A Private BMW Sale That Looked Fine Until the Buyer Asked for Proof

The buyer's story

Why they booked

The BMW looked like a sensible private sale. The advert was simple, the price seemed fair, and the seller sounded genuine when answering basic questions.

But when Andrey F. asked for more detail, there were gaps. The seller could not clearly prove everything claimed in the advert, and Andrey F. did not want to rely on trust alone. A private sale can be difficult to resolve later if the car turns out to have hidden problems.

Andrey F. booked a Premium inspection to get an independent opinion before handing over money.

Booking reason

They booked because the car looked fine on the surface, but the buyer wanted proof of its condition before committing to a private sale.

Independent assessment

Inspection findings

Prior to carrying out a road test under bonnet fluid levels were checked and found to be correct, at this point the vehicle was started with no permanent warning lights displayed on the driver’s information panel, with the vehicle started readily from cold.

The road test was carried out at speeds of up to 60 mph, in mixed road and traffic conditions.

During the road test the pay attention to the performance of the engine and transmission with the engine and transmission performance be considered in line with a similar vehicle the same make and model the similar mileage.

Throughout the course of the road test the vehicle handled and performed in a good manner, steered the chosen path of travel correctly and was free from any abnormal noise or vibration.

During the road test there was no evidence of any excessive smoke from the exhaust, undue audible noises from the transmission and no evidence of overheating. How ever the temperature gauge was reading low even when I had the engine running when stood for 20 minutes after road test.

With final checks revealing no evidence of coolant leaks in and around the engine bay, or evidence of major oil leakage around the engine bay and or on the underside of the vehicle.

Overall conclusion vehicle is in average condition for the age and mileage.

Vehicle aesthetic is average for the age with some previous bodyworks carried out considered acceptable.

Vehicle interior is in average to poor condition due to the dashboard and small led screen.

A structurally sound vehicle with no evidence of major accident damage. How ever there is corrosion taking place on the body works

There is Part service history due to only in the service hand book only going to 2014 and no other service book after that and only hand written on paper.

The Vehicle has age related wear and tear on brakes.

Advised call previous service provider to see if the vehicle has any records.

Prior to purchase, consideration must be given to the collective cost involved in the rectification of the desirable items listed within the report.These items should be reflected in the purchase price of the vehicle or rectified before purchase.

See my attached video feedback.

Please call me back once you have reviewed all report and all pictures and videos on WhatsApp.

Recommendation always obtain appropriate extended warranty for your car. View packages. https://carexamer.com/extended-warranty
How ever the vehicle might be to old.

Vehicles condition makes me believe there will some problems down the line from my professional experience.

Read full findings Show less

Prior to carrying out a road test under bonnet fluid levels were checked and found to be correct, at this point the vehicle was started with no permanent warning lights displayed on the driver’s information panel, with the vehicle started readily from cold.

The road test was carried out at speeds of up to 60 mph, in mixed road and traffic conditions.

During the road test the pay attention to the performance of the engine and transmission with the engine and transmission performance be considered in line with a similar vehicle the same make and model the similar mileage.

Throughout the course of the road test the vehicle handled and performed in a good manner, steered the chosen path of travel correctly and was free from any abnormal noise or vibration.

During the road test there was no evidence of any excessive smoke from the exhaust, undue audible noises from the transmission and no evidence of overheating. How ever the temperature gauge was reading low even when I had the engine running when stood for 20 minutes after road test.

With final checks revealing no evidence of coolant leaks in and around the engine bay, or evidence of major oil leakage around the engine bay and or on the underside of the vehicle.

Overall conclusion vehicle is in average condition for the age and mileage.

Vehicle aesthetic is average for the age with some previous bodyworks carried out considered acceptable.

Vehicle interior is in average to poor condition due to the dashboard and small led screen.

A structurally sound vehicle with no evidence of major accident damage. How ever there is corrosion taking place on the body works

There is Part service history due to only in the service hand book only going to 2014 and no other service book after that and only hand written on paper.

The Vehicle has age related wear and tear on brakes.

Advised call previous service provider to see if the vehicle has any records.

Prior to purchase, consideration must be given to the collective cost involved in the rectification of the desirable items listed within the report.These items should be reflected in the purchase price of the vehicle or rectified before purchase.

See my attached video feedback.

Please call me back once you have reviewed all report and all pictures and videos on WhatsApp.

Recommendation always obtain appropriate extended warranty for your car. View packages. https://carexamer.com/extended-warranty
How ever the vehicle might be to old.

Vehicles condition makes me believe there will some problems down the line from my professional experience.

Condition and costs

Poor findings and repair costs

Poor condition findings

Interior / Luggage Compartment £800

Dash panel condition

Some cracks in the dash board and the clock has display problems The price is based on second hand and first. LED display faulty.

Engine compartment £450

Timing belt replacement evidence

The time belt is a very gray area there are a few receipts that are only just written on pieces of paper. This doesn’t have any verification. When asked for the timing belt invoice I was even show it.

Brake system £160

Pipes/connections

Front to rear brake pipe corroded need replacement

Fuel system £190

Fuel lines/leaks

Fuel pipe corroded

Body exterior

Paintwork condition/thickness reading check

Scratches on the drivers side rear quarter and has been resprayed. Scratches on bonnet. Lots of Marks and scratches throughout the vehicle. Rear wheel arches have been resprayed and filler corrosion starting to show through.

Body exterior

Additional Documents/Important Info

After the inspection

The customer experience

Outcome

The inspection helped Andrey F. make a decision based on the car itself, not just the seller description.

Customer review

Awesome

Jonathan did a very good job with the report. He was very thorough, checked over everything, and addressed the concerns that I had about specific parts of the car. The report was very informative and thorough, and pictures and videos were attached with every flaw of the car. The pictures themselves were very extensive and helped a lot to get an idea of the overall condition of the car. Definitely would recommend his services, because his report was great, and it can save quite a bit of money.

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