Piston Slap: CPO, PPI…STFU and Buy?

Hi Sajeev,

I plan to by a Town and Country Touring-L within the next month (hat tip to Jack Baruth!). One vehicle is a 2012 with 41.1k miles, has the Certified Pre-Owned 7yr/100,000mi warranty and listed for $19.0k. The other is a 2011 with 43.3k miles w/o CPO listed for $17.0k. Both are otherwise almost identical.

My question is whether or not it the $2,000 is worth it for the CPO vehicle. The primary difference is another 2yrs to the warranty (actually, 3yrs b/c one is a 2011 and the other is a 2012), and mileage limit stays at 100kmi, but then again I’m thinking that $2,000 is a lot of repairs for a vehicle. Then again, the piece of mind is worth something to me, but is it worth $2,000?

Sajeev answers:

Is this adequate information to make a fair assessment of the situation? The sad reality is–much like how the 24 hour news cycle distills impossibly complex situations into easy to digest bits of polarizing bullshit–deeper investigation nets the truth. It won’t net you a Peabody award, it merely ensures you pick the best machine.

So you say the difference is the warranty. I say the difference is condition and longevity of wear items and THEN the modest bonus of a warranty on a non-European vehicle.

More to the point, pull up the CPO inspection paperwork on that unit, and get a PPI on the other one. Inspecting for obvious mechanical problems, accident damage, etc is still a good idea in this age of CARFAX and DIY forums, but I’m more concerned about those wear items.

• A CPO Warranty doesn’t cover wear items, so how new are they? Tires, brakes, etc.
• What did the PPI uncover about wear items?
• Do both vehicles have a service history? If you get lucky, both were serviced by the dealer: the digital ink spilled is rather easy to spot with a visit to a Chrysler service drive.
• Does the PPI make the non-CPO vehicle a better value…or worse value?
• Learn how to inspect some of the basics of a PPI yourself, and feel confident you can answer the questions asked here.

No decision made, go back and do your homework. Or not: because the odds of making a horrible decision are less than likely. Short of major collision repair or flood damage, modern cars are pretty good.

Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry…but be realistic, and use your make/model specific forums instead of TTAC for more timely advice.