Looking at a '03 996 CPO - Do I need a PPI?

[gandrade1]

Hi guys,

A Pre-Purchase Inspection has proved very valuable when I almost purchased a '03 996 with 20k miles, which was an aesthaticaly perfect, one-owner car, but turned out to have an RMS leak identified by the inspection. That being said I am now looking into Certified Pre-Owned Cars and I identified the perfect candidate - 32k miles, right options and price. I drove it, it drives nice. Plus, it had one owner and the carfax is clean.

My question then is...I am getting it from a Porsche dealer, should I order a Pre-Purchase Inspection on the car anyway???

Thanks,

Gus

[RF5BPilot]

Smart or not, I bought a 2003 from a dealer with a CPO and took the CPO to be equivalent to a PPI. (In mycase it also had a year of full warranty.)

That said, the CPO does not cover a lot of the small electronic items, nor the consumables like shock, clutch or brakes. During the CPO they would have estimated the wear levels on the brakes & clutch. I'd want to see those numbers before the final deal. I'd also want to take some time to make sure every button/switch works as it should.

It never hurts to have a PPI from someone other than the sales source but many have said that a paid PPI from a dealer is the same inspection they do for a CPO. (I can't confirm this.)

Good luck.

[Mike D]

I think someone mentioned in another post that there should be a checklist/form they use when certifying a car. You should ask to see it and then decide.

[Team996]

My policy is that if there's ever a potential conflict of interests, I should seek to diffuse it. Especially if I'm spending more than $20. More than likely, everything's fine, but why not have the extra peace of mind of a <$300 PPI?