Rust on CPO 2014 GS
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2014
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From: Texas
Why would one Lexus dealership use a much higher CPO standard than is required by their Corporate policy, especially when minor bodywork is commonplace for CPO vehicles of all brands...including bumper resprays and paintless dent repairs? Why would one dealership (your local Lexus dealership) choose to use a higher standard than its competitors (BMW, M-B, Audi, etc., etc.) use?
CL Community Team
Joined: Dec 2017
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From: NJ
Let me put it this way - in a nice, but easy to understand way. They lied to you...and you believed them!
Why would one Lexus dealership use a much higher CPO standard than is required by their Corporate policy, especially when minor bodywork is commonplace for CPO vehicles of all brands...including bumper resprays and paintless dent repairs? Why would one dealership (your local Lexus dealership) choose to use a higher standard than its competitors (BMW, M-B, Audi, etc., etc.) use?
Why would one Lexus dealership use a much higher CPO standard than is required by their Corporate policy, especially when minor bodywork is commonplace for CPO vehicles of all brands...including bumper resprays and paintless dent repairs? Why would one dealership (your local Lexus dealership) choose to use a higher standard than its competitors (BMW, M-B, Audi, etc., etc.) use?
To everyone else, here is the CPO check list: https://www.lexus.com/documents/broc...t-brochure.pdf
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Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Arizona
There was a time when CPO actually meant something. For example, the car couldn’t have ANY recoded damage, exceed 60k miles, have better Than 80% tread remaining, etc. the car had to basically look and feel new. Today, it amazes me what passes for CPO. I’ve also discovered dealers in my area won’t deal in CPO and treat them like golden calfs, so for the most part, I’ve been buying cars with flaws I know I can fix.
With out RX, there was a deep scratch with snags in the back seat, several dents without paint damage, so I spent $150 on the dent repair and $50 on a leather repair kit from leather renew.com and saved $5k over the same vehicle certified. The car had 26k mikes on it, so not like the CPO warranty was really going to get me anything and if I really wanted the extra warranty, I could have got that too for around $2k. I felt better served keeping the $2k.
I’ve seen cars show up as CPO that have been smoked in. That’s just crazy!
With out RX, there was a deep scratch with snags in the back seat, several dents without paint damage, so I spent $150 on the dent repair and $50 on a leather repair kit from leather renew.com and saved $5k over the same vehicle certified. The car had 26k mikes on it, so not like the CPO warranty was really going to get me anything and if I really wanted the extra warranty, I could have got that too for around $2k. I felt better served keeping the $2k.
I’ve seen cars show up as CPO that have been smoked in. That’s just crazy!
Lexus Champion
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From: Texas
Can you provide factual evidence that BMW's CPO standards are (as you state) "a much higher selection, inspection, and reconditioning standard for their CPO vehicles" compared to Lexus' CPO vehicles? I'd like to see it if you can...
Last edited by bclexus; Apr 30, 2018 at 12:52 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Arizona
You providing a link to BMW's CPO checklist is not a comparison of the two brand's (Lexus vs. BMW) CPO standards with the differences you claim that "BMWs have a much higher selection, inspection, and reconditioning standard for their CPO vehicles."
Can you provide factual evidence that BMW's CPO standards are (as you state) "a much higher selection, inspection, and reconditioning standard for their CPO vehicles" compared to Lexus' CPO vehicles? I'd like to see it if you can...
Can you provide factual evidence that BMW's CPO standards are (as you state) "a much higher selection, inspection, and reconditioning standard for their CPO vehicles" compared to Lexus' CPO vehicles? I'd like to see it if you can...
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Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 14
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From: NJ
Lexus needs to get a hold of the CPO program. There is just way too much latitude in what cars a dealer can make CPO.
There are many good used cars out there but dealers are always looking to make one more penny if they can and thry buy the cheapest crap available at the auctions instead of paying a thousand or two more and getting quality.
They dont understand that once they sell that vehicle to a customer that they end up losing that customer, and Lexus corprate could end up losing a customer for life.
They should really do something about this.
There are many good used cars out there but dealers are always looking to make one more penny if they can and thry buy the cheapest crap available at the auctions instead of paying a thousand or two more and getting quality.
They dont understand that once they sell that vehicle to a customer that they end up losing that customer, and Lexus corprate could end up losing a customer for life.
They should really do something about this.
It is unfortunate- again I understand that a CPO is not a perfect system but I also think that the dealer AND manufacturer need to stand behind their process- otherwise what is the point of a CPO vehicle?
As this user said, going forward, I am going to reconsider another purchasing another CPO vehicle going forward and am DEFINITELY going to consider the Lexus CPO program. It is far from the gold standard that i hoped/expected.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2014
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From: Texas
Having reviewed them closely very recently, as I was debating a BMW...The Bimmer CPO provides a stronger warranty. That's it. The CPO guidelines can say what they want as well. The dealer actually has to follow them and NOT certify something they shouldn't. The last part is the fly in the ointment. Dealers will do what they want.
CL Community Team
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From: NJ
How you came up with that conclusion from this thread is beyond me. Lexus has a great CPO, you just need to make sure your dealer doesn't pull a fast one on you. I've come to the conclusion that if the dealer was in the wrong and you raise your voice and escalate the manner, the dealership will buckle in a heartbeat. Believe me, you can't go wrong with Lexus.
Instructor
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From: Arizona
Stronger warranties aside, I don't see any meaningful difference between Lexus' CPO selection, inspection, and reconditioning standard when compared to Lexus' main competition, which primarily is BMW, Audi, M-B and Infiniti. If one competitive brand stood out as having a higher standard that buyers could put real credence in, then that brand would be advertising that higher standard they offer, something that is not happening.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 47
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From: CA
Having reviewed them closely very recently, as I was debating a BMW...The Bimmer CPO provides a stronger warranty. That's it. The CPO guidelines can say what they want as well. The dealer actually has to follow them and NOT certify something they shouldn't. The last part is the fly in the ointment. Dealers will do what they want.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 813
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From: Arizona
Now that you called me out on it I went back and looked at both closely and not sure why the BMW dealer was touting theirs as the better one! Had I bought a BMW, it would have had the longest warranty possible, but didn’t really care about it for a Lexus. I actually avoided CPO, because the dealers around here won’t deal on anything CPO. I had two previous CPO Lexus’s and really saw no real value for the extra cost. Any major repairs came well after 130k on the odometer. It’s just way harder to get your BMW serviced outside of a dealer network here, so I would have not purchased without a CPO. We have BMW Indy shops, just nothing close to me.
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From: NY
Now that you called me out on it I went back and looked at both closely and not sure why the BMW dealer was touting theirs as the better one! Had I bought a BMW, it would have had the longest warranty possible, but didn’t really care about it for a Lexus. I actually avoided CPO, because the dealers around here won’t deal on anything CPO. I had two previous CPO Lexus’s and really saw no real value for the extra cost. Any major repairs came well after 130k on the odometer. It’s just way harder to get your BMW serviced outside of a dealer network here, so I would have not purchased without a CPO. We have BMW Indy shops, just nothing close to me.
When I bought my 4GS, they only had one non CPO GS on the lot and the price difference was about $2000 with similar pkgs/mileage. The dealership I bought from also never certifies any car that has an accident on the Carfax.
Because of the complexity of today's cars with proximity sensors / cameras / etc. all around the body, I think its a bad idea for a dealership to certify a car that has been in an accident...they know this, but some still do it because the car wouldn't sell otherwise. It also isn't surprising that the dealerships are trying their best to avoid wear/tear claims by the customer (rust, paint, hazing headlights, wheels, tires, brakes, hoses, belts, etc) as those aren't covered if you look carefully at the CPO warranty. It gets even more risky for you as the buyer if you have a CPO accident car and need to make a claim...
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 813
Likes: 76
From: Arizona
In my area, its getting harder and harder to find dealerships that have pre-owned inventory that ISN'T certified. I believe this is the model they feel works best because it creates an incentive for folks to make the purchase. I've purchased two Lexus CPO's in the last 5 years and never had anything happen during the CPO period that warranted the "extra" money paid for the CPO markup.
When I bought my 4GS, they only had one non CPO GS on the lot and the price difference was about $2000 with similar pkgs/mileage. The dealership I bought from also never certifies any car that has an accident on the Carfax.
Because of the complexity of today's cars with proximity sensors / cameras / etc. all around the body, I think its a bad idea for a dealership to certify a car that has been in an accident...they know this, but some still do it because the car wouldn't sell otherwise. It also isn't surprising that the dealerships are trying their best to avoid wear/tear claims by the customer (rust, paint, hazing headlights, wheels, tires, brakes, hoses, belts, etc) as those aren't covered if you look carefully at the CPO warranty. It gets even more risky for you as the buyer if you have a CPO accident car and need to make a claim...
When I bought my 4GS, they only had one non CPO GS on the lot and the price difference was about $2000 with similar pkgs/mileage. The dealership I bought from also never certifies any car that has an accident on the Carfax.
Because of the complexity of today's cars with proximity sensors / cameras / etc. all around the body, I think its a bad idea for a dealership to certify a car that has been in an accident...they know this, but some still do it because the car wouldn't sell otherwise. It also isn't surprising that the dealerships are trying their best to avoid wear/tear claims by the customer (rust, paint, hazing headlights, wheels, tires, brakes, hoses, belts, etc) as those aren't covered if you look carefully at the CPO warranty. It gets even more risky for you as the buyer if you have a CPO accident car and need to make a claim...
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