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Apologies if this is off-topic; I'm not seeing it fit squarely in either this site or the Personal Finance site...

I'm currently looking at a used Subaru Forester being offered "as-is" by a dealership here in town. Let's call them Smith's Hyundai. They are more than happy to let me take it for an inspection (on my dime, of course) to a mechanic of my choice.

The wrinkle is the Subaru dealership in town is Smith's Subaru and is next door, literally sharing their parking lots.

I know this is bordering on asking strangers on the Internet to read minds, but how much stock would you put in any sort of inspection from the Subaru dealer owned by the same parent company?

I would like to think they would be professional and objective, obviously hoping to keep my business after the sale, but I think the potential conflict of interest is also just as obvious.

Of course, I could also go to a non-Subaru repair shop for their opinion.

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  • Selling "as is" can often mean that it comes with faults (and a price to suit). But it's up to you to figure it out. No warranty, perhaps.
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Sep 18 at 20:06
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    Ask yourself this: if the car is a creampuff (granny driven, only to church on sundays, perfect maintenance, etc etc), then why isn't it next door where the <brand> dealer keeps the good <brand> trade-ins? I predict a laundry list of issues from an indy mechanic.
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Commented Sep 28 at 17:12

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Any decent mechanic can do a quality inspection on any vehicle, and probably do it at a better price than a dealership would. Don't rely on Subaru to give you what you need, especially if they are associated with the selling dealership. Find someone who will do the inspection for you and have them do it versus the Subaru maintenance department.

On a separate note, considering they are willing to let you have an inspection performed is usually a good sign, though. Some might play games, but most dealerships who are willing to do this really don't have anything to hide. Still, a separate inspection will give you peace of mind with your vehicle purchase. Consider it an investment towards your purchase.

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    In UK, both the AA and the RAC (which historically were motoring clubs) offer a used vehicle inspection service.
    – Weather Vane
    Commented Sep 18 at 20:02
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    @WeatherVane - That is actually pretty cool service. I like the idea of using an "uninterested 3rd party" to ensure the vehicle you're looking at is what you are expecting.
    – Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 ♦
    Commented Sep 18 at 21:37
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Not only are there conflict of interest issues having a related company's mechanic look at the car, you might find out the hard way that it is the same mechanic. Just like the two dealerships share a parking lot, they likely share a lot of back-end personnel such as finance people and even mechanics.

Go to an independent shop. I learned years ago to not go to the dealer even for routine maintenance, though obviously some are more trustworthy than others. Note that I wouldn't be too concerned about a dealer doing a bad job on repairs/maintenance. But I would be concerned about higher than normal prices and about recommendations for unnecessary work. Of course in the context of a vehicle evaluation by a "captured" mechanic it would be the opposite - a statement that everything is great when there are things wearing out that will need repairs soon after the 30-day warranty expires.

In fact, I would generally only go to the dealer for warranty repairs or manufacturer recalls. If you have a shop you would trust to do routine maintenance then go to them. If not, ask around (friends, neighbors, etc.) to get recommendations.

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