OP - As you seem to be genuinely interested in obtaining a GT and want to do so with eyes wide open, I think it may be beneficial to you to discuss this PPI. Kudos to you for having a PPI done - no one should even consider a car in this price change without a PPI. But, understand that there are differences in PPI's and specifically the inspector's familiarity with the vehicle being inspected. With the exception of what you describe as a very poor paint job at the front, the GT doesn't necessarily strike me as being in poor shape. I get it that you are rightfully mad that the seller wasn't more forthcoming. You should be. But, lets' look at the PPI outcome and dissect it a bit.
- Water Temp, Oil Temp, and Boost gauge were not working. This is a known issue with these cars, and there was no way the dealer wasn't aware of it driving the car. How many start/run cycles were performed while watching the gauges? It is relatively common that a car with an older or partially depleted battery will "wake-up" with one or more inoperative gauges. That could be the case here unless there were multiple start cycles and these 3 gauges always failed to initiate.
- AC Blend knob was non-functional - Blend doors are known to stick. There is a lot written here on this forum about the problem. Often time you can get them to start cycling without digging into them. Sadly, more common than anyone would like.
- Front Shocks were blown out and leaking all over I think this claim may be exaggerated. I have seen and replace many GT shocks because they are showing evidence of leaking. The shocks on these cars are 17 years old. Almost EVERY GT that comes through here has one or more shocks that have started to leak. Never ever have a seen a GT shock that "is leaking all over".
- The 6 rib drive belt was shredded, only had 3 ribs left. Pieces of belt all over the engine bay. Yeah, and this probably made quite a racket when it happened! My guess is that a rodent chewed into the belt. Not that big of a deal (other than not being disclosed) and can easily be replaced.
- Oil belt frayed - As I expressed previously, this cannot be discerned without quite a bit of work to remove the oil belt cover. Removing and re-installing the cover is the hardest part of an oil pump belt replacement. This notation makes me suspect of the PPI integrity.
- Rodent damage throughout the wiring harness The GT is a pretty simplistic car electronically. If everything worked properly, there's probably some re-taping that needs to be performed but perhaps not that big of a deal?
- The tires were from 2011 Unfortunately not that uncommon. You'll want the Bridgestones anyway - a much better tire than the OEM Goodyear.
- The Hood and Engine struts were blown out and would not support the weight. Gas struts are a consumable. I'd bet that these struts are weak/bad on the majority of GTs out there.
- Driverside window seal had chemical corrosion Weird!
- Clutch needs replacing I'm skeptical here too. What were the noted diagnostics that led to this conclusion? I don't think a failed clutch in a GT is easy to diagnose. Maybe be a LOT less costly repair can resolve.
- The crank sensor has bad leak Have never seen this. Nevertheless, it's a single fastener and an o-ring. Not a big deal
- Does not look like any service has been performed on the car in a long time, fluids were is desperate need of flushing. Brake and clutch fluid can get ugly quickly in a GT. Most cars we see are in need of flushing.
- Power steering leaking. Not uncommon for power steering units to weep and often this will go away when the car is driven more frequently.
- The door ajar light was illuminated with doors closed, doors would not lock. The door ajar light will illuminate if the clamshell or bonnet is not closed tightly. I'd say an improperly closed front bonnet is most often the culprit for this light. Note that you will never "hear" doors lock or unlock in a GT.
- The entire front end and fenders are painted, very poorly. That sucks..... and you are right that it is not evident from the pics on their website.
Not new to these types of cars, and I never expect a car to be perfect as they never are. To me, it speaks more about how honest the sellers are, how they treated the car, and how well they cared for it with maintenance.
I asked about any problems or issues, was told none and it was maintained. I know all the quirks with the car, and underdstand they are common quirks and fixable, what I don't underdtand is not being honest about it. If you'll lie about something simple like that, what else would you lie about or try and hide.
I have another one under contract that is going into PPI Monday, seller was open to all issues and we discussed them and I still agreed to move forward.
