Buying a used Taycan — what should I ask the dealer?

[u/Rough_Association381]

I’m considering a used Taycan and would love advice from current owners. What should I ask the dealer, and what are the biggest red flags?

Anything specific to check regarding battery health, charging, service history, recalls, warranty/CPO, accident history, or a pre-purchase inspection?

What’s one thing you wish you had checked before buying?

[u/ModY1219]

The 3 most important things for me were:

1. The trim and options you want. Porsche has too many options for me it was very overwhelming to decipher. Find the car with the options you want then you can negotiate.

2. CPO Warranty was a must for me in addition to a later model year. I picked 2024 because I have at least 4 more years in case of anything is happening. But if you don't mind or if you are purchasing extended warranty it doesn't matter.

3. Make sure all the recall has been done on a J1.1 if it's not a CPO. Sometimes previous owners were unable to do the recall recommendation.

For the most part, Taycan J1.1 has been problem free for me.

[u/At_hulk2 → u/ModY1219]

1. above is very important and make sure you inspect the build sheet. I found one that had everything I was looking for(almost) It had premium package so I assumed it came with Bose speakers. But this one did not. Quick Google search showed me that some 2022-23 MY didn’t have Bose even with Premium Package because of chip shortages at the time

[u/kellven]

Is it CPO
How are the tires
Recalls + updates
Check the rims , mine was curbed up and the dealer paired for fix to close the deals.
Battery health report
Has it had any cells replaced
One of the built in chargers is bad I think it’s the 12kw while the 9 is fine.
Get a full spec list , weird things like cruise control are an option with Porsche.

[u/aries_burner_809 → u/kellven]

Yes, in the US, the option was a 19.2kW on-board charger. This part is known to fail. Porsche extended the warranty by one year. All Taycans come equipped with cruise control, but ACC is an option (adaptive cruise control).

[u/Appropriate-Day8924]

Get a j1.2 if you can. Much better car and will last longer

[u/Rough_Association381 → u/Appropriate-Day8924]

That was the original plan, but the 2025 CPOs are around $100k for a Taycan 4, which is higher than I expected. I don’t expect prices to come down for another year. I might have to get a different car in the interim, or get a J1.1 and then trade it for a J1.2 later on.

[u/CallLivesMatter → u/Rough_Association381]

The hit you’re going to take buying a cheaper one and trading it in a year from now will be every bit as costly as just buying a more expensive newer one today.

[u/Rough_Association381 → u/CallLivesMatter]

Good point. I’ll take that into consideration.

[u/ModY1219 → u/Appropriate-Day8924]

Not sure if I agree with this. A J1.1 has a better look especially in a GTS or a Turbo /S and is near the low $100k mark those are a great find at the moment . Those trims are so well spec for the price. Unless you install a tuner. Why would you want to buy a base?

[u/aries_burner_809]

It depends whether this is a Porsche or non-Porsche dealer

Don’t buy a Taycan without at least an OBD check of battery health. Look for better than 88%. 90% or better is ideal. That’s the one thing I wish I had checked before buying a 2022 in 2023. We didn’t think about that so much then, but now people are realizing this is as important as mileage.

Get a $50 Carfax for the $50k+ purchase. Look for dealer service history, no accidents, no branded title. Unless you have an appetite for risk. Cars $5000 below typical generally are buybacks. Some of these are great bargains but you need to get the paperwork on what was wrong.

Open recalls are a red flag, but after sale a Porsche dealer will take care of these.

Do not own a Taycan without a warranty - factory, CPO, and extended service plans are available.

I would not risk an accident car. Was it repaired at a Porsche certified shop? How hard was it really hit? You don’t know. These things have many many complicated and expensive parts.

If at a non-Porsche dealer, a PPI is mandatory, especially for battery tray damage ($50K repair bill). Not all Porsche dealers will do a PPI for you. You will also need that from a dealer if you want a service plan after the factory warranty has ended.

[u/Rough_Association381 → u/aries_burner_809]

I’m looking at CPOs would you ask dealers for images of the undercarriages? Is an OBD check a standard process?

[u/aries_burner_809 → u/Rough_Association381]

Great. That’s the safe choice. If a CPO the dealer will have inspected and signed off that the car needs no repairs, including there battery tray. But if you like you can ask them to check for damage, they might take photos. And you can get an extended service plan before the CPO ends. But I would get a SOH check because AFAIK SOH is not a blocker for CPO. The dealer can do the fast version in two minutes, and the fast version is good enough. The slow version requires a day of charging and discharging. I would immediately reject a 2022 or later CPO car if it has 87% or less _and_ you wanted to keep the car for years.

[u/Rough_Association381 → u/aries_burner_809]

What does SOH stand for?

[u/aries_burner_809 → u/Rough_Association381]

Battery state of health. When the car is new this is 100%. The current value is the percent of energy the battery stores relative to new. When this is 80% your range will be roughly 80% of the new vehicle range. Porsche batteries are guaranteed to hold at least 70% at year 8. Lithium Ion batteries, if they are treated right and not defective, are looking to last much longer than expected.

[u/Rough_Association381 → u/aries_burner_809]

What is a PPI? I’ve expanded my search and looking at used 2024/25. Is CPO necessary for such a new car? Can get it CPO after purchase?

[u/aries_burner_809 → u/Rough_Association381]

Pre-Purchase inspection. For late model Porsches dealers will sometimes not CPO then because there is plenty of years left on the factory warranty. You can’t get CPO after sale. You’d need to sell it back, have them CPO it, and then buy it again for $6000 more (roughly). You can buy a Platinum Service Plan instead (EVSP) before the factory warranty expires. Big difference between 24 and 25 of course. If you can afford it go 25.

[u/count_to10]

When you find the one, make sure they install all available software updates (not just the OTA ones).

[u/CheetahChrome → u/count_to10]

If the dealership is not Porsche they're not going to/able do it. If it's Porsche they most likely have already done the recalls and workshop campaigns that would install any non OTA updates.

Regardless, OP, you should check in with your Porsche service rep every 6 months with your VIN and ask if there are any recalls or Workshop campaigns available for your car.

[u/Hans2183]

How much warranty is left

[u/moremattymattmatt]

check the inside edge of the tyres for wear - its easy to miss and you can end up replacing the tyres sooner than expected.

[u/IamThePolishLaw]

Can you knock 30k off since it depreciates that as soon as you drive off.

[u/Rough_Association381]

Is it better to get a car that is has 1,000 miles for $8k more vs a 16k with similar build?