Hey, I came across a 2020 es300h premium the dealer is advertising as CPO for $38,995 on their site. However when I emailed them asking for their itemized OTD pricing they added on CPO as an additional line item before tax, tags, and processing. Is this normal for dealers to add CPO price on top of the advertised price of a CPO?

 

CPO designated cars prices are hiked because they are CPO. You can find another car for less w/o the CPO designation. It's been shown by members on this forum that some CPO cars have been in serious accidents with major body repairs. Some cars had misaligned body panels and other issues due to poor repair work. Paint mismatched. Point being that you can buy a non CPO car for much less if you look long enough and hard enough. The 150 point inspection is more BS than reality because most checks are just very simple such as tire inflation, wipers,
oil level, and other mundane items. Items that you can have checked on a non CPO car by your favorite mechanic that you trust... I would not buy a CPO car and I wouldn't buy a used car w/o having it checked by a third party... Regarding your question, I think the dealer is dicking you around. Look elsewhere...

 

I’ve seen this happen in the past with CPO’s. I’d tread lightly with this dealership as I think they’re hoping to get you in the door to pump as much money out of you as possible. I’d email and ask for a price quote as a full “L/Certified” vehicle.

I know some dealerships in my area offer a CPO that isn’t L/Certified. The CPO is usually backed by their dealership group and not Lexus. I’d be highly suspicious if these dealerships.

Also, as the poster mentioned above don’t fall for L/Certified or CPO at face value. I highly recommend a thorough inspection of the vehicle body panels, engine, and interior by yourself. I’d say 90% of L/Certified vehicles are legit as Lexus doesn’t want a bunch of vehicles tarnishing their image that are subpar.

Also, check the vehicle CarFax to see how the vehicle was registered, “owner, leased, demo, rental, loaner car, etc.” This also helps complete the story of the kind of vehicle you are purchasing. I tend to stay away from loaner vehicles and rentals as they’re usually beat to crap by people who drive them.

 

If you really want to watch a sales person squirm, as them IN PERSON for a copy of the 150 point inspection that they did on the car your interest in buying.