Pre-Purchase Inspections: Are They Really Worth It?
Buying a pre-owned car is a total roll of the dice. A pre-purchase inspection can put the odds in your favor.
Just like people, a potential car mate can look ideal on paper and check all the right boxes, until you meet it. A clean accident record doesn’t replace the necessity of maintenance records and a pre-purchase inspection or PPI.
If you have ever met a beautiful yet crazy person on Tinder, then you know what we mean. Consider your PPI the getting-to-know-one-another phase in the relationship. There will be things that come up in which you can decide if you want to commit to these issues, or move along. You wouldn’t put a wedding ring on a girl you just met, right? So, why would you buy a car without a test drive or inspection first?
Don’t allow the wool to be pulled over your eyes by not getting a potential car up on a lift for a full inspection. The undercarriage of a car reveals a lot about how it has been treated or neglected. This video from the LegitStreetCars YouTube channel shows us a prime example of how much a neglected car could cost you. This 2008 Mercedes-Benz S550 has a whole grocery list full of needed repairs that CarMax didn’t catch in the appraisal.
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This 11 year old car has a value of $7,000 from CarMax. The obvious repairs estimate comes in at $7,000, which includes brakes, wheels, tires, windshield, suspension, and a panoramic sunroof replacement. These issues are ones CarMax didn’t catch. These issues will go on to a smaller car dealership, and then on to a naive buyer. Of course that buyer could be you, unless you decide to do the smart thing and get a pre-purchase inspection. At MBWorld we are big supporters of full inspections for potential car deals.
Let us know in the comments your experiences with pre-purchase inspections and used cars.
