Buying 996 from dealer, PPI????
#16
Race Director
Macster, I always appreciate your advice, but from prior posts, you seem to have a great relationship with your dealer's service department staff.
My local dealer, well, I wouldn't trust them to rotate the air in my tires!
I always think an independent PPI is called for. Service records show what has been done, the PPI shows what has been done and what NEEDS to be done. A simple test drive never tells the whole story.
Sounds like the OP is sold on the car. I am sure all will be fine. Enjoy your Porsche!
My local dealer, well, I wouldn't trust them to rotate the air in my tires!
I always think an independent PPI is called for. Service records show what has been done, the PPI shows what has been done and what NEEDS to be done. A simple test drive never tells the whole story.
Sounds like the OP is sold on the car. I am sure all will be fine. Enjoy your Porsche!
I bought a used Turbo (with a CPO) with no PPI from another dealer. Not for any reason other than this dealer had a car I wanted.
Unlike the OP though I felt quite comfortable with my ability to evaluate the car and didn't feel a PPI was warranted. I have to add my check out of the car was done over several days (after hours) with my laying on the ground next to the car with a flashlight and a mirror on a stick looking at various areas for signs of trouble or other issues.
There have been enough reports of a PPI missing something so a PPI does not remove all the risk from a car purchase.
If the OP believes a PPI is a must and if he can't get the seller to agree to the car passing a PPI as pre-condition to his purchasing the car then the OP has to either give up on the PPI or give up on the car.
#18
Captain Obvious
Super User
Super User
The relationship I have with the dealer I have my cars serviced at doesn't really apply here.
I bought a used Turbo (with a CPO) with no PPI from another dealer. Not for any reason other than this dealer had a car I wanted.
Unlike the OP though I felt quite comfortable with my ability to evaluate the car and didn't feel a PPI was warranted. I have to add my check out of the car was done over several days (after hours) with my laying on the ground next to the car with a flashlight and a mirror on a stick looking at various areas for signs of trouble or other issues.
There have been enough reports of a PPI missing something so a PPI does not remove all the risk from a car purchase.
If the OP believes a PPI is a must and if he can't get the seller to agree to the car passing a PPI as pre-condition to his purchasing the car then the OP has to either give up on the PPI or give up on the car.
I bought a used Turbo (with a CPO) with no PPI from another dealer. Not for any reason other than this dealer had a car I wanted.
Unlike the OP though I felt quite comfortable with my ability to evaluate the car and didn't feel a PPI was warranted. I have to add my check out of the car was done over several days (after hours) with my laying on the ground next to the car with a flashlight and a mirror on a stick looking at various areas for signs of trouble or other issues.
There have been enough reports of a PPI missing something so a PPI does not remove all the risk from a car purchase.
If the OP believes a PPI is a must and if he can't get the seller to agree to the car passing a PPI as pre-condition to his purchasing the car then the OP has to either give up on the PPI or give up on the car.
#19
Instructor
Thread Starter
Okay let me the OP chime in here. First some background, I have a background in cars, body, paint & mechanical. I have done restorations, been maintaining my own cars since I was 16 and for the last 15 years been a re-inspector for a large insurance company. I have no worries about my ability to evaluate the body and paint. And if this was an american or asian car I would not even worry about the mechanics.
This particular car I started from a cold start, listened to it warm up, drove it for a few miles and then listened to it idle for the next 5 minutes. I see or hear nothing unusual. My concern I guess is just not being familiar with them enough and maybe overlooking something. I read on hear a lot about PPI's, not sure if many people on here are not mechanically inclined or know what to look for and that is why or if these cars more than others require it.
Bottom line is I guess I don't understand what the dealers issue is with the PPI. The salesman told me they would have no problem with someone coming in and looking at the car in their service department. That just doesn't make sense to me and know that most shops wouldn't want to assume the liability of someone else inside their shop. So not sure what to make of all of it. At the end of the day the car has a super clean carfax, is a one owner car with 24k miles. There is no bodywork or paint so I really have no reason to be suspicious other then them not allowing the offsite PPI.
This particular car I started from a cold start, listened to it warm up, drove it for a few miles and then listened to it idle for the next 5 minutes. I see or hear nothing unusual. My concern I guess is just not being familiar with them enough and maybe overlooking something. I read on hear a lot about PPI's, not sure if many people on here are not mechanically inclined or know what to look for and that is why or if these cars more than others require it.
Bottom line is I guess I don't understand what the dealers issue is with the PPI. The salesman told me they would have no problem with someone coming in and looking at the car in their service department. That just doesn't make sense to me and know that most shops wouldn't want to assume the liability of someone else inside their shop. So not sure what to make of all of it. At the end of the day the car has a super clean carfax, is a one owner car with 24k miles. There is no bodywork or paint so I really have no reason to be suspicious other then them not allowing the offsite PPI.
#21
Race Director
Did you ask the dealer the reasons for its objection to you having the PPI done off site?
Actually the fact the dealer is willing to allow someone to come into its shop to inspect the car considering the liability -- though this someone is probably an experienced auto mechanic and one assumes knows his way around a shop -- strongly suggests to me it is the car leaving their shop/facility that bothers the dealer, not the PPI proper.
I think you are making a bigger issue out of the dealer refusing to allow the car to go off site for a PPI than it is.
However, you are buying the car and if you want a PPI and are not allowed to have one in the traditional sense -- being able to have the car taken to another facility -- then I see two choices. Either make do with what you know about the car or move on to another car from another dealer that will allow you to have a PPI done.
Actually the fact the dealer is willing to allow someone to come into its shop to inspect the car considering the liability -- though this someone is probably an experienced auto mechanic and one assumes knows his way around a shop -- strongly suggests to me it is the car leaving their shop/facility that bothers the dealer, not the PPI proper.
I think you are making a bigger issue out of the dealer refusing to allow the car to go off site for a PPI than it is.
However, you are buying the car and if you want a PPI and are not allowed to have one in the traditional sense -- being able to have the car taken to another facility -- then I see two choices. Either make do with what you know about the car or move on to another car from another dealer that will allow you to have a PPI done.
#24
Instructor