AUC checklist

[SJobson]

Does anyone have a list of the items checked by BMW dealers on an approved used car? I tried to find out on BMW's website but it only states 120 rigorous checks.

[pattyg]

Not got a list but from past experience they go through a lot nearer to 0 than 120 checks.

[SJobson]

I was thinking that they can check whatever they like, but it is more important that they solve whatever is wrong than simply looking at it

[Fox-]

pattyg said:

Not got a list but from past experience they go through a lot nearer to 0 than 120 checks.

Absolutely this. Do not be neive enough to think that as its a BMW AUC, you dont need to look over it like you would a private sale car.

I bought a Z4 from a well known dealer which came with 2 runflats on the back and two regular PS2's on the front! The only checks I made on tyres was that they were a) a decent brand and b) had plenty of tread. I hadn't considered the fact I'd need to do my own homework to make sure they were not the incorrect tyres for the car!

Effectively it seems they take a regular car, stick a price on it and sell it with a decent warranty. Provided you realise this you can get some good deals but it certainly isnt a surefire way to get a minter.

Noseying around a dealer the other day shocked me a bit. A 2 year old 335i M Sport with numerous parking scrapes along the side. Shabby looking E60's which looked like they'd never been cared for. And most worryingly, a large amount of the cars had numberplates or window stickers from places like Drive Assist and Accident Exchange!

Be careful. It's often worth it for the warranty but check the cars thoroughly.

[SJobson]

I already own the car - it's sufficiently mint on the surface to pass my own inspection

What amused me was that I'm taking it to my local dealer to sort some things out that the selling dealer did not consider sufficiently important. My local dealer wondered whether the checks had been carried out; I was interested to know what they are supposed to have checked...

[bennyboydurham]

I think they just wipe them over them with a damp cloth and stick them on sale - they certainly did that with my E65. Get all over the car with a fine toothcomb and list anything you want doing as a condition of sale. Some dealers are better than others - I looked at an 18 month-old 730d at the BMW dealer in York which was pretty mint but even so the sales guy pointed out a couple of marks that they'd take care of completely unprompted. The dealer I bought mine from (named after something Jesus wore on his feet) were next to useless, both before and after the sale!

[sjj84]

They certainly don't check to see if the boot unlocks, or at least they didn't when I bought mine.

[SJobson]

bennyboydurham said:

list anything you want doing as a condition of sale

I followed this mantra - didn't stop the garage ignoring the one specific item I asked them to do, though! I haven't mentioned their name so I can safely say that there's going to be a bit of a dispute about the cost of a KDS alignment...

[bennyboydurham]

The AUC checklist is just marketing guff. Most of the AUC stock at my local BMW dealer doesn't look in any better nick than anywhere else as there are plenty of scuff marks and mishmatched tyres but arguably you've more chance of getting it prepped up to the right standard as they have to stand behind the AUC pledges. I suspect they hope that buyers aren't of the 'bringing-along-a-paint-thickness-meter-and-lamp-to-check-for-swirl marks' variety!