Gold CPO and the car's been modded… worth it?

I went to check out a car at a dealership, and the sales rep mentioned it had a Toyota Gold Certified Pre-Owned label. They explained what that meant, but before knowing that, I asked them to lift the car so I could look for any issues.

When I was inspecting the suspension, I noticed that it had aftermarket suspension springs… So now I’m left wondering, is it still considered a Gold CPO? And will this be a pain for warranty claims later?

I wouldn’t touch anything with aftermarket mods. Dealers always have some loophole to get out of covering stuff like that.

Cam said:
I wouldn’t touch anything with aftermarket mods. Dealers always have some loophole to get out of covering stuff like that.

Thanks, it’s just a bummer since the car was exactly what I wanted otherwise.

If those aren’t TRD parts, CPO shouldn’t even be an option.

Tim said:
If those aren’t TRD parts, CPO shouldn’t even be an option.

They kept emphasizing that this car was a Gold CPO… and I was just nodding along while thinking, ‘I saw those aftermarket springs.’ I looked up the OEM ones, and they’re not the same color.

@allson
You should confront them about it and see what they say.

If I’m buying a CPO, I want it completely stock. The dealer I work at would put everything back to factory before certifying it.

StephCOPELAND said:
If I’m buying a CPO, I want it completely stock. The dealer I work at would put everything back to factory before certifying it.

Exactly… It kinda worries me that they didn’t catch those aftermarket springs while certifying it.

@allson
They allow some ‘acceptable’ aftermarket parts on Certified vehicles. I personally don’t think springs count as acceptable, but different dealers have different rules.

Were those lowering springs?

Florence said:
Were those lowering springs?

Yeah, they were definitely lowering springs.

allson said:

Florence said:
Were those lowering springs?

Yeah, they were definitely lowering springs.

I’d make them return it to factory specs before you consider buying it. CPO is basically a used car with a warranty, and if the suspension causes issues, they could easily void that part of the warranty.

@ace
That’s exactly what I’m worried about… If the mod was poorly done and it messes up the control arms, they’re gonna deny my warranty claim because of the springs. Thanks for the advice.

@ace
Totally agree. They should restore it to stock height. Lowering springs on a Toyota or Lexus? You’re just asking for scraping and warranty issues.

@ace

I’d ask them to return it to factory specs before I would buy it.

Yeah, if someone’s putting in aftermarket lowering springs, that’s a red flag about how they treated the car. I’d move on and find another one.

100% it’s gonna mess with your warranty claim if the suspension fails. Big red flag for any used car inspection.

In my opinion, anything labeled ‘Certified’ by a dealer is just their excuse to upcharge you.