I'm in the process of purchasing a 2019 Vantage with 25k miles and I had a PPI performed Thursday afternoon and received the written report a little while ago. While it is generally a good report, there are a few issues for which I'm waiting to get clarification. They are supposed to call me to discuss the report this afternoon. I've C&P'ed a few parts of the report below that show the issues that they identified. The summary is in black and the specific issues identified in the detail section are in red. I'm not concerned with normal wear-and-tear items or the scratches and rock chips. After all, I'm not buying a new car. However, given that the car had a clean Carfax report, I am a bit concerned about the report of previous body work, including readjustment of the hood and the repainting of the left bumper and quarter panel.) I'd be interested in the reactions and recommendations from anyone here who would care to weigh in. (I also posed this question at the end of a very long thread begun over the summer when I first began shopping for a car. I hope that I'm not breaking any forum rules by starting a new thread to ask for comments since I'm afraid not many people will read that entire thread to get to this current issue.) Here are the pertinent items from the report, as well as a link to the car on cars.com since it has been removed from the dealer's website:

SUMMARY

2019 Aston Martin Vantage

The exterior was examined for cosmetic issues and functionality. Our inspector found the exterior with a few cosmetic issues of note. The vehicle is noted with previous body work and minor undercarriage surface rust. The exterior is also noted with a few scratches and chips. Exterior functionality was evaluated and noted with no issues.

The interior was examined for cosmetic issues and functionality. The interior was noted with minor cosmetic issues. Interior functionality was evaluated and noted with no issues.

The engine bay and undercarriage components were visually examined for leakage, deterioration, and fluid conditions. Oily residue was noted on a brake hose. Additionally, residue was noted on a front strut. Exhaust system components were noted to be intact with no audible leaks.

A test drive was conducted at highway speeds. The engine had plenty of power with no misfires. Drivetrain components were noted with no operational issues. Steering, braking, and suspension operated as designed. However, our inspector did make note of an engine noise that may merit additional research. A scan of the onboard diagnostics revealed no current, pending, or historical codes.

Tires were evaluated for tread depth and unusual wear patterns. The brand is noted to be homogeneous with an average amount of tread remaining.


Refer to the detail section and photos for additional information.

There is a 'hooting' sound from the front at very light throttle applications consistent with a resonance in the intake system. Possibly a normal operating condition and no drivability issues were noted.

There is some oily residue on the right rear brake hose which could be a brake fluid leak. This needs to be diagnosed and addressed.

There is some residue on the right front strut. There does not appear to be any symptoms associated with the residue and it does not appear to be hydraulic fluid.

There are signs of previous repair on a few panels. The front bumper and left quarter panel have been repainted. The left quarter panel and front bumper appear to have been repainted. The work appears mostly well done. There is some minor overspray on the trim under the hood in the right front corner. See images. Witness marks are present.

Higher paint thickness readings are indicative of filler usage.

The hood has been adjusted consistent with previous repair. There is a spot of overspray on the trim under the hood on the right side.

Very small rock chips on the hood. A few very minor scratches around the paint.

There is some scratching on the under side of the front bumper consistent with parking block damage.

There is some light wear on the left side bolster of the driver seat.

Mirror in the right visor is broken.

Surface rust can be seen on a few undercarriage fasteners.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/397b22fc-1615-46c5-8017-c20e2a9be6c7/]Used 2019 Aston Martin Vantage Base

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Overall it seems like there's a bit goin on with this car. While the mechanical issues can be fixed with $ (I'd go through the listed issues and assign cost of repair to them - then look for that cost to be deducted from the price) I'd be much more concerned with the fact that the car was in an accident (or maybe more than one). I'd also be very concerned about this not being brought to your attention at the start of your conversations. I guess my confidence in the story of the car would be low.

If it were me I'd keep looking

 

That "hooting" sound is common, I'm not sure there's a real fix for it. Its just something these cars do.

As for the damage, if it was just cosmetic damage and it was repaired properly, then its no big deal. However, it appears they didn't replace all the parts if they are talking about use of filler, so that would concern me, What you also don't know is when it happened, if it was reasonably recent, it could show up on the car fax later, then it would impact you when you go to sell it.

The possible brake line leak should be looked into and corrected by the dealer before you buy it. I'd also have them fix the night visor mirror since that should be easy enough.

Given that its not a low mileage car, and its already in the lower part of the price range, I don't think any of this would stop me from buying it, but I would want the dealer to correct those couple of things and take some more off the price to account for an accident possible showing up on car fax in the future. In effect, act as if it was showing up now. Then its the dealer's call as to whether or not they think they can find a buyer that's going to buy it without inspecting and buy it without even knowing about the repair.

 

Thank you both for your comments. Someone else had mentioned the "hooting" was probably normal as well. I guess my main concern at this point is the fact that the car has had some body work done and how much that will affect the resale value whenever it comes time to sell or trade it in. I'm not sure what if any additional discount the dealership would give at this point given that the car was already in a pretty low range and I already got them to reduce the price another 3K to 90k.

To be honest, had the body work shown up on the Carfax, I probably would have scratched it off my list to begin with and not even have gone out to see and test drive it. However, having already done so, I'm not sure that I want to walk away at this point. But then again, I'm not sure I want to purchase it either.

 

Keep looking. There are plenty AM's out there. Based on your notes I'd say you have some doubt. Me too!

 

Not a lot when you eliminate black, silver, grey, and white, lol. Especially sub $100k.

I do! But I also really like the car.

I spoke with the GM yesterday afternoon and expressed my frustration about learning that the car has had previous paint and body work done. He was sympathetic, but wasn't inclined to do anything else on price. They were going to be closed today, so he told me to take the weekend to decide what I want to do and then let him know Monday morning and he'd return my deposit if I decided going against going through with the purchase.

I'm still not sure what I want to do, but coincidentally, another Vantage I had been eyeing for awhile had its price reduced 5K and is now in the same price range. It's a 2020 CPO with similar mileage, but has the advantage of also having the tech package. Before I found out about the paint and body work, the only negative to the car in Jacksonville for me was that it didn't have blind spot monitoring. Here's a link to the 2020 CPO:

https://www.theluxurycollectionwc.com/used-vehicle-2020-aston-martin-vantage-c-1043/]Used 2020 Aston Martin Vantage For Sale ($94,950) | The Luxury Collection Walnut Creek Stock #UPN03875 (theluxurycollectionwc.com)

 

Also remember that the 2019 without the tech pack doesn't have keyless entry.

The other advantage to the 2020 is that, if you have any mechanical concerns, because the dealer is an Aston dealer they can give you an extended warranty so you know anything unexpected (mechanically) is covered. The down side is that since its at an Aston dealer already, its tough to get an true independent inspection.

Comparing the two cars, on paper, the 2020 is better. Obviously it depends what any inspection reveals. Of course, the shipping will cost more from California.

 

Where do you live? I'll deliver the car for you from California

 

You could have a pristine no accident car and in two weeks have an accident car. Can the panels in question be wet sanded. If it's the front bumper where the work was done; convert it to a slat grill with a new bumper cover.

 

Totally walk away from the 2019. If they really want to move it, they'll counter when you try to leave. I'd opt for the '20 either way.

 

A quality honest dealer would know about paint work regardless of it showing up in a carfax report... Likely was hoping someone would rely on it not showing up...

Run away from that dealer unless he cuts the price 20% which he won't...

Unexplained body paint is like leprosy on these type cars

 

The 2019 red car you are looking at has plastic transmission buttons. That means it's missing the technology pack option. For 2019, the tech package included 360 degree cameras, blind spot monitoring, keyless entry, parking assist, touch pad controller and glass buttons. If you are set on a red car, there are not many of them. I looked for about a year until I found the right one as I didn't want white, silver, gray or black. Good luck

 

I appreciate everyone's comments. To address some of the issues raised, let me say that I realize that the 2019 doesn't have the tech package, but I confirmed in person that it does have the 360 camera, which is a must have for me. Interestingly, the ad on the website states that the car does have keyless entry and I specifically asked the salesman if it did, and he answered yes. But it wasn't something I checked myself. But in actuality, it isn't that important to me in either case. I am concerned about not having blind spot monitoring though, especially since I have a habit of making quick lane changes and that little orange light on the side view mirror has saved me from doing so when I shouldn't on multiple occasions. As for the exterior color of the car, I like the Q scorus red, but I'm not set on that color. I just don't want black, white, silver, or grey.

It's 9:00am Monday Morning and I still haven't 100% confirmed in my mind that I want to go through with the purchase. I suppose that that in and of itself means that I shouldn't.

 

Pass on this example, there will be others. Yes, you have specifics for which you are seeking (color, some options) and may have to settle on something, or you might hit a grand slam and find it next week.

Personally, seeing what was not disclosed, items that took some investigation to find, and now nonnegotiable GM you are best to walk away from this one. It is one thing if something happened, and you needed paint/body work done and can control it (the evidence of overspray indicates lack of attention to detail and the need to "get the job done") but this was just a trade in to avoid having to deal with something later as the seller. You better believe the dealer found it and likely used for their advantage on the trade in price.

 

Just wanted everyone to know that I ultimately decided to back out of the deal. I called the GM & the salesman earlier today to let them know that I just wasn't 100% comfortable going forward with the purchase after learning about the paint and bodywork issues.

Once again, I appreciate everyone's comments. They were very helpful in assisting me reach a decision.