fronesis47

Preface: I'm still not sure I want to spend the money for a 09+ 997 or a new 981, and I am just the sort of person who won't be able to sleep at night if I have an M96/M97 car without the upgraded IMS or a warranty.

So I'm looking at CPO cars only, mainly 997.1 cars. Stumbled across a 2006 C2 coupe at what seems like a very low CPO price. But I click on the vehicle history report on the Porsche dealer's website and it takes me to the Autocheck report that clearly shows the car has been in an accident.

I thought I had read previously that a car can't be CPO'd if it's been in an accident or had previous paintwork. Anyone have any idea?

thanks in advance!

Chris W. - '96 Targa

Perhaps the accident was after the CPO was issued (since the CPO is transferable)?

fronesis47

Ah, OK, I think that makes sense.

But it leads me to another confusion. This car is a 2006 that was first registered in June 2006. The Porsche website has it listed with the CPO checkmark, so I was assuming it had 2 more years of warranty, but if it was CPO'd earlier than that, then it probably doesn't have any warranty at all. In other words, it's not really a CPO car.

Mojo31

The CPO warranty only transfers from consumer to consumer. Once a car gets back to a dealer, the existing CPO expires. It would then have to be re-certified.

To be certified, it can't have more than two panels repainted, and no structural damage.

USMC_DS1

P-dealers can CPO a car if it only had 1-2 panels damaged. Get as much history as possible from the dealer re the repairs - receipts, work order, etc. Basically all the paper work you'll need to provide to another prospective buyer should you sell the car down the road. Of course, get a thorough PPI if you decide to move forward with this one. GL and let us know the outcome.

Chris W. - '96 Targa

Dunno... I've always wondered how any car more than six years old could be CPO; I thought (perhaps wrongly?) a CPO had to be issued before the factory warranty expired.

I'd recommend you verify with the dealer when the CPO started...

-Chris

Spyerx

1-2 panels can be repaired, no major/structure damage. Similar to BMW CPO.

Here's from Porsche website on dates, CPO can be issued after expiration of new vehicle warranty and adds 2 years from used retail delivery:

Your dream Porsche will give you plenty of driving pleasure. With the Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty, you will experience yet another good feeling.The feeling of security. And the reassuring certainty to have made the right decision. In case of a problem, the comprehensive warranty covers 100% of the costs for material and labor.

CPO Warranty coverage:

Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty covers up to 6 years, or a cumulative 100,000 miles, from the original in-service date (whichever occurs first), if the vehicle is still under the new car limited warranty at the time of purchase.
For vehicles no longer under the new vehicle limited warranty at the time of used retail delivery, Porsche Approved Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty coverage extends until the earlier of:
• 2 years from the date of used retail delivery
OR
• 50,000 miles from the mileage at used retail delivery, but not to exceed a cumulative 100,000 total miles on the vehicle

cwrm4

Momentum Porsche in Houston has an 09 PDK Coupe CPO on the lot right now that clearly shows an accident by the original owner on the Carfax.

FWIW, the price on the car has dropped $4k in the month it has been on their lot...

fronesis47

Thanks, all. The car is clearly listed as CPO (with the checkmark) both on the national Porscheusa website and on the dealer's site. So I assume they are saying they have recertified it. I'll have to follow up to learn more about the accident. It's a very good price on a 997 that's CPO'd, but the accident is odd.

How would most of you feel about a car like this: if it has been certified by the Porsche dealer *after* the accident and comes with the full CPO warranty, how would you treat it on the used market? That is, if I went to sell this car 20 or 40 months from now, would it be a "stories car" or just a formerly CPO car?

p.s.: the autocheck history also indicates that this car was given CPO status early this month, February 2013.

USMC_DS1

It depends on the accident and repair done to the car. That is why you'll want all the doc's re the repair from the dealer. A respray due to a fender bender in the parking structure is very different from a collision on the open road. If the dealer cannot produce such docs then yes... that would be a "storied car" even if the damage seems insignificant. Make sure the price truly is rock bottom JIC.

MJBird993

The fact that it is or was a CPO car would not mean a hill of beans to me looking at buying a car with accident history. It doesn't diminish the fact that an accident happened. CPO is also no guarantee that you won't have IMS issues, it just means that they may pay for a new engine if it lets go during the warranty. After the warranty expires, you're on your own.

If you have any doubts about this car and don't have a warm and fuzzy about it, then pass and find something else. Plenty of cars out there.

fronesis47

That's fair, and not a surprising response. I do wonder if some buyers would see the CPO as evidence of the minimal damage done by the accident and the high quality of the repairs (given the requirements, listed earlier in this thread).

Oh, I am WELL aware of this fact and under no illusions. I've been avoiding cars with the IMS for just this reason. But I'm just not comfortable spending the money for an 09+ car, given how little I drive. If I bought a CPO 997.1 car, I would likely move on to something else at the end of the CPO warranty.

Agreed. Although I will say that this car appears to be priced $8K to $10K less than other CPO 997 cars out there.

CamsPorsche

Dropped from what to what? I've been speaking to the dealer on this White 09 w/PDK and I know what they are prepared to let it go for...still humming and hawing on whether to jump on it...

Rocco07

[QUOTE=fronesis47;10252974]That's fair, and not a surprising response. I do wonder if some buyers would see the CPO as evidence of the minimal damage done by the accident and the high quality of the repairs (given the requirements, listed earlier in this thread).

"CPO as evidence.....high quality"

If and only if the car was flawless would I give credit to a CPO. Many people regard a CPO as a mark of confidence by the dealer in a particular vehicle. I contend, for some dealerships, they are making a bet that:

a. Unknown Defects will not appear during the CPO timeframe
b. Discovered defects are cheaper to repair than the premium attached to the car as a result of the "CPO"
c. The customer has no idea what to look for to validate a CPO. This one is where the dealer knows there are problems but relies on their "CPO" to dissuade people from kicking the tires.

I went through the CPO checklist and found infact the dealer did not do the CPO inspection on a previous car, but did say, and price the car, as a CPO car. I found issues with the brakes, shifter and lights. Brakes, really!!!

In the end, a CPO is not an indication that a dealer did anything to a car perhaps besides changing the tires before trying to sell it.

MJBird993

You know why? BECAUSE IT'S BEEN WRECKED! And when you go to sell it, it will be worth less than a comparable car, because it's been wrecked.

Sad, but true. Especially with Porsches.

Suck it up, buy a 997.2 and keep it forever. Owning a Porsche is never going to be about saving money, it's about enjoying the experience of driving it.