BSM just went up for sale in my region

[ThereCanBeOnly1]

I don't see a buying guide for these cars anywhere, probably because they are still too new (when I've bought older cars there are usually guides I can find for trouble spots to check). I'm probably going to go see this car tomorrow- any advice on what to watch out for? I'm not buying anything tomorrow, because if I get serious I am having a pro do a PPI for me, especially given what guys like Shroom are telling me.

Thanks0

[IEDEI]

Originally Posted by ThereCanBeOnly1

I don't see a buying guide for these cars anywhere, probably because they are still too new (when I've bought older cars there are usually guides I can find for trouble spots to check). I'm probably going to go see this car tomorrow- any advice on what to watch out for? I'm not buying anything tomorrow, because if I get serious I am having a pro do a PPI for me, especially given what guys like Shroom are telling me.

Thanks0

i am no professional...but for me the service history was most important when i was shopping for mine last year. did they do the 1200 mile "M" service? Have the fluids been changed to satisfaction? Obviously if there were any prior incidents or accidents?

My feeling is other than the more common 'fuel pump' and turbo issues; i haven't heard of these having a lot of other common problems.

It helps if you can find out more info about the previous owner, as i was able to...but that may not always be available depending on where it's being sold.

GOOD LUCK!! hope it works out for you

[Shroom]

Other than the paint meter and making sure the door gaps and other gaps are even, it may be hard to see any signs of repair on a low mile car, especially since Perillo has a full body shop. Check for excess wear under the front lip ( indicator of caution with car if it's clean-thats a good thing), any dents dings in the doors or body, excess swirling on the black car in the light, smell in the car from smoker or mildew from flood damage. Smell is important as it can tell you a lot. If it's got a scent tree in it, question as to why( masking something?). MAke sure all the lights work, brake, turns low and hi beams etc. Stereo works etc. Drive it and see if it pulls right or left under braking or acceleration.

Others will know a lot more than me but thats a start.

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by Shroom

Other than the paint meter and making sure the door gaps and other gaps are even, it may be hard to see any signs of repair on a low mile car, especially since Perillo has a full body shop. Check for excess wear under the front lip ( indicator of caution with car if it's clean-thats a good thing), any dents dings in the doors or body, excess swirling on the black car in the light, smell in the car from smoker or mildew from flood damage. Smell is important as it can tell you a lot. If it's got a scent tree in it, question as to why( masking something?). MAke sure all the lights work, brake, turns low and hi beams etc. Stereo works etc. Drive it and see if it pulls right or left under braking or acceleration.

Others will know a lot more than me but thats a start.

Agree with everything but the front lip. That bit is incredibly easily scratched and you can't paint meter a bumper. I would wager that a 1M is more likely to be paint free if the front lip is scratched vs. not.

Almost all of the private sale cars I looked at had some scraping and none of the dealer cars did...of course, the dealer cars had been resprayed.

[Shroom]

Great point and makes sense. I don't want to imply it has to be scratch free for me, just in decent condition. As you mention they all get some degree of scraping. Under 10,000 miles, for myself, I don't feel it should be scraped up too bad, and If it is, it is an indicator (to me) of the attitude/amount of caution of the former owner. It's not a deal breaker, but imho, it is an important indicator of the caution used in daily driving i.e. slow into driveways...being aware of the parking cement tire blocks at the grocery store etc. Not watching those, then not watching the larger things. It's just one more piece of many pieces you have to suss out what the former owner/s were like and how they treated the car, more important in a situation that you can't talk to the former owner.

[ThereCanBeOnly1]

Thanks guys- great points, some of which I used to know but its been 5 years since I've bought a used fun car so you've refreshed my memory.

One last question- if I want to get hard copies of the BMW service history, can I go to a dealer and just give them a vin, or is there a place online I can do that? Everyone says that when you do that, you'll see who actually owned the car at each service. This car seems to have spent its life in PA thus far, with the exception of its brief stint down here (which still doesn't make sense as it is shown as one owner on carfax and it left Chicago and ended up here with 1500 miles more on it. Someone had to own it in the middle there).

[Shroom]

You can usually go to a local dealer and walk in to their service department. If you get a change to talk to an advisor who has some time , tell them that you are going to buy a 1M off someone but are worried it hasn't been taken care of...can they run the vin and see if it looks ok. usually they will do that and just read it off and let you know if there are any red flags. They might do it over the phone too, all depends how good you are at finessing the request. They won't give you any records or let you look at the screen though...most likely.

[ThereCanBeOnly1]

Originally Posted by IEDEI

did they do the 1200 mile "M" service?

Not sure, but its first oil change and service was a month after purchase per the carfax, so hopefully that's a yes.

Also, per Gimmeanm3 Break in service was done at Daniels BMW in Allentown, PA on 12/22/11 with 478 miles on it.

[Roundown]

Originally Posted by ThereCanBeOnly1

Not sure, but its first oil change and service was a month after purchase per the carfax, so hopefully that's a yes.

Also, per Gimmeanm3 Break in service was done at Daniels BMW in Allentown, PA on 12/22/11 with 478 miles on it.

478 miles? Weird.

[ThereCanBeOnly1]

I just called the seller and made appointment to see it tomorrow afternoon. I asked him if he could explain the carfax and how it shows one owner, and how it went from 9,500 to 11,300 miles from one dealer to another. He wasn't sure where they got it from (he's just one of a few salesmen so he wouldn't necessarily know that off the top of his head but SHOULD be able to find out for me) but thought maybe it came from Champion Motors in Pompano. Then, interestingly enough, when I was looking at the carfax again, I see that on the left it says

"This report provided free of charge by:
Champion Motors
500 W Copans Rd
Pompano Beach, FL 33064"

So his memory was probably right- Champion had it and then sold it off to these guys (a smaller outfit of used premium cars). Somehow there is another owner who got it from Chicago to here and then traded it to Champion it seems. I asked him if he could get more information about how this car ended up here so we could talk about that tomorrow. I wonder if I called Champion if they would know anything, or who to even ask?

[GimmeanM]

Originally Posted by ThereCanBeOnly1

One last question- if I want to get hard copies of the BMW service history, can I go to a dealer and just give them a vin, or is there a place online I can do that? Everyone says that when you do that, you'll see who actually owned the car at each service. This car seems to have spent its life in PA thus far, with the exception of its brief stint down here (which still doesn't make sense as it is shown as one owner on carfax and it left Chicago and ended up here with 1500 miles more on it. Someone had to own it in the middle there).

Originally Posted by Shroom

You can usually go to a local dealer and walk in to their service department. If you get a change to talk to an advisor who has some time , tell them that you are going to buy a 1M off someone but are worried it hasn't been taken care of...can they run the vin and see if it looks ok. usually they will do that and just read it off and let you know if there are any red flags. They might do it over the phone too, all depends how good you are at finessing the request. They won't give you any records or let you look at the screen though...most likely.

...This is exactly what I quoted to you earlier in the thread. That's all the detail. It won't tell you who the owner was at a specific service, just who the owner is in general of the car. If it did not have this name as the owner I could give you the pdf of it. But as I said it has a registered owner on it (whoever owned it most recently) from Florida....which means I can't give you the pdf. BMW doesn't want me to do that.

What it does tell you, which is what I shared earlier, is where the service was performed, what the date was, what the mileage of the car was, and a brief description of what was done.

Any BMW dealer is going to give you this same exact information...we all have access to the same thing. The actual dealer where the service was preformed would possibly have more detailed internal notes on each service, but I doubt they would give them to you.

If it would make you feel better, PM me and I can print it out...black out the owner's name and then scan and email it to you.
And, as I said before. CarFax is just a tool. That report may be missing some things that AutoCheck shows and vise-a-versa. Same with BMW service history. Things slip though the cracks. It's really easy to get repairs done off record if they are not done at a dealership or do not have insurance involved or if there is no accident report filed with police.

A thorough, trusted PPI is going to be your most reassuring check along with all the other pieces you know being supplementary to what that PPI shows.

[ThereCanBeOnly1]

Thanks man- I trust you, no need to send the records. I just didn't realize that what you gave me was everything available to know.

Clearly there is a gap in the carfax, and I'd need to find out how the car ended up in Miami after being CPO'd in Chicago. Sucks that car ownership isn't a matter of public record like land.

WOW- I needed to read this Carfax more closely- there is a YEAR that I missed. So the car was offered for sale as a BMW CPO car in 4/4/14. Then it says "dealer inventory - vehicle offered for sale" on 7/1/14. But then, what I hadn't noticed is, it didn't sell until 4/2/15. It was for sale in Chicago for a YEAR. WTF? That makes no sense. None. Then it is for sale again 15 days later with 1800 miles more on it? So weird.

If I even consider this, a thorough PPI is happening without question, but I am pretty scared.

[GimmeanM]

No problem! Let me know if you change you mind...or if you end up looking at a different car in the future.

-Dave

[kubotarog]

I would not necessarily be scared off by a car for sale at the dealer for a long time, particularly at high prices. Dealer owned cars are only selling when in the best shape and priced right. Buyers out there are picky and knowledgable, like you are. Have a good check out in person, a thorough test drive and then do more homework. I can't imagine the car is going to fly quickly off the dealer lot despite sales folks trying to get you think there is tons on interest. Good luck tomorrow.

[ThereCanBeOnly1]

Originally Posted by kubotarog

I would not necessarily be scared off by a car for sale at the dealer for a long time, particularly at high prices. Dealer owned cars are only selling when in the best shape and priced right. Buyers out there are picky and knowledgable, like you are. Have a good check out in person, a thorough test drive and then do more homework. I can't imagine the car is going to fly quickly off the dealer lot despite sales folks trying to get you think there is tons on interest. Good luck tomorrow.

I don't play the "better buy now" game. If it sells, it sells. I will still live. I already lost one to another forum member by taking too long.

I wonder if I was to stop in at Champion (the dealer where the present dealer got the car from) if they could tell me more about how they got it? They'd have no incentive to help me, except if they defied everything I know about dealers and were kindhearted souls.

[ThereCanBeOnly1]

Didn't even drive it.

[GimmeanM]

Looks good!!
...bummer! Sorry! One will come along for sure. Let me know if you find others that you want to know about BMW service records.

[Shroom]

Oh boy! Did he take a spray can to that, lol? Too many uh-oh feelings going into that one..but you never know when you will find a decent one. Keep trying..we're rooting for you! Thanks for posting pics…interesting to see that.

[ThereCanBeOnly1]

I doubt it was the Chicago dealer that did the repair- if you're going to do shady repairs, you'd at least do it well enough to not be easily identified by a dolt like me from 5 feet away.