Thinking about buying a used 13' Cadillac

[petethepug]

I’ve got an 800 number for a brokerage here in CA that matches service contracts (S/C) to owners. CA is the standard model for S/C layout and language advocating for the owner, not the administrator.

When the motor, trans, Magneride, gaskets, door handles & internals, steering rack, rear axle seals at the backing plates and cooling systems covered for parts as well as labor, you’re sitting in a good place.

Unlike any other manufacturer GM now guarantees most of their replacement parts for life. Finding an Ultra luxury vehicle ready to pass it’s first round of major service and having the labor, service and parts at no cost on a S/C with parts guaranteed for life is unheard of.

That combo covered almost the entire $20k purchase price of our 08 YXL Denali in ‘14 til ‘17 from a $2.2k S/C. It was in excellent condition, but knowing to preemptively have the slightest item serviced when coverage was 100% is a win on a vehicle with an original MRSP of $87k.

 

[warndogg]

I’ve got an 800 number for a brokerage here in CA that matches service contracts (S/C) to owners. CA is the standard model for S/C layout and language advocating for the owner, not the administrator.

When the motor, trans, Magneride, gaskets, door handles & internals, steering rack, rear axle seals at the backing plates and cooling systems covered for parts as well as labor, you’re sitting in a good place.

Unlike any other manufacturer GM now guarantees most of their replacement parts for life. Finding an Ultra luxury vehicle ready to pass it’s first round of major service and having the labor, service and parts at no cost on a S/C with parts guaranteed for life is unheard of.

That combo covered almost the entire $20k purchase price of our 08 YXL Denali in ‘14 til ‘17 from a $2.2k S/C. It was in excellent condition, but knowing to preemptively have the slightest item serviced when coverage was 100% is a win on a vehicle with an original MRSP of $87k.

So are you saying I should look at buying a service contract? I did not know that was a thing. I've heard of warranties from a dealer lot. That would make me sleep better at night for sure. Learning so much here by asking simple questions lol

 

[Doubeleive]

Well that kinda makes me re-think this lol I appreciate the advice. I guess I was so stuck on the fact the AFM stuff was recently addressed, that I didn't consider some of these points. I may end up moving on anyway as the seller has been slow to respond ( using auto trader website). Kbb puts this value around 16.5 k , but the 20k price is consistent with what I have seen on carfax ect. online. Thanks for the response.

not trying to sway you from a vehicle that you like, i would just tread carefully, sometimes you see things like that for sale and it turns out they are a dealer when you show up to look at it.

 

[warndogg]

not trying to sway you from a vehicle that you like, i would just tread carefully, sometimes you see things like that for sale and it turns out they are a dealer when you show up to look at it.

I hear ya. I'm meeting with the guy next Saturday so I got time to research things to look for. I'm a fairly capable half-assed wrench turner so I should be able to spot any major concerns lmao.

 

[petethepug]

The only warranty available on any car is almost always backed by the manufacturer. Like on a new or CPO vehicle. The water gets muddled up when pre owned vehicles no longer eligible for a warranty start intermixing the terms service contract (S/C) & Warranty as interchangeable. A bad S/C can screw you.

The S/C are great in CA. Certain other states allow the admin to knee cap owners on technicalities like the motor being covered “in fine print” is actually the fan motor.

The dealers sell them through brokers who pay them commissions. If you bypass the dealer your skip the commission and get the full plate meat & potatoes plus dessert. Either way you’ll want to push the seller to lower the price to accommodate the cost of the S/C.

Funny shift in trans and dealer says gotta tear it down to inspect, covered. Odd knock or no start on motor and dealer needs to pull the pan & inspect, no problem, you’re not paying. A good dealer will also supply a loaner knowing your S/C covers $30-$50 day in rental.

Only purchase from a S/C Administrator in CA though. Our first experience was routine free safety inspection from a Caddy dealer in SoCal. They crushed us with $4.3k in deferred maintenance, radiator, motor mount, leaky rear main, leaky pan and something else. 100% covered -$100 deductible. All parts guaranteed for life. That was just round 1 of 4 over three years. All were winners.

 

[Alessandrolomb]

127k isn’t high for a 13. Mine has 187k.

I do agree though, the condition is what matters the most and if it’s nice, I’d pay for it. You’ll spend more on repairs and more of your time dealing with cleaning or fixing and it isn’t worth saving a little. I should have passed on the 13 I bought because it needed a massive amount of work including $5k at the body shop repainting the hood and roof, blending the fenders, and replacing the front bumper. I bought it because it was a 2WD ESV Platinum but it probably would have cost less to delete the AWD on a truck that was in better shape…

I wouldn’t sit around waiting for the used car market to crash either. It has pretty much returned to how it was pre-pandemic and people are just mad thinking their used cars were going to be worth a fortune forever. The new car market is what might give because of the insane prices combined with high interest rates.

If you are a skilled mechanic, then the only thing that matters to you is the price of spare parts.

 

[91RS]

What did I miss? Since when I buying from a private seller whom is providing service history a bad thing?

 

[petethepug]

The era of the 300k+ mile NNBS Burb, Tahoe, Esky & Yukon are here. Funny to think about my next trans rebuild will involve going from the 6 to a 10 speed.

Technology is moving so fast that what used to be considered a rebuild is now an upgrade.

 

[petethepug]

Seriously, anything yet?

 

[warndogg]

Whelp I finally went and took the thing on a test drive today. It was a lot nicer online. For one all the engine brackets, alternator ect. anything not painted looked like metal corrosion. Some paint was failing on outside driver and driver side rear passenger doors around windows. That wasn't a deal breaker. But after a few minutes driving a "service suspension" warning came on the dash. The owner claimed he never saw that before. Also at about 62ish mph it definitely had a vibration. Not really throughout steering wheel. Maybe wheel hub or? Also driver headlamp was holding about 1 inch of water.

Anyways after all that I offered 16k. He said he will think about it. So guess we shall see. Honestly my wife hated it but I know alot of that is small stuff. Still think 20k is just too much. This is not the one.