I bought my GX remotely. You need to find a dealer that specializes in online and remote transactions.
When I reached out to the dealership listing my GX, they sent me a file of about 200 photos, plus Carfax, plus service history, plus documentation of all mods done, including invoice.
They gave me a list of local mechanics for a PPI (I asked they go to the local Lexus dealership), no complaints from the dealership, and they took it in the next day.
They arranged shipping and even sent a local person out to detail the GX two days after it arrived.
So far, no complaints. I've done multiple online vehicle transactions, and it boils down to doing business with the right company. Just have to find one where their specialty is online transactions.
Respectfully I disagree and stand beside my point.
I’ve bought and sold 50 vehicles in my 22-ish years of owning vehicles and I’ve had many experiences with the situation and mechanics.
I’ve had BMW certified mechanics misdiagnose driveline vibrations as a bad transfer case when it was a $30 guido flex disk. Saved me $6,500~
Lexus certified technicians misdiagnose starting issues as “non-existent” when they were a plugged EGR causing 10 second delays on starting. Cost me $4,800~ figuring out on my own, but recall it wasn’t an issue to them.
A highly rated independent shop say my transmission cooler leak (out of a hose at the bottom) was fixed by a faulty radiator cap. $250~ to figure out later it was a $0.10 o-ring in the hose, $100 shop fix another time.
A highly specialized and rated BMW dealership claim a transmission was toast when it was flex plate bolts that loosened up (a warranty issue versus an abuse issue, in their eyes, which they eventually honored). Saved me $8,000~ under warranty.
A Jeep dealership say an engine bay noise was bottom end rod knock when it was plastic hitting the radiator fan. Saved me $5,000 on buying it.
A shop say a cars engine was toast when a guy brought it in pissing oil, so I bought it for $300 and replaced the engine oil filter (with a hole in it) in it for $4 and sold the car for $4,600
A half dozen professional shops misdiagnose many other minor things. $$$$
If you trust a shop to tell you everything about a car with confidence, then you’ve either had way better experiences with shops than I have or you’re just none the wiser.
IMO, drive every vehicle you want to buy before you buy it, or have a solid buy back guarantee.
Sure, have a shop look at it, but taking them for their word is a fools game, no matter the shop.
Yes, driving it yourself isn’t always going to solve or highlight an underlying issue, but it sure is one extra layer of avoidance to something, and takes (often) little effort. I’ve definitely saved tens of thousands of dollars with my way, and spent tens of thousands of dollars learning my way. Overall, my way, had I practiced it when I was 16 on, would’ve bought me an entire new $40,000~ car with the savings.
Trusting a shop, even a highly rated one, to tell you what to spend you money on, is effectively saying “I’m sure their interest is with my finances in mind” and not their own. It’s naive, in my experience and from what I see, many others.
