[xxxbimmer]

Originally Posted by dterrie

This is my first post. I own a 2007 328i Coupe (love it). Way back, owned 1980 528i. The car is for son.

I've test-driven a 2000 323ci at a small used-car dealership. It has 97K miles. Steptronic, Sport and Premium, etc. Very clean inside and out. Tires in good shape. Engine smooth and responsive - compared better than expected. Tested alignment highway taking hands off wheel and car tracked straight. Handling on a fast run around highway exit ramp seemed good. However, going over a patch of rough pavement, the bumps felt harsher than I expected. I've checked enough forum posts to be aware of subframe issues, especially with coupes. The salesman says he does not have ownership / maintenance history on the car.

He wants $13K. The KBB is $15,140.

Should I pursue purchasing this car, if it checks out OK in an inspection?
Is there a way to find out the car's history through the VIN?
If I can't discover it's history, and the subframe, etc. checks out ok, are there still enough unknowns to make purchasing an extended warranty a good idea (not normally a fan of these)?

In short, am I taking a big maintenance risk here, or should I be ok, if car checks out?

you can look up the car on carfax........ALOT can go wrong on a car at 100k especially if the cars maint was less than perfect... and the sport pkg makes the ride more harsh fyi..... i would get the war for piece of mind