That makes it even less attractive 
I guess I’ll stick to brands with longer presence.
Do you think that this applies to BMW/MB CPO inspection as well or would you trust them?
Sigh… Almost all pre-purchase inspections in dealers have a check-list to go through. Independent mechanics seem to follow a similar method. Spoiler alert, if the seller wants to hide certain issues, the amount of money you pay will not change the result. Of course, the car should be put on lift, checked for leaks that may not be visible from the top or paint thickness should be measured in all panels with a gauge etc. but what if the car has several warning lights just got reset ? AC system has a leak and the seller topped off the refrigerant? Those issues will surface days later… That’s why I like those places who offer XX days YYY miles return policy. Worth far more than the superficial PPI which I can do myself mostly anyways.
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Yes. My description is pretty much a verbatim definition of BMW and MB CPO inspections.
CPO process may be marginally more thorough. What’s more important is that you buy from a reputable place who wouldn’t make an effort to hide issues. There is still a risk that they may not have been aware but risk is never zero, you just try to minimize it as much as possible.
And you’ll be massively overpaying as a result, and a return policy of lets say 7 days is not worth anything beyond what you’d discover with a good PPI.
Stuff like AC not keeping charge is a worry on much older cars. Newer cars, if something like that even comes up, you’ll most likely be able to get it fixed under warranty. Checking for undisclosed accident damage and putting it up on a lift is really all you need to realistically do on a late-model car still under warranty.
There is no process that is going to be cost-efficient yet cover all imaginable bases. A good PPI is the most cost-efficient way to go.
On nearly new cars, a good PPI’s value is telling you if there’s been any unreported damage (repainted or repaired body panels). Unfortunately, too many people seem to be scared of insurance premium hikes and go the route of getting it repaired on their own.
Worth the $200 to $400 in my opinion. I passed on a Panamera last month because the PPI showed the front bumper had been (at least) repainted.
What if the bumper was repainted due to something very minor? It’s not like a Panamera is a specialty/collectible car…
It’s an expensive car, sure. But there’s nothing special, rare or collectible about it. I suppose “minor” is subjective in terms of damage on a car, but I wouldn’t bother re-painting the whole bumper for what I consider minor damage.
Here’s the visual aspects of the car revealed by the PPI regarding the bumper:
- There was a rather deep scratch on the bumper that was covered over with paint as you could still see and feel the indentation. The groove was too shallow and long to be a dent.
- This particular car had ~36k miles on it and the front bumper was nearly flawless in terms of having 0 rock chips or scratches. A hard feat to accomplish when driving for that many miles. It could’ve had PPF or a bra on it, but most people don’t get PPF removed just to sell the car. Bra’s aren’t too popular these days (the thick removable ones)
- When the car was put on a lift with different lighting angles, you could subtly see the difference in color between the bumper and nearby panels. The front bumper was nearly paper white, while the hood and fender were a bit more yellow-ish.
I looked over the car at the dealership and I certainly couldn’t see any of that with my eyes, which is why the PPI was nice to have. It could’ve been minor damage and nothing to worry about, but why would I buy it with doubt in my mind? I’ll just go find another one.