Questions prior to purchase

[knix3000]

Good day all,

I am looking to purchase a a used 2012 4.6L Genesis and I want to know if there is anything I should look for on the test drive specific to this car. I found one locally that has 62,000 miles and it was listed for $12,900. I was able to get negotiate the price to $13,000 out the door. With this one being fully loaded and in excellent cosmetic shape, as long as it is mechanically sound it should be a great deal. Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[Gunkk]

Take the VIN to a local Hyundai dealer and have them pull the service history.

Also get a bumper to bumper extended warranty (~$2-3k) that covers the radar cruise module, HECU ABS unit, AND the infotainment head unit, each $2500+ per fix. You're past age and miles for what Hyundai will write, but a reputable 3rd party should suffice.

You'll need it.

 

[knix3000]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I will definitely take the VIN to a Hyundai dealer and see what they can pull regarding the service history. I had a BMW 540 back in the days and had to replace an ABS brake unit and the cost was insane. I'll see if I can find a reputable thrid party warranty company since the car is at an independent dealer. The only extended warranty that has been useful for me thus is the one at CarMax. Do you have any suggestions? Again, thanks for your response!

 

[Mark_888]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I will definitely take the VIN to a Hyundai dealer and see what they can pull regarding the service history.

I am not sure what that proves.

I have done all my own oil changes but one. I only use Mobil 1 full synthetic oil, and change it about once every 2500-5000 miles (because that is all that I drive in one year, and the warranty requires oil be changed at least once per year). I only used Hyundai OEM oil filters.

I also monitor, and top off when necessary, the coolant with Hyundai OEM stuff , and also the OEM DOT-4 brake fluid (one time). I change the engine air filter and cabin filter more often than required with Hyundai OEM filters.

Tires are rebalanced and rotated by Costco every 7500 miles, and filled with nitrogen, which promotes even tire wear. I use mid-grade gas (usually Shell or Chevron) to prevent engine detonation (engine runs quieter when I stated using mid-grade instead of regular).

No other maintenance items are specified in the owner's manual, as I only have 63K miles on my 2009 Genesis. No unusual engine noise at start up, no vibrations in any gear or at any speed, and no rattles or squeaks of any kind.

None of that shows up on any VIN report.

 

[Gunkk]

The report is quite detailed and will show every time a Hyundai dealer serviced the car, and what was done. If there's been major work done (such as replacing the components I mention above), it will have been by a Hyundai dealer and will be in the service history. If a dealer did oil & filter changes and the pseudo-major 30k/60k services it will show. If a DIY'er like Mark did their own oil and filter changes, it won't.

The goal here is not to prove anything, it's to get more information about the car. When I bought my '12 4.6 back in 2014, I practiced what I preach and am glad I did, because it told me a) there had been no major repairs, crash damage, etc. done by a Hyundai dealer (which meant that I would likely need an extended warranty because sometimes they do fail), and b) the reason the former owner had sold it to the Lexus dealer I was buying from had gotten frustrated over multiple repair attempts on a piece of roof trim, eventually having the car repainted. I could inspect the final repair and it was fine and paint was flawless. And I know the Lexus dealer lowballed trades, so I was able to better negotiate down the price I paid to what ended up being a fantastic deal, after which I had no qualms about dropping a few $k more for an extended warranty.

And that warranty just saved me $2477 on an HECU replacement at 66k miles... paying for itself. Now I'm covered out to 120k miles and 2022 for what is now essentially a "free" warranty.

So it was well worth the 30 minutes it took me to drive to my dealer, walk into the service office and nicely ask a service writer to pull the history.

 

[Mark_888]

So it was well worth the 30 minutes it took me to drive to my dealer, walk into the service office and nicely ask a service writer to pull the history.

There is nothing wrong with pulling the history, so long as one does not jump to conclusions. I personally would be very suspicious of dealer oil changes, unless it specified that they used synthetic oil (or at least synthetic blend).

Of course, ever since I graduated college I have always bought new cars, because I cannot stand the stress of worrying about what someone may have done to a used car (like the one used car I bought way back when I was still in college). I probably buy cars less often than most people, but always new, and always pay cash.

But I will admit that modern cars a lot more reliable than 20 years ago (and especially 40 years ago), and a lot of cars coming off lease are perfectly fine, but buying a new car is enough stress without having to worry about a used one .

 

[EdP]

There is nothing wrong with pulling the history, so long as one does not jump to conclusions. I personally would be very suspicious of dealer oil changes, unless it specified that they used synthetic oil (or at least synthetic blend).

If not specified by the owner I think you can be confident that it was NOT synthetic as it is not specified in the manual. Assuming the correct oil was used, I'd be more concerned that the oil was changed with proper frequency. I've known people that take very short trips of a mile or two in winter and think it is aOK to go 7500 mils even over two years.

I'm fortunate to be able to buy new also, same reason you do. I'm also glad there are people that prefer to buy used so we can hand them down with a reasonable return. The buyer of your car gets a good one too.

 

[Mark_888]

I've known people that take very short trips of a mile or two in winter and think it is aOK to go 7500 mils even over two years.

I know that Mobil 1 EP (Extended Protection) oil that I use would last two years and 7500 miles, but to maintain the warranty I have to change it at least once a year, even if I only drive 2500 miles per year (as I do now).

 

[homeofstone]

The 2012 4.6 is fairly rare. I loved my 4.6 V8 in my 2011. It was always smooth and quiet and no oil use in over 210,000 miles.