer lot in the NYC area. Unfortunately the service rep I spoke with didn't know anything about the history of the car, where it came from, or how they acquired it. It's got a clear carfax. Does anyone have theories on how a beautiful one year old BMW ends up on the lot of a used car dealer?

I will check for steering wheel rattle and rust in the seats. Anything else I should know? I know it's under factory warranty until 2017, but do you think I should bring it in to the local BMW dealer for a pre-purchase inspection?

1. The Carfax should show where it came from and all of the LEGAL transactions that occurred to get it where it is since the original dealer took possession of the car. If it doesn't, then the car may have title issues amongst many others problems...
2. I bought my 328i used from a Subaru stealership just down the road from the BMW. Apparently the dude traded it for an STI. Sometimes cars end up at weird places because weird people buy them.
3. An official BMW dealer mechanic could give you some helpful advice/inspection if you catch one at the right time.

Hope that helps.

m3auce · 03-22-2014, 10:15 AM

Before I continue: To anyone who googles "buying a used BMW" and stumbles upon this thread, please understand this is a situation particular to me and not all used cars at wholesale lots are bad deals. Good luck in your search!

The PPI came back clean. No water damage, no accidents, no lemon demons.

To clear the CEL they need to replace injectors and plugs. Possibly for a second time?

Considering that the car is not 100% reliable, and that it has been taken apart/put back together at least once, and I would more than likely be stuck on the side of the road and on a first name basis with people in the service department, I came up with a very respectable offer that would compensate me for my troubles. I called the dealer and told him my number. Of course he couldn't do it. Therefore I will no longer be pursing this vehicle.

Do you know why he couldn't do it? It's because he knows that the car, while already at the dealership for my PPI, is getting the injectors/plugs done on the car to clear the CEL. He will show the car to some unlucky soul and they will never know what happened here. He will likely sell the car for close to the asking price. It just won't be to me.

Here is the car: link

Falafel Combo · 03-22-2014, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m3auce

Before I continue: To anyone who googles "buying a used BMW" and stumbles upon this thread, please understand this is a situation particular to me and not all used cars at wholesale lots are bad deals. Good luck in your search!

The PPI came back clean. No water damage, no accidents, no lemon demons.

To clear the CEL they need to replace injectors and plugs. Possibly for a second time?

Considering that the car is not 100% reliable, and that it has been taken apart/put back together at least once, and I would more than likely be stuck on the side of the road and on a first name basis with people in the service department, I came up with a very respectable offer that would compensate me for my troubles. I called the dealer and told him my number. Of course he couldn't do it. Therefore I will no longer be pursing this vehicle.

Do you know why he couldn't do it? It's because he knows that the car, while already at the dealership for my PPI, is getting the injectors/plugs done on the car to clear the CEL. He will show the car to some unlucky soul and they will never know what happened here. He will likely sell the car for close to the asking price. It just won't be to me.

Here is the car: link

I don't know man. You know the car best of course and where your comfort level is at. Having said that, I would still consider it. Maybe ask BMW if they would be willing to CPO it, and extend the warranty. Worse case if it ends up being a lemon, you may have avenues for BMW to buy it back form you. And as it is, these cars come with a full maintenance plan and bumper t bumper warranty.

If the PPI came back clean and the car checks out visually and emotionally, I would try and work out a deal with them. They might come down on the price if it sits for another couple of weeks. MT's are very difficult to find and even more difficult to sell. This particular example is pretty well equipped, great color combo and is very rare as it is (M Sport + xDrive + 6MT + 335i). I know because I just bought mine, which is very similar to this one.

EDIT: I re-read now and you mentioned BMW has already bought back the car once, so it may not be an option for you? Also, does the fact that BMW bought it back once already make it a lemon? And does it affect the 4yr/50k miles warranty?

Falafel Combo · 03-22-2014, 12:43 PM

BTW, it is priced pretty aggressively as is, so I don't think you have that much wiggle room with them. Especially if it already has M performance parts as you mentioned.

Mobster1983 · 03-22-2014, 02:57 PM

I think you made a good decision not buying. Even though it is covered, some cars just tend to have more problems than others. To me, it is better to spend the extra money and not even have to worry about it.

BMW will likely not CPO the car. If the car met CPO standards they would have done that and sold it themselves. The only reason they would have sold to another dealer is because the car did not meet CPO standards.

03-18-2014, 07:10 PM	#1
m3auce New Member 1 Rep 20 Posts Drives: E92 Join Date: May 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Buying a used 2013 F30 335i Hey everyone, I have my eye on a 2013 F30 335i M-Sport at a non-BMW dealer lot in the NYC area. Unfortunately the service rep I spoke with didn't know anything about the history of the car, where it came from, or how they acquired it. It's got a clear carfax. Does anyone have theories on how a beautiful one year old BMW ends up on the lot of a used car dealer? I will check for steering wheel rattle and rust in the seats. Anything else I should know? I know it's under factory warranty until 2017, but do you think I should bring it in to the local BMW dealer for a pre-purchase inspection?
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

03-18-2014, 09:50 PM	#2
G30Nashville Second Lieutenant 279 Rep 203 Posts Drives: 2022 540i Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Nashville Area iTrader: (0)	Yes, pay whatever to a local dealer and have them inspect it. Somehow the car was purchased at auction in order for that dealer to have it in their inventory.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-18-2014, 10:30 PM	#4
m3auce New Member 1 Rep 20 Posts Drives: E92 Join Date: May 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	VIN decoder tells me "Production date: 07.03.2013" which I believe is in Euro date format, so it's birthday was March 7, 2013
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-18-2014, 11:47 PM	#6
Mobster1983 Lieutenant 42 Rep 503 Posts Drives: 2014 BMW 335i Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Hawaii iTrader: (0)	Run away. Don't trust the carfax report. I have had cars that had significant damage and it never reported on carfax. Unless you absolutely know where the car came from, I am not sure I would trust it. You don't know if it was in an accident, bought back under lemon law, or if the previous owner just drove the shit out of it.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-19-2014, 12:28 AM	#7
64-bit Major 309 Rep 1,086 Posts Drives: 19 Ford Raptor - On Order Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (1)	Mileage, options and how $$? __________________ 2016 M3, Mineral White, SO Leather, MANUAL - ED 11/26/2015 2013 335i, Blue, M-Sport, Auto w/Sport Trans - ED 06/10/2013
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-19-2014, 03:28 AM	#8
Vitoco Infidel 122 Rep 1,102 Posts Drives: iX3 LCI M Pro Carbon B Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Sweden iTrader: (0)	Think. What would you do if you were gonna have a brand new power house for only a short time and could care less where it goes later on? Stay away. __________________ Dec. 2022: Fully loaded Carbon Black G08 iX3 LCI M Sport Pro Former: Glacier Ag. F31 328iA RWD M Sport oct. 2012, sold July 2022 \| Sport Automatic \| Adap. M Susp. \| Pano. Moonroof \| 20" ATS Racelight Grey w. Michelin PSS\| M Sport brakes \| Harman Kardon \| Elec. Seats \| PDC F&R \| ACC Stop&Go \| 335i MPE \| Perf. Parts \|
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-19-2014, 03:24 PM	#11
m3auce New Member 1 Rep 20 Posts Drives: E92 Join Date: May 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Thank you for your input everyone. I value it greatly. The car is priced very low so I am still interested and went to see the car today. It's not a long drive from where I live and I had nothing better to do. Upon arriving, I was surprised that it had MPE exhaust tips, OEM short shifter with suede boot, "M Performance" suede on the dashboard, and black grill. So, the previous owner of this car is probably a forum member. No offense to anyone here... but that's probably a bad sign. There was a CEL displaying during the test drive. I was very disappointed that they had me drive all the way over there to show me a used luxury foreign car with a CEL. This may sound unfortunate, but I consider that an awesome bargaining chip. Let's not forget the car is warrantied until 2017 and obviously was not lemoned, even after it's original owner's complaints. I spoke with a more knowledgable service rep this time and was able to find out how they acquired the car. Long story short, the car was a buyback citing some problem where they replaced "injector and plugs." I have this detailed in a signed document dated 10/27/13. BMW then sold the car to this wholesale dealer I am working with. I left a deposit and scheduled a PPI at a local BMW dealer, different than the one who they acquired the car from. I am looking forward to hear more details on why the original owner had the car replaced. Assuming the PPI comes back with a clean bill of health, and a REALLY good story on how this car's situation came to be, I plan on making an offer on their already low price. edited: more accurate details Last edited by m3auce; 03-21-2014 at 10:52 AM..
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-21-2014, 09:46 AM	#14
Tgiancioli Registered 3 Rep 4 Posts Drives: 2008 BMW 750i Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: WI iTrader: (0)	BMW Buyback cars Hi M3sauce. I looked at a similar car (335i xdrive, msport, manual, loaded) in Chicago (luxury auto xchange in Alsip, IL). The car was a buyback and now has 1605 miles. Was bought back from BMW due to aux fan issue. Was repaired and sent to auction. Apparently the parts were back ordered, so some owners accepted a buyback. This car ran through auction for about 35k. No idea about carfax or if the buyback info is on title. Car is listed for 47$. List was 59$. Really, if BMW fixed the issue, I would not worry about the car, although if carfax or title is affected by buyback, that is a valuation changer. Good luck. If the car you are looking at was bought back due to aux fan issue, my guess is dealer won't check that part specifically.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-21-2014, 09:54 AM	#15
kevinpb639 Private 19 Rep 94 Posts Drives: 2017 F15 X5 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Florida iTrader: (0)	Good luck and keep us posted OP __________________ Current Ride: 2017 BMW X5 M-Sport \| Carbon Black Metallic Previous Ride: 2017 BMW 340i M-Sport JB+\| Mineral Gray Previous Ride: 2014 BMW 428i M-Sport 6MT \| Alpine White
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-22-2014, 10:15 AM	#19
m3auce New Member 1 Rep 20 Posts Drives: E92 Join Date: May 2012 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Before I continue: To anyone who googles "buying a used BMW" and stumbles upon this thread, please understand this is a situation particular to me and not all used cars at wholesale lots are bad deals. Good luck in your search! The PPI came back clean. No water damage, no accidents, no lemon demons. To clear the CEL they need to replace injectors and plugs. Possibly for a second time? Considering that the car is not 100% reliable, and that it has been taken apart/put back together at least once, and I would more than likely be stuck on the side of the road and on a first name basis with people in the service department, I came up with a very respectable offer that would compensate me for my troubles. I called the dealer and told him my number. Of course he couldn't do it. Therefore I will no longer be pursing this vehicle. Do you know why he couldn't do it? It's because he knows that the car, while already at the dealership for my PPI, is getting the injectors/plugs done on the car to clear the CEL. He will show the car to some unlucky soul and they will never know what happened here. He will likely sell the car for close to the asking price. It just won't be to me. Here is the car: link
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-22-2014, 12:43 PM	#21
Falafel Combo Banned 3773 Rep 6,673 Posts Drives: X5 xDrive50i Join Date: May 2011 Location: New England iTrader: (3)	BTW, it is priced pretty aggressively as is, so I don't think you have that much wiggle room with them. Especially if it already has M performance parts as you mentioned.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

03-22-2014, 02:57 PM	#22
Mobster1983 Lieutenant 42 Rep 503 Posts Drives: 2014 BMW 335i Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Hawaii iTrader: (0)	I think you made a good decision not buying. Even though it is covered, some cars just tend to have more problems than others. To me, it is better to spend the extra money and not even have to worry about it. BMW will likely not CPO the car. If the car met CPO standards they would have done that and sold it themselves. The only reason they would have sold to another dealer is because the car did not meet CPO standards.
	Appreciate 0 Quote