[mcarter0519]

Is there a way to check the validity of a title on a n X7? I'm looking at one and the Carfax shows nothing out of the ordinary, but I was given an internal BMW report showing it had a Steering Motor Permanant Malfunction and it was in service for 63 days. Please help! Thank you.

[thenew3]

I don't know about checking title, but I can share that based on my experience, carfax information can be behind by a few years.

We had a new Audi that was nearly totalled a month after we took delivery. Took the body shop 4 months to repair it. When we sold it a year later, it had clean car fax report. No accidents on the report (even though the repair cost was over 100% the original purchase price of the car).

I also had a VW that was totalled in an accident. Two years later, I was contacted by the new owner of the vehicle. Apparently the insurance company sold it for scrap, some body shop bought it, fixed it up and sold it to the new owner. Carfax showed it was clean, and the title was clear (not salvage). Not sure how a totaled car could be sold with a clean title and no record of any accident in carfax. (The new owner contacted me to get the owners manual and second key. Not sure how he found my info).

So don't put too much faith in carfax reports.

[mcarter0519]

Thank you for the reply. Wow, your situations are extreme with the Carfax. Generally, I do not put 100% confidence in the accuracy of a Carfax, but use it as just one of the tools to make an informed decision. I think I am going to get a PPI from a BMW dealer to make sure one way or the other the history of this car. It really is the perfect spec, but not if it is a problem car.

[Resjudicata]

how did you get a copy of the BMW report?

[jmciver]

Originally Posted by Resjudicata

how did you get a copy of the BMW report?

He is probably talking about a "key read", which is the report that a SA does every time you check-in your BMW for service. It will tell you everything that any BMW dealership has done to the car. I did one of those after I purchased a '09 128i w/148k miles for my son last year. It gave me a good idea about how the previous owners took care of it, at least until the warranty period was over....

[Resjudicata]

Originally Posted by jmciver

He is probably talking about a "key read", which is the report that a SA does every time you check-in your BMW for service. It will tell you everything that any BMW dealership has done to the car. I did one of those after I purchased a '09 128i w/148k miles for my son last year. It gave me a good idea about how the previous owners took care of it, at least until the warranty period was over....

Ty

[mcarter0519]

Originally Posted by jmciver

He is probably talking about a "key read", which is the report that a SA does every time you check-in your BMW for service. It will tell you everything that any BMW dealership has done to the car. I did one of those after I purchased a '09 128i w/148k miles for my son last year. It gave me a good idea about how the previous owners took care of it, at least until the warranty period was over....

This is correct.