PPI if buying from dealer?

[nicecar]

the ppi can only help so much. any service history? when all is said and done, buy it, drive it, 99% sure you'll love it

[BeenThere]

Ghostrider, it's not that I don't trust the dealer, it's that I don't know whether to trust them or not. BTW, there are no reviews on them on that link you gave me. The dealer pre-sale inspection on other cars I've bought from other dealers seemed to be pretty thorough including how much brake pad was left and all that type of stuff. I've never felt the need for a PPI on any other cars, but it does seem more essential on a Porsche based upon what I've been reading the the forums.

I realize things can still fail shortly after the purchase that weren't caught on either a PPI or a PSI. I just don't want to drive off the lot with a bad AirOil Separator or something similar.

I haven't yet actually looked at what documentation they have on the cars I'm interested in. I was just trying to get a feeling here whether or not to bring in an outside source even it everything looked good.

They have a 2003S and a 2009S, either of which I might be interested in. I test drove a 2005 Base they had and liked it, but it had high mileage and the carfax indicated previous damage from an accident. I passed on the car, but someone has since bought it.

[doragman]

Trust, but verify !!

[Adrian_M]

Do a thorough research first. You can also visit CarDealExpert.com, just like what I did. The website is pretty amazing because it has all the most recent data on recalls and anything you have to learn about the car you want. You can also get a car loan that works for you and determine which car is best for you.

[BeenThere]

Well, guess I need to resign from this forum as I ended up buying a '07 Cayman Base. Bought it from a dealer that only had it a few days but I had talked with the previous owner. I didn't get a PPI BTW. Car runs great and I'm very happy with it so far. 48,000 miles and came with all maintenance records, including the 40,000 miles service at 42,000 miles.

Thanks to all for the response to my question.

Norm

[WhipE350]

Darn I just wasted 5 minutes reading this thread and you go and buy a Cayman without a PPI! Whad that cost you...about 22k?

Hey you are still welcome here...post pictures!

[Jager]

Originally Posted by BeenThere

Well, guess I need to resign from this forum as I ended up buying a '07 Cayman Base. Bought it from a dealer that only had it a few days but I had talked with the previous owner. I didn't get a PPI BTW. Car runs great and I'm very happy with it so far. 48,000 miles and came with all maintenance records, including the 40,000 miles service at 42,000 miles.

Thanks to all for the response to my question.

Norm

No need to resign… The Cayman is nothing more than a Boxster with a hardtop (we won’t pick on you too much). The origin of your car is the 986 and as you can see this forum is where it all happens.

[jb92563]

The PPI is also a price negotiation tool and you should always be able to get a price reduction that at least recovers what you paid for the PPI based on the findings.

Planet-9.com is the best place for Cayman forum chatter.

They have some great racing/technical info in there so its worth a visit now and then from Boxster owners too.

You should especially get a PPI for a dealer bought used car since from what I have seen is that many abused cars end up as trade-ins since they are not worth selling on the private market due to the issues.

All 5 of the used Boxsters I checked out at dealers had issues, starting with oil leaks, dented trunks, thrashed interriors etc. They did their best to hide those things, but it was lipstick on a pig and with a bit closer look you could see potential issues.

A 60 day warranty is not going to help much when you are not familiar with how the car SHOULD sound and behave except for the most obvious things.

I ended up paying a bit more privately and got a fantastic car with good service history records. (Dealers always seem to lose those records)

I did the PPI myself, took 2 hrs but you could tell the car had been well cared for and it gave me the confidence to make the deal with out further inspection. I did however miss the wiper spray disconnect that needed a hose clamp, and the vanity mirror covers that were broken on the plastic hinges.

I got a $500 discount because the car needed new rear tires.