what to do next? looking at used car

beppy · 11-22-2009, 09:07 PM

Hey everyone,

i'm currently in talks with a private owner on buying his e90 325i. I've met the owner once and looked at the car, I asked him about the two main common issues these cars have. steering column and the ticking noise problem.

he told me that the steering column has been replaced under warranty and thats it. I opened the hood and there doesn't seem to have any ticking noise while running.

right now we are only $650 different between our offers. I am staying firm on my offer, but i belive he will probably agree to it.

Warranty is almost up with the car, so i'm a little worried about having this ticking noise problem in the future.

Things i'm thinking about doing after offer accepted:
- full maintenance records
- VIN# (to do carfax)
- performing inspection of the car

Questions I have are:
1. what other due diligence procedures should i do before buying the car?
2. what kind of inspections do bmw dealership do? which should i take?
3. Is there anything else i can do to ensure that this 'ticking' problem is not present. and is it true, that the ticking problem only occur on early production cars?
4. warranty is almost up, is it worth it to get extended warranty?

beppy · 11-23-2009, 03:54 PM

anyone have feed back for Q4? warranty have new car warranty worth it?

3pnt4maro · 11-23-2009, 05:50 PM

I say the extended warranty is worth it in my personal opinion. I bought one on my car and havent used it a bit so far, but the peace of mind is there in case it is needed. If youre not comfortable with doing that just understand that these cars cost money to fix if something tears up and its not usually cheap. Just be prepared to put out a little cash if need be. Get ahold of the maintenance records and check to see what if anything has been replaced on the car or any issues the previous owner had. These may indicate any negligence or it may simply just be a flaw in the car, as all cars tend to have some issue. Run the VIN on the car and make sure its never been involved in an accident etc. A BMW dealership can obviously tell you a little more about teh car since its what the mechanics work on every day and are familiar with. Hope this helps a little.

And if the column was replaced under warranty I really wouldnt worry about it anymore

11-22-2009, 09:07 PM	#1
beppy Private 9 Rep 81 Posts Drives: 06 325i ZPP ZSP ZCW Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	what to do next? looking at used car Hey everyone, i'm currently in talks with a private owner on buying his e90 325i. I've met the owner once and looked at the car, I asked him about the two main common issues these cars have. steering column and the ticking noise problem. he told me that the steering column has been replaced under warranty and thats it. I opened the hood and there doesn't seem to have any ticking noise while running. right now we are only $650 different between our offers. I am staying firm on my offer, but i belive he will probably agree to it. Warranty is almost up with the car, so i'm a little worried about having this ticking noise problem in the future. Things i'm thinking about doing after offer accepted: - full maintenance records - VIN# (to do carfax) - performing inspection of the car Questions I have are: 1. what other due diligence procedures should i do before buying the car? 2. what kind of inspections do bmw dealership do? which should i take? 3. Is there anything else i can do to ensure that this 'ticking' problem is not present. and is it true, that the ticking problem only occur on early production cars? 4. warranty is almost up, is it worth it to get extended warranty?
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11-23-2009, 03:54 PM	#2
beppy Private 9 Rep 81 Posts Drives: 06 325i ZPP ZSP ZCW Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Toronto iTrader: (0)	anyone have feed back for Q4? warranty have new car warranty worth it?
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11-23-2009, 05:50 PM	#3
3pnt4maro Long Time Lurker 22 Rep 352 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 330I Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: LaGrange, Georgia iTrader: (0)	I say the extended warranty is worth it in my personal opinion. I bought one on my car and havent used it a bit so far, but the peace of mind is there in case it is needed. If youre not comfortable with doing that just understand that these cars cost money to fix if something tears up and its not usually cheap. Just be prepared to put out a little cash if need be. Get ahold of the maintenance records and check to see what if anything has been replaced on the car or any issues the previous owner had. These may indicate any negligence or it may simply just be a flaw in the car, as all cars tend to have some issue. Run the VIN on the car and make sure its never been involved in an accident etc. A BMW dealership can obviously tell you a little more about teh car since its what the mechanics work on every day and are familiar with. Hope this helps a little. And if the column was replaced under warranty I really wouldnt worry about it anymore __________________ 2006 BMW 330i-E90-14.4@96mph-Daily Driver BSM, Premium Package, Logic 7, BMS Powerbox, 19 VMR Wheels Staggered (19x9 and 19x10), 20%Tint, LED Lights, 2 Rockford Fosgate Punch P2 10's with amp in a custom setup.
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