ndk83

My sister is in the market for a new car, she has her heart set on and put a downpayment on a 2005 lexus SC430 in excellent conidition and very very low i milage.

I want to check the car out before she purchases it and Im not sure if taking it to do the checkup at the dealership ($220)is worth the $150 dhs over the garage ($70)

Now the question is, do i take the car to get checked out at Lexus (where they will perform a mechanical checkup and a chassis checkup and provide a report?)

Or is taking it to a unaffiliated garage to do a basic systems and visual check up gonna give the exact same results?


Right now, im under the impressions (maybe incorrectly) that the dealership would do a more thorough check. This is the route that ill go if its true

Thoughts?

Is the dealership checkup much better than a indepedant garage?

chikoo

In my opinion Lexus is biased. They will/might tell you tales that "could" have happened to this car and may persuade you to buy a cpo vehicle instead.

So you have quite a few options:

1. Go the Lexus route and believe in their report.
2. Go to the independent mechanic and believe in his report.
3. Do both 1 and 2 and tally their reports. If they match, you are in good hands. If they don't match, that is trouble.
4. Trust your own experience with cars. I did the same when I got my IS. After driving so many years, I felt I was confident enough to do my own inspection.

caddyowner

If the independent garage has a strong Lexus service reputation, there should be no problem using their services. Just don't have the car inspected by the shop at the selling dealer. One dealer told me that their service operation was independent of the sales operation and they would do an unbiased inspection. I must have sounded like a hayseed over the phone.

ndk83

thanks guys but i think
gonna take it to lexus and have them do a full check up

mlee21

Kinda offtopic but relevant..

When you buy a used car from a dealership and want your own personal shop to inspect it, how does that work? Does the dealership just let you take the car for a couple hours while u leave it at your shop? Do you have to pay the dealership for the time its been "off their hands." etc. etc..

Any answers would help.

Och

iTrader: (3)

If she is shopping for an SC430, I suggest she looks for a 2006+ model. Not everyone realized it, but there were a LOT of changes and improvements for the 2006 model over 2002-2005 - six speed transmission, projector headlights, led tails, restyled wheels are some of them. The price difference between 05 and 06 shouldn't be that great.