Thinking of buying this 03 X5 4.4 (CARFAX/photos included)... help please

[INFID3L]

edit 9/26: *** UPDATED @ POST #9 (SEE BELOW) ***

So I wanted to get some opinions on this vehicle before biting the bullet...

- The seller is a used car dealer and is listing it for $12,700
- 2003 X5 4.4 w/ 67k miles
- For CARFAX Click Here
- I will drive it to a BMW dealer for a used car inspection (seller immediately agreed)
- I plan to offer $10-$11k if all checks out

My concern is the CARFAX... you can see for yourself but it shows:

2004 - Body electrical wiring repaired, Engine/powertrain computer/module checked
2007 - Accident reported (damage exceeds $750)
2011 - Failed emissions inspection (then passed a week later)

So, what would you guys do...
would you risk it and trust BMW's used car inspection (assuming all checks out)?
or is a car like this a big NO-NO?

Some photos...

[NicholasW]

That seems pretty cheap to me, espcially coming from a used car dealer. Usually not for a good reason in my experience. You have to decide if the accident matters to you, and also defnitely see what the BMW dealer says. I would tell the dealer it has an accident reported, so that they can take a careful look for any damage, or even strange wear on the tires.

[SlickGT1]

Get the PPI. PRE sale inspection at BMW then go from there. Electrical harness was replaced a long time ago, didn't come back so all good. The accident over $750 is a bit shitty because I would not buy that car just based on that. My reasons are because I don't want that when I go to sell, and other reasons that are really irrelevant to you. Now, I was rear ended on my Lexus once. Bumper and lights needed to get replaced. I had a dent on the trunk from earlier. Insurance paid me almost $7k. They decided to replace my trunk, which was $3.5k by itself. Lol. So that over 750 doesnt mean much.

[CTSportX5]

First drive the truck yourself. If you feel any pulling or odd driving habits don't even both with the PPI. If this passes your "test" go for the pre-purchase inspection, see what they find. AlsoYour buying quite possibly the best driving SAV on the market, but that comes with a price. They require more effort than lets say a RAV4, but the payoff is obviously worth it to us.

[TwinTurboGTR]

I personally don't like to buy a car with a blemish on the CarFAX. While I don't agree with Carfax a lot of times, I.E. Carefax doesn;t always report accidents when they happen. A member here bought a E53 from the dealer. Dealer shows a clean carfax. 9 Months later, he does his own research and gets another carfax on the same car, what do you know, the X5 got popped in the back in an accident before he bought the car.

A PPI will certainly help but to find an accident will be difficult. To give you some general idea of how bad the accident was, ask the PPI'ing dealer to use a paint meter to check the paint. If the meter spikes in the rear quarter panels, I mean the entire back, then you know to walk away.

Best way is to PPI it, test drive it, and then really sit down and think hard. Remember, there are plenty of other X5's out there. This isn't the only one. If you feel yourself getting emotional over the car, you need to step back and remove yourself from the deal and gather yourself together. Remember this is business. You want a reliable car and the dealer wants to make money. As others have said, keep in mind about resale.

For example, if you listed this X5 online and I just happened to see it and ran the CarFax... The minute I see the accident, I wouldn't even write and e-mail reaching out to you. Others might see it as an opportunity to shoot low ball offers on the vehicle knowing they wont be able to sell the X5 for market price and will have to discount it.

In my honest opinion, I would find another one. But if you really have your heart set on it, drive it an review the PPI. Then go back to the dealer and shoot them a number. Remember, NO EMOTIONS! They have a bottom line number and you have the cash. Throw a low number out there and back the number up with the reason why you are offering that price. After you get it all out, just be quiet. Worse case he is going to say no. Just ask open ended questions. Ask him, if he says "no"; "Ok, then if you needed to get rid of of this X5 right now, what would you need to make a deal?" Then just be quiet again. If he throws a number that is reasonable and you can live with it, then pull the trigger.

Again, just my opinion.

[ake53]

or my buying story

Originally Posted by TwinTurboGTR

I personally don't like to buy a car with a blemish on the CarFAX. While I don't agree with Carfax a lot of times, I.E. Carefax doesn;t always report accidents when they happen. A member here bought a E53 from the dealer. Dealer shows a clean carfax. 9 Months later, he does his own research and gets another carfax on the same car, what do you know, the X5 got popped in the back in an accident before he bought the car.

A PPI will certainly help but to find an accident will be difficult. To give you some general idea of how bad the accident was, ask the PPI'ing dealer to use a paint meter to check the paint. If the meter spikes in the rear quarter panels, I mean the entire back, then you know to walk away.

Best way is to PPI it, test drive it, and then really sit down and think hard. Remember, there are plenty of other X5's out there. This isn't the only one. If you feel yourself getting emotional over the car, you need to step back and remove yourself from the deal and gather yourself together. Remember this is business. You want a reliable car and the dealer wants to make money. As others have said, keep in mind about resale.

For example, if you listed this X5 online and I just happened to see it and ran the CarFax... The minute I see the accident, I wouldn't even write and e-mail reaching out to you. Others might see it as an opportunity to shoot low ball offers on the vehicle knowing they wont be able to sell the X5 for market price and will have to discount it.

In my honest opinion, I would find another one. But if you really have your heart set on it, drive it an review the PPI. Then go back to the dealer and shoot them a number. Remember, NO EMOTIONS! They have a bottom line number and you have the cash. Throw a low number out there and back the number up with the reason why you are offering that price. After you get it all out, just be quiet. Worse case he is going to say no. Just ask open ended questions. Ask him, if he says "no"; "Ok, then if you needed to get rid of of this X5 right now, what would you need to make a deal?" Then just be quiet again. If he throws a number that is reasonable and you can live with it, then pull the trigger.

Again, just my opinion.

[Skyline]

Given the ultra-low mileage, I would not expect too much wiggle room on price. I can guarantee that the PPI will uncover a whole slew of suspension issues, and possibly some oil leaks. But that's normal for even well cared for 9 year old X5s. Hopefully not many (potentially expensive) faullts will show up when hooked to the computer.

As far as the accident, more than anything it boils down to the quality of the repair, and the severity. The dealer should be able to give you a general idea of where it was hit...perfect bodywork is incredibly unlikely these days, and there are always tell tale signs. But really good is good enough as long as the damage was cosmetic and not structural.

A lot depends on the demand in your area. In the North East, where most families have at least one SUV, demand for X5s is high. That X5 would go in a wholesale auction for over $12k, and it would be bought without any chance of a complete inspection.

[epdarks]

A tiny fender bender will cost more than $750 to repair. I agree with Skyline, it all depends on the severity and quality of repair. If the repair was done right you won't be able to tell which parts the accident effected.

Not an immediate "write off" but just something to look into a bit further.

IMO, looks like a clean example.

[INFID3L]

*** UPDATE ***

So I went to see the vehicle and the seller handed it over. I took it to Century West BMW but they said they don't offer PPI service. I searched on yelp and found an independent BMW shop nearby (Sami's Independent BMW Shop) with excellent reviews so I took the car there...

- power steering hoses leaking, need to be replaced: $500
- purge valve needs to be replaced: $200
- starter: $500
- spark plugs, oil service, air filter: $450
- wipers: $80
- brake lights: $50
- lower control arm: $700
- valve cover gasket: $500
- need new tires: $600

Total estimate: $3,580

Otherwise the engine was solid and the ride was smooth. Looked very clean inside and had no other major issues...

I went back to the guy and told him $8k since I had to spend the difference fixing the car. He said no thanks and that was the end of it. Honestly I'm no pro at cars and I would have bought it for $11k had I not done that inspection... thank goodness I got a PPI before biting the bullet... and thanks so much guys for all your help!!

[TwinTurboGTR]

I am glad you found and Indy that was thorough. I am curious how he found the starter to be faulty. Unless it didn't turn over for him when he got it. Also the prices he quoted seem to be high.

Power steering hoses $500? Unless he is talking about the cooler lines... it is 2 rubber pieces and easily accessible.

I am not sure what a purge valve is?

plugs, oil, and air $450? and still charging $500 for VCG? Most of the components are already off. From there the valve cover needs to be unbolted, and the gasket can be replaced. No more then an hour or hour and a half labor at that point.

Brake lights $50? I think the dealer charges $25 to replace the bulbs for you.

Dealer quoted me $525 to change lower control arm on my 01 4.4.

Tires are on the low side though, lol. I don;t know what kind of tires but that seems like a good price.

I would say if you knew how to R&R it may not be a big deal to you and if you really wanted it, fight a little harder.

And again, if your really like this X and don't beleive there is another one out there with the same miles and such, try to work something out. Again, if there is not another X out there that can compete, but I am sure you can find one. lol