if a used lexus is being sold by a toyota dealership with a fairly good reputation would you trust their inspection pass report or insist on taking it somewhere else for a second opinion?

 

It is not the reputation of the store that you are inspecting, it is that of the unknown previous owner. Have it checked.

 

where should i have it checked?

 

Just do a pre purchase inspection at a ruputable shop or a Lexus dealer.

 

You can do a lot of it yourself....not necessarily all. Here's what I recommend....and what I follow when shopping with others:

OUTSIDE:

Look at each body panel carefully and compare the exact color and texture of the paint to those panels next to it. Though some re-paints can be excellent, a re-painted panel will often have a slightly more mottles texture and/or pronounced orange-peel than an original factory-job. Look for signs of paint over-spray, from poor masking, on adjacent glass or trim pieces. Silvers and other light metallic colors, particularly light metallic blue or green, can be very difficult to match exactly, particularly in the sunlight. And never inspect a car body in the rain.....a film of water on on the paint can hide all kinds of problems in the paint job. Other signs of recent damage or repair are old, worn tires/wheels on one side (or one end) of the car, and newer or new ones on the other. Different materials up inside the wheel-wells can indicate a fender or quarter-panel that has been replaced. Then check under the hood and see how the engine compartment looks....any signs of water/corrosion on wires/hardware/component which could indicate a flood-victim car......you would be surprised how many of them are attempted to be sold by unscrupulous persons or dealers. Then check all of the engine/brake fluids and reservoirs for proper fluid level.

INSIDE:

Look for any signs of water or moisture intrusion under the mats/rugs, or stains/odor in the rugs themselves.....again, signs of flood-victim cars. Check all the switches and buttons inside that they work properly (you might need to start the engine or have the ignition on for this). Check all of the seat belts that the latches work properly and the retract-mechanism works.

TEST-DRIVE:

Make sure the cold tire pressures are at or close to recommended. Make sure the engine starts promptly and does not have any unusual or pronounced noises. See if the automatic transmission shifts reasonably smoothly (sometimes it will be a little firmer when cold, and upshifts may be delayed for a short period). Make sure all gears engage properly if there is a manual sport-shift mode to the transmission. When the engine is warm, make sure that warm-air comes out of all of the registers properly when you turn on the heat. Make sure the A/C compressor works properly....and that either hot or cold air comes out of whatever vents you select with the control. On a straight level surface, make sure the car tracks properly and doesn't try to pull to one side (it will on a crowned surface). Lift your hands slightly off the wheel (if there is no traffic next to you) and see if it still drifts. Make sure there is no shimmy or vibration on the steering wheel...that is often mis-mounted, out-of-round, or unbalanced tires. Tap the brake lightly, then moderately, at speed and see if there is any shimmy/pulsation in the brake pedal....that is usually runout (out-of-bound) brake rotors from wear and heat-buildup. See if the car pulls to one side, on a level surface, when braking. Last, where you have room, accelerate fairly hard from low speeds, look in the rear-view mirror, and see if there is any bluish-white smoke in the exhaust which could indicate oil consumption from a worn engine....don't confuse that with white steam/condensation, with is often normal in the exhaust of today's cars.

If it passes these tests, of course, they won't catch everything...but it will indicate that the car is in at least reasonably good condition, and that you probably aren't buying a lemon, at least in the short run. And, of course, try to get a Car Fax report or other equivalent.

 

To add to mMarshall, I always check how many miles ago DTC's were last cleared. If recently I want to see proof of repairs. If there isn't proof, I assume they are trying to hide a issue, and I walk away. This save you from, I drove 50 miles or whatever down the road, and your cel illuminates. My last used car purchase, a DTC had never been cleared.

 

If the interior is in good condition, then it's a good bet that the owner took care of it. Dings, scratches, seat wrinkles, etc, inside of the vehicle are signs of abuse and neglect. A carfax is usually pretty reliable in terms of salvage title, accident reporting, and things of the nature.