Buying Remotely - Need Help

[RKBAMAN]

Howdy, guys. It's been a long time since I've been here, having sold my e46 about 10 years ago, but I'm looking at getting back into a BMW and need some advice.

I've found a model that's not under warranty, but looks great. The problem is that the car is at a non-BMW dealer three states away.

There is a Carfax record of "minor cosmetic damage, no airbag deployment" that was clearly repaired, and repaired well. But I'd feel much more comfortable about the deal if I could have the car inspected by a BMW dealership, and I'm willing to spend the money to do so. However, I just don't see the seller letting the car out of their sight for two or three hours to get that done.

I'm not worried about nickel and dime stuff like consumables or wear items (wiper blades, brake pads, fluids, etc), but I do need to be assured that the frame, chassis, and body are all good (no dented and puttied fenders) the engine, trans, drive train and electronic modules are all good, and so on. You know... the big money stuff.

The only thing I can see doing is to buy the car and then have it inspected. But how do I protect myself if the car turns out to not be all they claim if the inspection reveals an unacceptable problem... because we know that car salesmen never lie about condition, right?

Looking for some "crowd wisdom" here.

Thanks in advance!

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[MarcoZandrini]

Are you sure the seller won’t hav the car undergo a pre-purchase inspection? Ask the seller.

[RKBAMAN]

Turns out the seller committed to rolling the car into a local BMW dealership for a CPO-level inspection that will cost me about $340 bucks. I would imagine that the dealership will generate some sort of document stating the results of the findings, yes?

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[jclausen]

Yes

[RKBAMAN]

Ok, so now it's a toss-up between three cars.

All are 2013's:

• One is 29k miles, has a CarFax for cosmetic damage on the rear bumper (no airbag deployment) but is extremely clean, and loaded (this is the one that's being inspected)
• One is a four owner car, clean CarFax, 22k miles, and is the same price as the above car but not with as much equipment.
• One is a two-owner car with only 11k miles, but a clean Carfax, though it's is more expensive by $4 grand*

* This car has the 'blackout' treatment on the tail lights and dark tinted windows and black rims. It just screams "drug dealer", and I worry it might possibly reek of pot and/or head shop lamp oil - but it's located in the southern region of the US so that might explain the accessories. That said, it does give me a moment of pause. Your input on this would be appreciated.

Your thoughts?

[BimmerBreaker]

Carfax is worthless. I bought a car that was rolled over, clean Carfax. Rebuilt (properly) a car with a mangled frame once. Clean title, clean Carfax. Had a friend with a 200K+ E39 M5, sold it to a guy who put a 130K cluster in it, it had a Carfax red flag show up. A dealer bought the car from the guy, called Carfax, Carfax deleted all history of mileage over 130K+ and now reports it as 130K true mileage.

Carfax is not worth the paper it is printed on. It is a scam designed to fool uneducated buyers into a sense of security so they fork their money over to unscrupulous dealers.

For the record, the note indicating a minor cosmetic repair just means they repainted the bumper. Didnt indicate accident anywhere from what you said. They make a note of bumper repaints so if they arent VIN matching in the future there is a documented reason.

[RKBAMAN]

Carfax is worthless. I bought a car that was rolled over, clean Carfax. Rebuilt (properly) a car with a mangled frame once. Clean title, clean Carfax. Had a friend with a 200K+ E39 M5, sold it to a guy who put a 130K cluster in it, it had a Carfax red flag show up. A dealer bought the car from the guy, called Carfax, Carfax deleted all history of mileage over 130K+ and now reports it as 130K true mileage.

Carfax is not worth the paper it is printed on. It is a scam designed to fool uneducated buyers into a sense of security so they fork their money over to unscrupulous dealers.

For the record, the note indicating a minor cosmetic repair just means they repainted the bumper. Didnt indicate accident anywhere from what you said. They make a note of bumper repaints so if they arent VIN matching in the future there is a documented reason.

Interesting. Well, that's good to know about CarFax. Yes, I'm aware that there's a whole process of 'title washing' that goes on. The report actually says:
Accident reported
Involving rear impact
Minor damage reported
Airbags did not deploy

Would you say that the documented inspection by a BMW dealership is enough peace-of-mind on any given car? My understanding is that BMW holds their dealerships to a very high standard and that falsification of anything can result in some pretty hefty fines, starting at $100 grand for a violation.

BTW, is there a way we can pull the service history of a car without having to involve a BMW dealership?

[RKBAMAN]

So, the inspection just came back, and pretty much everything seems OK, but the dealership noted that in addition to the bumper being repainted (which I expected) the rocker panels also were repainted.

Would I be correct in assuming that the only reason to repaint the rocker panels is if they were repaired or replaced, and the only reason to do that is if the car took one hell of a shot?

Thanks again in advance!

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[Cyrix2k]

So, the inspection just came back, and pretty much everything seems OK, but the dealership noted that in addition to the bumper being repainted (which I expected) the rocker panels also were repainted.

Would I be correct in assuming that the only reason to repaint the rocker panels is if they were repaired or replaced, and the only reason to do that is if the car took one hell of a shot?

Thanks again in advance!

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I'd say that's consistent with the accident damage. The rear quarters bend easily and/or will display paint damage from the bumper cover rubbing during the collision. For an example of severity, my E46 was rear-ended and never repaired. There is a dent in the rear quarter and paint damage between the rear quarter and bumper that later turned into rust, however the bumper cover itself looks fine (very minor accident). My friend's E46 had a similar history, only the rear bumper was repainted and the rear quarter was not dented. It too had hidden paint damage that led to rust in later years. Both these cars have clean Carfax reports and I agree with BimmerBreaker's assessment of Carfax. In terms of your decision, I would be happy with that car presuming the damage was properly repaired and it's not your "forever" car. Previous damage always seems to affect the vehicle down the road because it is very hard to replicate the anti-corrosion protections the factory uses, but it takes years and years for this to become a factor.

[RKBAMAN]

Carfax is not worth the paper it is printed on. It is a scam designed to fool uneducated buyers into a sense of security so they fork their money over to unscrupulous dealers.

For the record, the note indicating a minor cosmetic repair just means they repainted the bumper. Didnt indicate accident anywhere from what you said. They make a note of bumper repaints so if they arent VIN matching in the future there is a documented reason.

I'm told by a friend who's a Client Advisor at a large BMW center in Northern NJ that CarFax has become very good in recent years. Though mistakes sometimes happen, his, and other dealerships both BMW and otherwise, have come to rely on it greatly. Clearly you had a bad experience, but it seems they've very much cleaned up their act.

I'd say that's consistent with the accident damage. The rear quarters bend easily and/or will display paint damage from the bumper cover rubbing during the collision.

Not on an M6. The BMW dealership which did a CPO-level inspection on the car (which passed with flying colors) suggested that what probably happened is that the 'damage' to the bumper was cosmetic, and minimal. He said it seems they replaced the bumper skin, and at the same time, the owner probably decided to have the rocker panels re-sprayed to cover the inevitable chips that come from road debris.

So, in the end, all's well that ends well.

I flew to Chicago and picked up the car yesterday afternoon, returning home after a 12+ hour drive somewhere just short of 5AM.

Thanks for all your input. Now, on to the technical questions...