Wondering if anyone can help shed some light on the standard a Jaguar needs to meet in order to be certified.

For example, item 23 of the 165 point checklist is rather opaquely called "Seats" (https://www.jaguarusa.com/Images/JNA...638-536091.pdf). I asked Jaguar if they could explain what condition the seats have to be in in order for a vehicle to be certified, for example, light wear might be OK but a hole would not or something like that. But Jaguar USA refers to the dealerships who, based on my experience to date, don't seem to be too forthcoming when it comes to providing an answer.

By analogy, in this video a former dealership GM explains that in order for a BMW to be certified, the wheels must not have curb rash, .

Thanks a lot!

 

The inspection is very subjective - I looked at a dealership in Illinois for about a year and not only did they ensure that all 165 things were checked, they always put new tires, new chin spoiler, and made sure cars had both remotes - no exceptions. Their cars were hand picked and looked immaculate. Having worked in dealerships, i was impressed with their attention to detail and while their list prices were a bit higher than others, the cars appeared to warrant the extra money. Fast forward a few months to my local dealer (Indianapolis) had a CPO f-type that I would rate a 6 out of 10 (assuming 10 is a really nice used car). They were quick to highlight the 165 point inspection, but the tires probably just made it over the threshold if at all, the rear quarter glass had a deep scratch, many scratches and nicks throughout, side bolster worn through the leather, and the car was filthy, had only one key and every wheel was scraped. I get that most of that was cosmetic, but it just looked bad and did not provide any confidence in the mechanical portions that were supposed to be done. I get that its CPO so they would have to fix it if something broke etc, but I have a long history with this place and wouldn't trust it. Also, they claimed they would perform some "fix-it" and begged me to come in to negotiate and then once I got there, said the price was the price and that was taking the car as-is. I was interested because it was fairly cheap relatively speaking and I have been reconditioning cars for a long time and enjoy a challenge. Again, the inspection can be subjective but I would recommend finding a dealer that takes great interest in their CPO cars and explains what they do - all dealers will vary in their diligence in completing the checklist.

 

Thank you for your quick response!
Very interesting. Didn't expect things to be this subjective. Recently saw an inspection report from a dealership that lists "minimum" numbers for some items such as break pads and rotors (e.g. "LF rotor at 34.82mm, new at 36mm, min at 34mm.") That made me hopeful that Jaguar has concrete requirements for most if not all of the other items on the 165 point list.

 

I'm sure some items have a range or threshold; I was just saying that some dealers observe it more closely than others. I found a couple dealers that really try to give a "new car" experience with their CPO units. The standards are good to have but that assumes the service department is actually following everything and unless you're going to check behind them, you don't really know. Also keep in mind that the checklist is made to be applied universally like their service work. For example: I just got my 5 year service estimate for $1800 - they want to perform all the service as though my car has 80,000 miles even though it only has 15k on it and they list things rotate tires - which is impossible because my wheels are staggered and directional.Just saying that CPO doesn't mean "New Car" like some people think. When I worked for VW, our certified pre-owned didn't even have an inspection - if they were under a certain mileage, the dealer paid like $400 and it became a CPO and then would charge $1200 to the customer for the additional warranty.

 

Interesting. Both the part about the 5 year service and the VW experience.
I have since heard back from a Jaguar dealer who basically confirms what you said - it's very subjective.

 

It’s like anything else, you owe it to yourself to perform the due diligence. My local dealer just happens to be terrible, but there are good ones out there and they care about what they sell. Always better when you can see the car in person and verify as much of the report as possible - either improves or casts doubt on the credibility of the dealer. I have found that franchises with designated sales people that handle CPO generally have cleaner cars with less issues - they realize depreciation is high and there is a market for cars that are close to new but Can be had at a discount; that’s really the buyer they appear to be targeting. I ended up buying from a private owner, but got the exact combination of color and equipment I wanted, low miles, CPO, and solid service history, I bought it very cheap and crossed my fingers that it wasn’t misrepresented (after all my “pristine” is likely different than yours). Pleasantly surprised, it arrived better than expected (extremely minty) - I immediately removed the p-zeros and began ruining it with aftermarket parts! I have purchased approx a dozen cars by photo only - usually fly in to pick them up, but this one was delivered (I was away on business and the cost was about the same as a plane ticket and hotel room). I’ve been fortunate with all but one car, but I am patient and typically buy at a price cheap enough that Fix-it’s are accounted for or I can resell without financial harm. Like with my f-type I have been super blessed and got a few that were better than expected and at a great price. Be patient with your search and fearless in your negotiation. Most importantly, cash is still king; know what a great deal is an be ready to put the cash up when the right one comes along. Best of luck.