Note that in most cases CPo does NOT mean no paint work and may not even mean no accidents. They will sometimes tell you the CPO process 'permits a certain number of repaqinted panels'. Also, since most people who trade alot know that a bad carfax will reduce the value, many rush to unload the vehicle before the accident hits the carfax. I hate paintwork and especially the thought I have been taken advantage of, but just get what you can and enjoy the car. Plenty of very nice cars have bad carfaxes for little or no reason other than a bump and the police being called. Life's too short to worry about it one more day!

 

huh????????

 

You'll like this one. BMW dealer appraised my car with a ridiculous price. Said the hood had been resprayed. Turns out the knucklehead paint metered it over the clear bra. Without the resprayed, price went up $2500. Not incidental and that would just be for a resprayed, not an accident. Know the paint meter and know how to use it to your own advantage.

 

The point I was attempting to make is don;t assume that CPO means no paint work because I have been told by Porsche and Mercedes dealers that they are permitted to make a car CPO even if it has paint work on up to XX number of body panels. I don;t agree with that, but I guess they let some paint work slide in the evaluation of a car. Of course, when you go to trade it, they will HAMMER you on the trade allowance, claiming it has had paint work. As far as the carfax comment, I HAVE a paint meter and used it at the auction to check a great looking 2 yr old BMW. Absolutely no paint work issues at all. Then I buy it and pick up the Carfax report and guess what, an 'accident'. The only thing that had been done to the body was the rear bumper cover repsrayed. It was a great car, but I got clobbered trying to sell it because of the Carfax. Even my wife was once bumped in her vehicle. She called me and I told her to call the police. A $30 dollar plastic panel on the rear bumper was all that was damaged, but because of the poilice report, Carfax got the data and it appeared as an 'accident'.

 

See post #32 for the CPO requirements.

 

A lot of minor wrecks are blown out of proportion, and people freak out. My Cayenne S was rear-ended. Hell, a new rear bumper and new rear liftgate and the thing looked better than new. Of course, I got hammered on trade-in due to the accident (which wasn't my fault, and the car was stationary parked on the street), but they don't care.

 

Sounds like the only way to avoid these pitfalls is to lease new and turn it in, or plan on driving it till it dies.