Buying a Used M3 - WWYD

[Quamera]

To close this out - ended up buying the car.

WRT the finances, we signed an agreement this morning. I'm sending him payment for the balance of his loan, he will send me the title and the release of lien once he receives them. We both spoke to his bank, it's not possible for them to send these documents to me directly. So I will have to wait a bit before registering it.

We were not able to line up an inspection before purchase. He doesn't want to put more effort into the sale and says it was never driven off-road (the chips are from driving over gravel.) The car will be transported from NC and I will have it inspected by a local body shop. If they find anything wrong, it will go to a Tesla service center.

For those who asked about the motivations of the seller, we did discuss what moved him to make this deal. His motivations are not financial, the car was a gift for someone he's no longer with and he doesn't drive it. While I'm not a mind reader, my sense is his generosity is a way of moving on.

This car is intended as a surprise for my wife. She'll either be delighted to receive it or furious should it turn out to be a bad deal. Hoping for the former.

Well done Scratch, sometimes buying sight unseen can be a worry but since you had a friend involved that took out most of the risk and for that price as others had pointed out you really couldn't go wrong. I am looking to buy a used M3 SR+ in Australia. They only went on sale here in limited volumes in 2019 although now the MICs are arriving in larger numbers.

New the SR RWD retails here for mid $60K (US mid $40K) and I want to pay less than $50K (US $35K) for a 20/21 with around 30K km (20K miles) on it. There are a few around as people swap to the MY but there was a major shortage of all new and used vehicles during COVID and that is still affecting values. Sellers are still looking for mid to even high $50K and at that price I may as well buy new and wait a few more months.

Can anyone advise me on the best way to do a battery health check on an M3. I understand the LFP batteries are more tolerant of charging abuse than the original types but it would still be good for my peace of mind if I could check the health of the battery of a prospective purchase.

 

[pipestem]

@scratch -- Please report back on how it turns out. The "soldier moving out of the country story" is a vey common scam - would be good to see if one works out positively. good luck.

 

[Jomak]

Could use some advice on purchasing a used Model 3.

I'm looking at a 2021 with low mileage. The seller is a friend of a friend, he's preparing to deploy overseas and wants to get rid of it. He's offering to sell it to me for the remainder of the note, which is far below market price. From photos, the car appears to be in very good shape and he says it's never been in an accident.

What steps would someone take to inspect a used M3 before purchase? What are the things I should be looking for? Who is qualified to do an inspection and verify the quality of the vehicle? How would I go about making sure there's not a lien on the vehicle and that the title can transfer cleanly?

The car has been kept in rural North Carolina. The one issue he reported to me is some chipping on the front bumper and around the bottom of the front doors. It's hard to see unless it's pointed out. How much should I expect to pay for a new paint job? The car is red, and I've heard there's something special about the paints Tesla uses. Should I expect to get the paint back to stock at a reasonable price, or should I be considering other options?

Finally, neither of us knows the process for transferring ownership in the Tesla app. Is that something that can be done remotely? I am not planning to travel to North Carolina to get the car, I do have a friend lined up to drive it back. So I'm wondering how ownership transfers if you are not in the same physical location.

And this friend of friend wants payment by Western union or moneygram right? RUN!

 

[Ital]

Hello @scratch , how did you make out? did you get the car? An update would be nice

 

[comanchepilot]

I would assume the loan, have a bill of sale and then pay it off yourself - that protects you against a scam . . .

 

[Konicom04]

This car is intended as a surprise for my wife. She'll either be delighted to receive it or furious should it turn out to be a bad deal. Hoping for the former.

HA! Be careful
My M3P purchase was a Christmas gift to my wife.
She was so scared of it ( the tech around it ) that she refused to drive it - for three months.

The good thing - finally, I came up with an idea of a 3,5K mile florida road trip.
She got behind the wheel a few times, and now won't even let me sit in it

Enjoy your new purchase !

 

[scratch]

HA! Be careful
My M3P purchase was a Christmas gift to my wife.
She was so scared of it ( the tech around it ) that she refused to drive it - for three months.

The good thing - finally, I came up with an idea of a 3,5K mile florida road trip.
She got behind the wheel a few times, and now won't even let me sit in it

Enjoy your new purchase !

We purchased a Model Y in January. She's sufficiently impressed with that car, this should be well received.

It's been a while since I posted an update. So far, so good. My main gripe is how much time this is taking.

The title arrived last week, the seller signed it over before a notary. He sent photos and the actual document is currently in the car.

Lining up a car transport was a bit of a hassle, it's costing $1,200 to have it brought to where I live. It will be picked up in NC on Saturday and should take 4 days to arrive. The first stop is a local body shop for a safety inspection and to get someone to look at the chipping. The owner said this will take a couple days from the time it arrives.

From there, the next step is the DMV for registration and to get proof of ownership. I'm not sure what it's going to cost to register, the language on the state DMV website is a little unclear about taxes on an underpriced car. I'm expecting to pay a few grand.

After that - and apparently only after that - we can transfer the car on the Tesla app. So I'm at least a week out from completing the purchase.

 

[RoBoRaT]

We purchased a Model Y in January. She's sufficiently impressed with that car, this should be well received.

It's been a while since I posted an update. So far, so good. My main gripe is how much time this is taking.

The title arrived last week, the seller signed it over before a notary. He sent photos and the actual document is currently in the car.

Lining up a car transport was a bit of a hassle, it's costing $1,200 to have it brought to where I live. It will be picked up in NC on Saturday and should take 4 days to arrive. The first stop is a local body shop for a safety inspection and to get someone to look at the chipping. The owner said this will take a couple days from the time it arrives.

From there, the next step is the DMV for registration and to get proof of ownership. I'm not sure what it's going to cost to register, the language on the state DMV website is a little unclear about taxes on an underpriced car. I'm expecting to pay a few grand.

After that - and apparently only after that - we can transfer the car on the Tesla app. So I'm at least a week out from completing the purchase.

I recently sold a Model 3 the other day - and my buyer got access to the car (in the Tesla app) the instant I transferred the car to the buyer. The current owner must initiate the transfer using the app, not the buyer asking the transfer. I know it worked because I walked him thru it until he's got access and the car is "transferred" out of my account.

This happened pending arrival of the title and registration at DMV.

The limiting factor might be - that you don't have access to the actual vehicle.

 

[scratch]

We haven't actually tried to do the transfer yet. The concern is that Tesla requires proof of ownership, which I don't have (yet.)

 

[scratch]

Short update on the M3.

The car arrived 3 weeks ago and there have been a few surprises. It needed more work than I anticipated and is still at the body shop.

- The biggest problem with the car was the passenger seat and the carpet interior. At some point, something spilled that left a brown stain on the seat and dried on the floor. There's also an odor, reminiscent of a swamp / landfill and present at all times, even with the windows down. The carpet and the seat are being replaced. It's also being detailed, which we think will take care of any lingering odor issues.

- The second biggest problem was the body. While it was clear there were some scratches along the bottom of the car, it was not clear there was also a dent. The dent prevents the windows from closing properly, there's a gap that allows water into the cabin. The dent extended into a panel (which I think is called a quarter panel) and has to be replaced, along with the door.

- Repairing the paint seems to be involved. Wet and dry sanding, rubbing out and buffing to get the paint to match. They completed the paint last week and still need to do clear coat.

- There's a lot of other minor work necessary to complete the other items, like realigning windows, removing the storage compartment to unhook the electrical, etc. The list of things that need to be taken apart just to work on the car is pretty long.

- We're waiting on parts. The seat was supposed to arrive last week but hasn't. Seems like a hurry up and wait situation.

The cost of transport + parts + labor is working out to around what I paid for the vehicle.

 

[mrrsx]

Sounds about right for what you paid for it. I would make sure when they pop open the floor and carpeting that they address any corrosion. Also if you can get into service mode, see if there is any issue or fault codes with the battery.

Unfortunately with tesla since they use alot more alumnium in their body panel construction. It's alot harder to work with and replacement is usually needed if the damage is severe enough. Make sure your body shop is qualified and has the correct jig and bench to mount the vehicle. Also is certified with tesla in purchasing the panels and understand the tesla certified replacement procedures. Last thing you want is more water intrusion or misalignment due to shop not being experienced with the vehicle.