Mbbarron

Wow, CPO doesn't cover wind noise? I wouldn't think this would count as cosmetic. What about leaking sunroof seal?

I arranged for a PPI with Lexus on Car #2. Luckily, there's a different Lexus dealer only 10 minutes away from the seller and they couldn't have been nicer to deal with. I would hesitate any business to the Lexus dealer that sold and serviced this car as they really gave me the runaround and were just not easy. The seller has already dropped the car off and Lexus confirmed they have it and will take a look at it tomorrow. Probably give me the report on Monday. It's not a CPO inspection. It's the same inspection they would use before they put the car on their own lot. They will put it on the lift and inspect everything underneath. They will take it for a test drive and listen for wind noise. I told them I would email a list of things that I would be appreciative that they can pay attention to and report back to me. Mostly the minor dings/scratches to assess whether it's been in an accident or just parking lot damage.

Any suggestions for things to ask them to look at for me? I'm assembling a list that I may post later. Thanks again guys!

Shad034

Car 2 for most of the reasons already stated. Reliability is probably fine on the car so the L-certified is extraneous cost. The significantly lower miles of car 2 is VERY attractive. I bought my 2013 in Dec 2017 with 29K on it and I was stoked to find such a low mileage car.

Mbbarron

Did you do a PPI? Were there specific things that you pointed out to check for any issues? ie "Listen for wind noise at higher speeds on test drive"

Here's my current list:

If you can have the technician pay attention to the following, I would really appreciate it. Most of these are hopefully standard on your checklist but listening for noises that are sometimes signs of something going wrong in an LS are where I value your expertise.

- Test drive listening for wind noise at higher speeds,any noise from fuel pump, noises/pinging at idle, check for any alignment issues, suspension, brake responsiveness

- Paint scratches/ previous repairs: can you take a few pics for me please?; Most importantly please assess whether it has been in an accident and what you can tell has been repaired and quality of the repair (ie non-OEM/aftermarket bumper, paint repair obvious?)

- Check sunroof for any seal issues

- Control arms have been a known issue in this model; assess for any potential control arm issues

- clock operates properly

- Can you test the USB port/cigarette lighters please?

- take note of condition of floor mats

Mbbarron

Update:

Test drive revealed vibration at speeds over 60 MPH. Tires are at 60% tread remaining. Brake pads at 50% remaining. Haven't been given much other detail. The dealer wants an additional diagnostic fee to determine cause of vibration. I told them seller would likely want to diagnose and fix himself but they agreed that they would test drive it again for me after (at no additional cost) to verify that the vibration has been resolved. Should I be worried about ruling out any major issues (control arms, transfer case, rear differential)?

What info/level of detail/report should I expect to receive from the dealer for my standard inspection - cost $145? (Not a CPO inspection) I'm having to push them a little bit to provide me with more before I pay them and have the car picked up. They've been really nice about it, but I definitely have to push/nicely insist to get what I'm expecting. Definitely not getting a report like Lemon squad would provide, but I didn't go with Lemon squad because they wouldn't do a test drive and it wouldn't go up on a lift. And I wanted someone who knows Lexus to listen for wind noise.

Any advice?

satiger

iTrader: (1)

CPO and PPI are totally two different inspections.

Lexus wouldn't do CPO for private cars. There is an internal cost to get warranty (North of 1 grand - internal Lexus warranty) and only be applicable to vehicles sold by Lexus.

Mbbarron - didn't PPI from Lexus cover control arm inspection?. ANy leaks, vibrations, abnormal wear etc would be marked on PPI report. Again, its not pure science. Depends on the mechanic thoroughness would vary. You would have make a judgment call based on the report and proceed either way. Its much like home pre purchase home inspection. At the time of inspection everything could be ok but after purchase heating/cooling could fail!.

My purchase would be based on how well the car has been cared (in other words how it has been neglected with necessary service and repair). You could get that sense by service records if available and by talking to technician who inspected the car. Certain things they may not be willing to put in writing due to liability issues. That's why talking to technician is important.

satiger

iTrader: (1)

Add to what I said, when I purchased 2014 LS, I had Lexus inspected that ( I didn't pay for PPI fee ). I also asked them to check transmission and differential fluids for any particles. Only way to do that is to drain and inspect. I absorbed the cost with the risk if any metal particles were to be found I would return the car. To me its a small fee to pay for peace of mind.

Htony

Car 2 it has lowest mileage. Most two things I care is year and mileage. After 10 years driving it'll still have under 200K on the clock. CPO is ~2K in value.

Mbbarron

I reached out to see if they could have the technician call me. They vehicle appears to be well cared for based on Lexus service history, just not driven by a perfect driver given the minor body scratches/replaced bumper.

Mbbarron

So I believe this would be covered under the Powertrain warranty which is valid on this car through Aug 2019.

FatherTo1

I would add "check ambient light", especially the strip above the glove compartment and the little strip beneath the air vent on the left of the steering wheel. My 2013 had a burnt out ambient light strip above the glove compartment that was missed during PPI. It cost me $230 to have my mechanic replace it, or $106 DIY, or $312 to have Lexus do it. Another forum member also had the ambient strip burnt out on both sides of the dash in their newly purchased 2013 LS. Odd that I haven't read of it happening to other model years yet, just two cases of 2013 LSes. It is not a deal breaker if they are burnt out since the ambient light effect is so dim when driving. Just something to keep in mind during price negotiations if you do need/care to have the part(s) replaced.

Mbbarron

Update: Talked to the auto body shop today that did work on the car (listed on the Lexus services records as "brought in by xxx auto body shop" and referred to on Carfax as "damage to front". The vehicle had 2 separate insurance claims for work at the same time to both the front and the back. (Took a lot of digging and sugar sweet phone calls to get this info.) All minor body work and no frame/structural/mechanical damage. Replaced: rear bumper, lower cover, rear parking sensor, both front headlamps, dent removal and painted front cover left fender panel and blended with left front door. Separately 1 year later, left front door, left rear door, and left fender were also repainted and paid for by Lexus dealer after it was detailed by Lexus dealer.

Both the auto body shop and the service advisor at the Lexus dealer who sold the car each told me that there was no reason to walk away from this car. It is mechanically sound with no reason to suspect that there are any issues (other than the current vibration over 60mph which definitely needs to be addressed). The service advisor remembered the car and said a very trustworthy technician checked it out thoroughly before they sold it and didn't find any problems with vibration then on the road test. He said they likely sold it because it needs new tires, was a little rough on the outside (current scratches), and in general don't sell a lot of LS's that quickly. Could have also been about the numbers or their inventory. He thought it was a fine car and was attractive if I didn't mind dealing with the scratches, especially given the low mileage.

My hubby still doesn't agree and would like me to wait for the right CPO to come along, but said it would be a fine deal at a lower number. He thinks the right number is $30-32K. Not including tires or paint repairs.

Consensus on here has been Car 2 with lower miles. Would you still go for Car 2 now with the knowledge that it's had 2 insurance claims? Just goes to show you how things slip through the cracks even with Carfax and Autocheck giving clean bill of health.

SW17LS

Nospinzone

Shad034

Knowing about all the accident damage, I'd probably have to say that the 34k is no longer a good price. It would probably be a just fine car to own and drive, but the simple fact is that it has been repaired a few times and will never be worth as much as one that had not. Since you are looking at a long term car, the retained value of the vehicle isn't as much of a concern, however its not worth what an undamaged one would be. I'd have a very candid conversation with the seller, tell him what you found and tell him the car simply isn't worth the 34k, but you are willing to talk about 31k.

Assuming you still want to execute on the car, telling him you're willing to take it right now at 31k might get you the car. However, I would not hold too much hope on it. If there is no record of the damage in carfax/autocheck, its likely that he knows the next buyer may not be as diligent as you in checking its history and he can get more for it.

Mbbarron

I totally agree. That's my concern though. He might come down another $1,000 (to $32,500) based on the history that I found, but the next buyer is definitely not going to be as diligent. My hesitation in walking away from this car at that price is that 1) I'm going to end up spending more for a CPO with a ton more miles and 2) I'm almost definitely not going to get the semi-aniline which has been a rarer find in my search.

If this car was in great condition, the value on this vehicle with low miles and these features would be closer to $38K. Car #1 is a CPO vehicle that's still available, however is not currently willing to budge much on price and current sits at over $35K, and that one has also had bumper replacement and paint repairs per its service history. Plus I just have to wait so long for the right color combinations to become available. It could easily be another 2 months.

So the real question is, what do you think is the true value of this car? I think it might be $32-33K. This is all assuming that the vibration issue is completely resolved and tires and repainting can be used as further negotiation points.