Hi guys,

Quick question although I'm going to guess the answer. I did a PPI at an Aston Martin dealer on a 2007 v8 vantage. I asked them after it's been done (few days ago) what the date was on the battery as it wasn't on the report. They said they did not check the battery as it requires removal of parts to get at it????!??!? Huh???? They did however say they checked the "system" and it was fine. I've done a PPI at a Aston dealer before (different vantage, different dealership) and they did check the battery date and reported it. Now I'm questioning the entire PPI. They said there wasn't any oil leaks etc. Essentially a clean bill of health except for small things. They didn't even report rotor or pad depth. I paid $600 for this PPI. I know it's just a battery inspection, but yikes! I don't appreciate the reply saying they it requires removal of parts.... Okay yeah maybe it does, but is that not what I'm paying for?

Can anyone give advice here? I'm ready to call the manager and request that they pay for a PPI at another location. I don't want to jump the gun here, but holy crap now I'm wondering if they did anything at all. I've already bought the vehicle based on the PPI (haven't posted here about it yet was waiting for the weekend ) It's kind of minor thing, but wanted to ask you guys how I should feel and what I should do next..

 

Which dealer? Battery is not difficult to access on a vantage.

 

Hi Felix,

I wanted to wait before I mention the dealerships name. I was thinking of contacting Aston Martin HQ directly to find out if this is indeed not covered by a PPI the network provides. Having a hard time locating a phone number that I can call to ask that question however. Wanted to ask you guys first though since this board has a lot of experienced Aston Martin owners. I know I can check the battery date myself (will look it up) I'm just upset that I have to and also questioning the rest of the PPI report. I'm sure it's fine though just a little upset since I've never heard of this until now. I've done PPI's on many vehicle brands before.

 

I had a PPI done a while back and they did a battery test, but didt not give a date. I dont think the date is stamped on the original battery, if thats what it is.

 

i've had many PPIs done over the years and no one has ever recorded the date on the battery - low priority consumable that is not expensive to replace. i will say, without question, that dealers do the worst PPIs of anyone. i always pick an indy that charges a price worthy of actually looking everything over. i have never used an aston dealer for a PPI - my comment is a general comment about dealers i have used. i've had them miss plenty of things before i decided to never use one again.

 

If its on the list to check & report, it should be reported to the person paying for the FULL report. Any chance you can get a reasonable flight? Go in person and take all the guesswork out. Heck....road trip- Drive it home if it meets you approval !

 

I just purchased a vantage through a AM dealer and was not impressed. They spoke of the stringent guidelines they have to follow because they are a Aston Martin dealership. When it was all said and done all I reviewed was a provincial government used car inspection that is required. Straight out of the dealership I'm having issues with the cars DSC the exterior temp sensor and the crystal key is all smashed up and I do t even use it because I'm worried it will fall apart. I don't have the battery date either. There were fasteners for the front skid plate and bumper missing. There was also a detailers rag jammed down by the exhaust header. And they damaged the front grill when trying to clean the car up pre pickup which they replaced but them tried to charge me for the install.

 

that certainly doesn't sound like a reputable dealer. location?

 

I just looked up my dealership PPI. The battery connections were checked and an open circuit battery voltage test. Nothing on the age or date of the battery.


Regards

 

But it's a Aston Martin dealership and Bentley. You would think they strive for a pretty standard.

 

Recently within the past 3 months I visited a AM dealer to check out which options I wanted for when I start my search. I started asking about extended warranty and PPI services.

AM Dealer PPI------ You can ask any dealer for this, cost is about $600US. I figured it would be a complete PPI, to include door dings, minor scratches in paint/leather/dash/carpet/door jambs, along with rotor depth/pad depth/clutch measurement etc........... Boy was I off base.

Their dealer PPI's only goes over what is needed to pass the inspection for their extended warranty. There is a sheet that lists all the items and there is like maybe 160-170 of them. The real specifics they don't do. Like paint condition, and other items I mentioned above.

When I give one, I cannot go through engine functions, clutch wear and specific tests, BUT.......... I will go panel by panel documenting every flaw, including underneath(typical marring under front valence). I will make sure everything functions inside and out, the condition of each and every button, covering, even document if a stitch is misaligned or not perfect. Look for leaks or drips on the belly pans and around the engine. That way the buyer knows exactly what they will get when the car is shipped. A spot on the headliner they would know about. I usually will call the buyer while driving the vehicle and walk them through how the car is driving as I am doing it.

I have done this for a member here on a 08 AMV8. I think there were 100 pictures in the end. Almost perfect car but had, Timing cover leaking, scratches on door sills, misaligned stitching on dash binnacle, bad curb scraping under front from likely parking block, and a 2 inch scratch on a rim.

The Dealers come no where close to this type of PPI, however they do have some tools or machines that can help the process.

 

No matter the brand, they are still car dealers. They are all the same at the core. Most will say what you want to hear, do as little as possible and charge through the nose for it. Their PPI is what they are supposed to check prior to issuing an extended warranty. But really it all comes down the the person doing the work and how committed to overall quality the service manager is. Mine was done by the store in Orange County CA and they were pretty thorough, but after owning it for a couple weeks I saw things they should have seen themselves but missed.

 

Agreed, and I haven't even put mine up on the lift yet.


Also the PPI form the dealership used, there isn't a place to note the age of the battery. I did ask about mine. The reply was it checked out fine, probably the original one.


Regards,

 

I don' have a copy of the Aston Martin PPI or CPO inspection for comparison but I imagine it is similar to the Jaguar and/or Bentley protocol (attached). I also attached the Porsche and BMW CPO inspection checklist which I think is the most comprehensive and not simply a visual verification as it requires data be recorded.

Anyone have a copy of the Aston Martin Multi Point Technical Inspection checklist for comparison?

 

I had ppi done on mine and they missed a bad clutch. After owning this car and learning more I almost find these ppi inspections to be kind of a joke/scam