So I'm in the market for an 07-08 CBP Type S. I've never bought used before so I'm a little hesitant. What do you guys look for on carfax and autocheck reports to feel comfortable in buying the car? I myself want to avoid cars with accidents and salvage titles but should I avoid ones that have been leased? Any tips on buying used would be greatly appreciated.

 

No accidents is clutch. Anything that you look at should be examined by your mechanic. There are good lease returns and bad. Each car will have a different history. Look at the maintenance history. When you find a car that has been taken well care of, it will be obvious to you.

 

Clean carfax/autocheck is a great place to start. Minimal owners is also IMO key, one owner being optimal. All original condition with no body or paint work is what I also look for. Type S's are overall very solid cars with no serious common issues. I just sold my 08 CBP/ebony Type S with very low miles. You would have liked that one ;-)

 

I know I would have liked it I sent you a few messages and texts but in the end I didn't want to deal with shipping and all that but it might have to come to that. If buying from a dealer should I still get it inspected? If buying from out of state, does anyone recommend a specific 3rd party inspection company that would inspect it for me?

 

Buying from a dealer IMO still requires an independent inspection. There may be things about the car that even that dealer doesn't know about (or doesn't want to tell you.)

 

Yes-- have the car inspected regardless of the seller.
Even the "certified" pre-owned cars often have issues which the dealers do not fix before delivery-- missing Navi DVD, missing remotes & keys, etc.

A good inspector will be able to note suspected body repairs as well as mechanical and functional condition.

Be advised that Carfax and Autocheck only log accidents reported by the insurance companies. My TL has a clean report, although my insurance paid for repair work on the rear passenger quarter and rocker panel extension (that light pole moved when I was parking... ). It probably didn't report the accident because the repair cost less than $1500.


Are you an Auto Club/AAA member? If so, it might be able to recommend someone who can inspect a vehicle you're interested in purchasing.

Welcome to AZ, and G/L.

 

as mentioned, a proper pre purchase inspection by a qualified/experienced mech is good especially when buying from a private party. CPO, i would say isnt needed since the thing is under warranty.

 

I actually just bought the exact car you're mentioning a couple days ago - I don't think you'll find a CPO vehicle since typically dealerships only perform certifications on cars that are 4 years old or less (at least in my experience). So, like the other guys are saying you should immediately take the car (pre-purchase) to a trusted mechanic for a detailed inspection, especially to check the engine and for any body/frame damage (since the Carfax would only show you REPORTED accidents, as Will said - it doesn't always tell you everything).

I got mine with about 70K miles on it so my mechanic and I were very, very thorough with the inspection. Luckily, everything turned out well so I went through with it. It also helps to have a list of small/minor things that you can hopefully bring back to the dealer or seller and ask them to take care of (or to lower the price..)

 

CPO policy for Acura only certified car maximum 5 years old and less than 70k miles.

 

I saw the pics of your car, did you get yours from Stevens Creek BMW? If so I was planning on looking at it today but they called me yesterday and told me it was sold. How much did you get it for if you don't mind me asking?

 

Buying a used car can save a lot of money, but also buying a bad used car can put a hole in your wallet. So make sure you check everything out, take it to a mechanic if it's possible, and ask for a carfax report.

 

Yeah, I've been looking at a lot of carfax and autocheck reports just to be sure. Some of the ones I want to look at are in different cities so I'm always looking on yelp for a mechanic where I can take it to get inspected. My search continues...