Would you take a 1 year old used car with < 10k miles to a pre-purchase inspection?

Ask the Hackrs Used Cars
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TL;DR - Clean 1-Owner CarFax, < 10k miles, Genesis dealership. Would you think it’s too much to ask to take it to a pre-purchase inspection? I am okay paying the $200, just wondering if the dealer might find it odd.

Since ‘luxury’ cars leasing is pretty bad right now, been thinking about financing a mildly used CPO/ w/ original warranty sedan.

Am I being way too cautious? it’s going to be my first-ever ‘luxury’ car (after sitting on the fence for two years+ due to covid).

I’d really rather lease to eliminate my risk (engine breakdown, accidents, etc.) on a luxury car, but it is what it is in the current market.

And maybe the more general question: What’s your criteria for doing a pre-purchase inspection? assuming a car is within reasonable miles and has a good service history.

Thanks for sharing from your experience!

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Doesn’t OEM warranty exist on the car still?

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If it’s already CPO’d, who would you bring it to for the PPi? The same selling dealership? Seems repetitive to me since they already went over it to CPO it.

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High end collector cars yes but a CPO this new, no.

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Why not buy a new Genesis? Or a new Lexus? Used car prices are high, so you could probably get a new car for not much more.

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Posted this earlier:

chains and even most dealerships are useless. They’ll have a ‘checklist’ that’s mostly brake pad depth and tire depth and yada yada yada.

Instead of that you want an indy mechanic to put it up on a lift and tell you how much neglect or lack thereof they can see. If the engine or transmission is leaking fluids those will be expensive fixes. Rust is another flag, as is unrepaired accident damage.

Find a mom & pop shop … someone who specializes in either imports or domestics depending on what you’re buying. Expect to pay at least 2 hours of their hourly rate for a good PPI.

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I say do it, it’s not odd at all. Can you go and see the car in person?

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Depends on the manufacturer, but do some research online to see which ones have a PPI built into the CPO program.

Always helps to read over the warranty policy as well.

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:point_up: :point_up: What they said.

@bmwmb What model Genesis? What is the selling price?

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1 yr old under warranty cpo Volvo doesn’t need ppi. Go see and inspect for cosmetic issues and odd smells by yourself. Pay attention to chemical smells which may have been used to mask pet pee , smoke etc.

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I would find an Indy shop and have them look it over. You’d be surprised how negligent people can be even with a 1 year old car.

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This specific car is not a CPO. To clarify: I meant that I target cars with a CPO/original warranty. Since it’s a 2021, it has the original warranty but is not a CPO.

This specific car is $9k below a new one. With tax and everything and my intention to keep it for ~2 years it can be much cheaper to buy a used one. I also think they have a newer model so the older ones sell for a discount.

I have an AutoZone nearby and a mom and pop shop, how do you evaluate which to go?

It’s a G70, there are 3 in the area for ~$36k. This specific one was a corporate fleet.

Thanks for the tip!

I guess that’s exactly what I am trying to avoid here

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Spend the $200 for peace of mind. If the car is OK, great; if not, you save yourself more than the $200.

I often purchased used vehicles without inspection; now, I would never do so. It is one of those things where you will be kicking yourself for not doing it if something goes wrong. On the other side, I doubt you will feel “Nothing was wrong with the car. I could have saved a couple of hundred dollars.”

The above take is my individual/personal opinion only. However, headaches and stress you can avoid are always worth it. My current lease has just over 2000 miles on it after three years. I have taken exceptional care of it, but I would encourage it if I were to sell it and someone wanted it inspected. There could be underlying problems even I do not know about that get glanced over during routine maintenance at the dealership.

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If it’s a Genesis and non-CPO’d, I’d take it for a PPI. I’d look for a shop that specializes in Genesis/KIA/Hyundai, not just any shop.

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That is not going to get an inspection of any merit

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That price is around what my mechanic charges. And it is a comprehensive pre-purchase inspection.

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Definitely not any chains.

Find a reputable mechanic who specializes in Asian imports.

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$200 dollars isn’t a lot of money to find out if the car has been neglected and has major problems. Even as unlikely as that is for a car that new and with a small amount of miles, you would be surprised at how bad a car can end up with neglect.

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I guess I just meant I am okay paying whatever the price for a PPI is.

Gosh, leasing is much simpler :sweat_smile: I think it’s especially harder to find a Genesis specialist. The Hyundai ones I found on Yelp around my area have a bad rating.

I guess I got a clear answer though. Most people think PPI is a no-brainer when financing a used car (even CPO’d, even 1 year old). Thanks all!

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No such thing exists. The brand has hardly been around long enough for a critical mass of cars to be outside warranty.

Hardly any self respecting mechanic is going to call themselves a Hyundai specialist either. That’s why you need to find someone who’s an Asian import/JDM/Japanese brand specialist.