How to proceed when buying a used amg gt
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How to proceed when buying a used amg gt
Hi all,
I've agreed to purchase a 2019 AMG GT Base Coupe (2 door) later this week and already put down my deposit, but then I realized I've never bought a used car before. It's not a CPO so I'm not sure if I need to take the vehicle to a shop to get it inspected before the purchase, after the purchase, or if I should trust the dealer that the car is fine. How does a used car purchase process usually go?
Also, the description and VIN show it's an amg gt base coupe, however, the dealer photos show the vehicle to have a GT S badge on the back of the car. That makes me a bit suspicion that the photos either belong to a different vehicle and the dealer is knowingly trying to deceit me, or the dealer doesn't know/care enough to look at the minor details of his inventory. Both scenarios are bad, and would make me want to get the car checked prior to purchase even more.
Edit: I should add the vehicle was last inspected at a MB dealership 4 months/ 1,500 miles ago.
I've agreed to purchase a 2019 AMG GT Base Coupe (2 door) later this week and already put down my deposit, but then I realized I've never bought a used car before. It's not a CPO so I'm not sure if I need to take the vehicle to a shop to get it inspected before the purchase, after the purchase, or if I should trust the dealer that the car is fine. How does a used car purchase process usually go?
Also, the description and VIN show it's an amg gt base coupe, however, the dealer photos show the vehicle to have a GT S badge on the back of the car. That makes me a bit suspicion that the photos either belong to a different vehicle and the dealer is knowingly trying to deceit me, or the dealer doesn't know/care enough to look at the minor details of his inventory. Both scenarios are bad, and would make me want to get the car checked prior to purchase even more.
Edit: I should add the vehicle was last inspected at a MB dealership 4 months/ 1,500 miles ago.
Last edited by newengineerhere; Nov 23, 2021 at 12:09 PM.
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From: NorCal
AMG GT C
newengineerhere, an old engineer here. 
Did the dealer say it is an S? or say it is a base? If the dealer said it is a base and the vin says it is a base, no deceit going on. I think wizee is correct and a previous owner rebadged it. And the dealer will take care of everything for you. That is their business. I have bought 3 cars online, including our AMG GT C out of state from a dealer. For all of them I agreed to purchased and flew to get the vehicles knowing I would back out if they were not as advertised. They were all smooth transactions.
No inspections in California, so don't know about that.
Did the dealer say it is an S? or say it is a base? If the dealer said it is a base and the vin says it is a base, no deceit going on. I think wizee is correct and a previous owner rebadged it. And the dealer will take care of everything for you. That is their business. I have bought 3 cars online, including our AMG GT C out of state from a dealer. For all of them I agreed to purchased and flew to get the vehicles knowing I would back out if they were not as advertised. They were all smooth transactions.No inspections in California, so don't know about that.
Last edited by AMG GT C; Nov 23, 2021 at 01:00 PM.
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Bentley Continental GT; AMG GT
I agree with Wizee - prev owner could have changed badges. But the other options exist too. Dealer might be describing another car, or using pics from another car (often by accident, not intentionally). I've seen all of these above.
You don't list which state you live, but given the quick and ever-changing emissions requirements, you WANT to know what mods are on the car, if any. So many owners of these cars are adding tunes and modifying intake and exhausts, all of which will now get you a failed inspection in either CA or CO. Both these states just upped the ECU CVN checks as of July 2021. Other states will follow.
Especially inspect for a tune. Tunes can be installed in a number of ways, some of which become irreversible unless you know who/what company did it.
This is personal, but I would walk on any car with any of these mods - intake, exhaust, ECU tune.
You don't list which state you live, but given the quick and ever-changing emissions requirements, you WANT to know what mods are on the car, if any. So many owners of these cars are adding tunes and modifying intake and exhausts, all of which will now get you a failed inspection in either CA or CO. Both these states just upped the ECU CVN checks as of July 2021. Other states will follow.
Especially inspect for a tune. Tunes can be installed in a number of ways, some of which become irreversible unless you know who/what company did it.
This is personal, but I would walk on any car with any of these mods - intake, exhaust, ECU tune.
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Thanks for all the comments.
The dealer hadn't noticed the discrepancy until I brought it up. He quickly said it's an S, however, the original msrp ($125K after options) is closer to the price of a base model, and both the listing and the VIN have it as a base.
With that being said, if the previous owner went as far as to rebadge it as an S, he could've tuned it as well. Not sure how I can check without taking the vehicle to a MB dealership for a PPI which will be impossible since they're all booked up for weeks.
I did call the MB dealership that did the maintenance on the vehicle a few months ago and the service department said the car was fine and had a service B performed. I'm in NY btw.
The dealer hadn't noticed the discrepancy until I brought it up. He quickly said it's an S, however, the original msrp ($125K after options) is closer to the price of a base model, and both the listing and the VIN have it as a base.
With that being said, if the previous owner went as far as to rebadge it as an S, he could've tuned it as well. Not sure how I can check without taking the vehicle to a MB dealership for a PPI which will be impossible since they're all booked up for weeks.
I did call the MB dealership that did the maintenance on the vehicle a few months ago and the service department said the car was fine and had a service B performed. I'm in NY btw.
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E55, 380SL, GLA 250 Sport, AMG GTS
Thanks for all the comments.
The dealer hadn't noticed the discrepancy until I brought it up. He quickly said it's an S, however, the original msrp ($125K after options) is closer to the price of a base model, and both the listing and the VIN have it as a base.
With that being said, if the previous owner went as far as to rebadge it as an S, he could've tuned it as well. Not sure how I can check without taking the vehicle to a MB dealership for a PPI which will be impossible since they're all booked up for weeks.
I did call the MB dealership that did the maintenance on the vehicle a few months ago and the service department said the car was fine and had a service B performed. I'm in NY btw.
The dealer hadn't noticed the discrepancy until I brought it up. He quickly said it's an S, however, the original msrp ($125K after options) is closer to the price of a base model, and both the listing and the VIN have it as a base.
With that being said, if the previous owner went as far as to rebadge it as an S, he could've tuned it as well. Not sure how I can check without taking the vehicle to a MB dealership for a PPI which will be impossible since they're all booked up for weeks.
I did call the MB dealership that did the maintenance on the vehicle a few months ago and the service department said the car was fine and had a service B performed. I'm in NY btw.
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Bentley Continental GT; AMG GT
Nothing wrong at all with a GT, BTW.
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If you're in a state that won't register the car if it's been tuned I'd pass. Unless you want it as a discussion piece in your living room
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2020 AMG GT R
I'd definitely get a multi-point inspection from a MB dealer before purchase, even if it was there just 4 months ago. You can just ask the dealer for this as a prerequisite to purchase with you paying the cost of the MPI. Then talk with the service advisor and get the report directly from them. For a few hundred dollars, it's worth the peace of mind.
I bought a GT R from a reputable local McLaren dealer who claimed to have done a 150 point inspection. I looked over the car closely (not on a lift) and trusted them, unfortunately, but noticed odd things a couple days after purchase. I took it to a MB for an inspection and they found evidence of a prior tune (flashed back to stock) and full straight pipes. I'm also now very certain there were other modifications. The guy who traded in the car lied to the McLaren dealer about it being stock and the dealer didn't properly inspect it. Fortunately, in my state, it's illegal to sell a non-emissions compliant car, so they took it back and fully refunded my money. I then found another GT R and had it fully inspected before purchase. Aside from a minor snafu, it's been perfect.
I bought a GT R from a reputable local McLaren dealer who claimed to have done a 150 point inspection. I looked over the car closely (not on a lift) and trusted them, unfortunately, but noticed odd things a couple days after purchase. I took it to a MB for an inspection and they found evidence of a prior tune (flashed back to stock) and full straight pipes. I'm also now very certain there were other modifications. The guy who traded in the car lied to the McLaren dealer about it being stock and the dealer didn't properly inspect it. Fortunately, in my state, it's illegal to sell a non-emissions compliant car, so they took it back and fully refunded my money. I then found another GT R and had it fully inspected before purchase. Aside from a minor snafu, it's been perfect.
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Bentley Continental GT; AMG GT
I'd definitely get a multi-point inspection from a MB dealer before purchase, even if it was there just 4 months ago. You can just ask the dealer for this as a prerequisite to purchase with you paying the cost of the MPI. Then talk with the service advisor and get the report directly from them. For a few hundred dollars, it's worth the peace of mind.
I bought a GT R from a reputable local McLaren dealer who claimed to have done a 150 point inspection. I looked over the car closely (not on a lift) and trusted them, unfortunately, but noticed odd things a couple days after purchase. I took it to a MB for an inspection and they found evidence of a prior tune (flashed back to stock) and full straight pipes. I'm also now very certain there were other modifications. The guy who traded in the car lied to the McLaren dealer about it being stock and the dealer didn't properly inspect it. Fortunately, in my state, it's illegal to sell a non-emissions compliant car, so they took it back and fully refunded my money. I then found another GT R and had it fully inspected before purchase. Aside from a minor snafu, it's been perfect.
I bought a GT R from a reputable local McLaren dealer who claimed to have done a 150 point inspection. I looked over the car closely (not on a lift) and trusted them, unfortunately, but noticed odd things a couple days after purchase. I took it to a MB for an inspection and they found evidence of a prior tune (flashed back to stock) and full straight pipes. I'm also now very certain there were other modifications. The guy who traded in the car lied to the McLaren dealer about it being stock and the dealer didn't properly inspect it. Fortunately, in my state, it's illegal to sell a non-emissions compliant car, so they took it back and fully refunded my money. I then found another GT R and had it fully inspected before purchase. Aside from a minor snafu, it's been perfect.
More and more dealers are finding out the hard way, it's not the old way of taking in a trade anymore. But, until each one learns the hard way, the dealer simply might be naive, so as a buyer, you need to start out protecting yourself. The EPA has some pretty big teeth now, so even if you find yourself in a state that doesn't protect you, you'll still be in a position to force the dealer to take it back.
The tough scenarios are the private sales situations. You'll have to sue the seller unless he just caves and buys it back. You'll have to prove the vehicle was sold to you modified, but sure as heck he'll claim it was sold stock and you were the one who modded it. It's a different world today.
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Fast and Really Fast Sports Cars
Can you share the name of the dealer? Maybe privately? There are a few bad eggs out there.
Chiming in my own experience that even buying from a MB dealer, things can get weird. I got mine used from a MB dealer in FL who claimed to have CPO-ed it, 150 points, factory setup etc. Yet, when the car arrived in CA, it didn't pass smog. After months of involving MBUSA, local dealer found a tune on the car that shuts off O2 sensors. Luckily no downpipes.
Chiming in my own experience that even buying from a MB dealer, things can get weird. I got mine used from a MB dealer in FL who claimed to have CPO-ed it, 150 points, factory setup etc. Yet, when the car arrived in CA, it didn't pass smog. After months of involving MBUSA, local dealer found a tune on the car that shuts off O2 sensors. Luckily no downpipes.
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This and that.
I am sure it's already been mentioned but the fact that it isn't a CPO shouldn't really matter considering it's a 2019 vehicle, which means it still has warranty until 2023. That should give you significant piece of mind re: if any issues considering car is still under full warranty.
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Bentley Continental GT; AMG GT
I am sure it's already been mentioned but the fact that it isn't a CPO shouldn't really matter considering it's a 2019 vehicle, which means it still has warranty until 2023. That should give you significant piece of mind re: if any issues considering car is still under full warranty.
Even if you don't have any mechanical performance related failures, if you unknowingly buy a car with a tune and/or catless downtubes, then you own those someday when you sell, even if you purchased it and didn't know it. The innocent buyer now becomes the EPA emissions component tampering violator, but they don't know it yet and it will likely catch them by surprise someday when they sell.
The buyer might very well want to purchase a car with these mods, but they should go into it eyes wide opened.
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So I ended up driving 200 miles to see and test drive the car a few days ago... WOW, It's a beast. Thankfully the S was just a sticker. Dealer took it off before I got there. Car had no mods and was indeed under warranty until 2023. It took all of 5 minutes for me to decide that's the car I'm leaving the dealership with, so I'm now a proud owner of a 2019 AMG GT. Wish it had the 2020 interior and the apple car play option but I knew what I was buying so it's alright.
Thanks to the awesome community here for the advice.
As a side note, the dealer didn't even look at my Porsche trade-in. I could've had it modded and they would've never known. Definitely check the car you're interested in when buying it used.
Thanks to the awesome community here for the advice.
As a side note, the dealer didn't even look at my Porsche trade-in. I could've had it modded and they would've never known. Definitely check the car you're interested in when buying it used.
Last edited by newengineerhere; Nov 27, 2021 at 12:55 PM.
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Be happy you have the 2019 interior. The virtual gauges and lack of buttons is a PITA. I know. I came from a 2018 coupe, whose interior controls I like much better than the 2020. (I'm a geezer and don't use Carplay.)
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Bentley Continental GT; AMG GT
So I ended up driving 200 miles to see and test drive the car a few days ago... WOW, It's a beast. Thankfully the S was just a sticker. Dealer took it off before I got there. Car had no mods and was indeed under warranty until 2023. It took all of 5 minutes for me to decide that's the car I'm leaving the dealership with, so I'm now a proud owner of a 2019 AMG GT. Wish it had the 2020 interior and the apple car play option but I knew what I was buying so it's alright.
Thanks to the awesome community here for the advice.
As a side note, the dealer didn't even look at my Porsche trade-in. I could've had it modded and they would've never known. Definitely check the car you're interested in when buying it used.
Thanks to the awesome community here for the advice.
As a side note, the dealer didn't even look at my Porsche trade-in. I could've had it modded and they would've never known. Definitely check the car you're interested in when buying it used.
I know the feeling you describe. I was shopping Aston Martins and R8s, but when I saw this GT almost by accident I never looked back. Still probably will own the R8 someday, but not right now....
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Haven't used the screen but I guess the grass is greener.
Car is black/black and has the performance exhaust, steering wheel with dinamica, 19/20 wheels, lane tracking package and a bunch of other minor options. Optioned nicely in my opinion, minus the missing carplay. I already spoke to Naviks and will be getting their carplay solution installed this week though.
Car is black/black and has the performance exhaust, steering wheel with dinamica, 19/20 wheels, lane tracking package and a bunch of other minor options. Optioned nicely in my opinion, minus the missing carplay. I already spoke to Naviks and will be getting their carplay solution installed this week though.
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From: France - 95, near Paris
AMG GTS EDITON1
Hello.
From my experience in Europe, a lot of owner have done a remapping and don’t tell us this significant detail.
Perhaps your dealer (private ?) has made that on his GT and changed the badge just to show the car drive more quick than original ?!
You can’t really see that before MB or other garage check that in a special device ..
From my experience in Europe, a lot of owner have done a remapping and don’t tell us this significant detail.
Perhaps your dealer (private ?) has made that on his GT and changed the badge just to show the car drive more quick than original ?!
You can’t really see that before MB or other garage check that in a special device ..
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/////PRO
Regarding the tune part, if you do NOT want a tuned car, it really doesn’t matter if this one is or not, just have MB dealer perform updates as part of the sale and the updates themselves will flash the ECU back to the most recent programming MB using for vehicle.
They can do that while you wait.
They can do that while you wait.
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2017 G550, 2018 AMG GT Roadster
I bought my 18 GT Roadster CPO from a dealer. I probably paid close to 10k more than I could have for a comparable one that wasn't Certified but for me the extra 3 years with unlimited mileage was more than worth it. You never know what a previous owner could have done or not done to the car. Even if I never use the warranty, the peace of mind was well worth it. The day it goes out of warranty it will be gone.
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AMG GT C
I agree with Wizee - prev owner could have changed badges. But the other options exist too. Dealer might be describing another car, or using pics from another car (often by accident, not intentionally). I've seen all of these above.
You don't list which state you live, but given the quick and ever-changing emissions requirements, you WANT to know what mods are on the car, if any. So many owners of these cars are adding tunes and modifying intake and exhausts, all of which will now get you a failed inspection in either CA or CO. Both these states just upped the ECU CVN checks as of July 2021. Other states will follow.
Especially inspect for a tune. Tunes can be installed in a number of ways, some of which become irreversible unless you know who/what company did it.
This is personal, but I would walk on any car with any of these mods - intake, exhaust, ECU tune.
You don't list which state you live, but given the quick and ever-changing emissions requirements, you WANT to know what mods are on the car, if any. So many owners of these cars are adding tunes and modifying intake and exhausts, all of which will now get you a failed inspection in either CA or CO. Both these states just upped the ECU CVN checks as of July 2021. Other states will follow.
Especially inspect for a tune. Tunes can be installed in a number of ways, some of which become irreversible unless you know who/what company did it.
This is personal, but I would walk on any car with any of these mods - intake, exhaust, ECU tune.
