maintenance records, specifically oil changes and if the recall/TSB had been done for the spark plugs for that engine...if you are buying from a Cadillac or GM dealership I would think both of those would have been done prior to putting it up for sale but they can show you that...

hopefully more will chime in soon...good luck with your ATS

Bill

 

angel71rs posted in this thread and included links to a wealth of info. Put your reading glasses on.

Repair Shop recommendations

I'm shopping for a used ATS in southeast Florida, and need a recommendation for a good repair shop/garage that has experience fixing these cars and knows what to look for during a pre-purchase inspection. Any recommendations in & around Miami-Dade county welcome!

www.cadillacforums.com

 

That car has been sitting a lot too being that old with that low of mileage, I would want to know if it was parked indoors or outdoors. Hopefully there are maintenance records that can tell a story. Maybe check the date code on the tires too.

 

Before CV, ATS like that were down in the $12-15K range, but since CV, used
prices are way up, so it's hard to say what a good price is now.
You can compare it to other similar cars, use KBB, etc, to ball park values.

Check to see if the tires are old. It came with run flats and no spare, so see if
good run flats are on it. Make sure CUE works, if it has CUE.

Verify the Trim Level. Standard is bare bones, Luxury, Perf (added touring things),
Premium had most options. Blade head lights = Perf or Premium.

There are lots of topics like this, with things to look for.
Unless this is a cream puff Luxury or above, generally you should seek 2015+.

 

Thanks all for the info. Greatly appreciate it, especially the links to older threads that I missed.

The Carfax report shows the original driver may in fact be the proverbial "little old lady who just drove it to church." The driver seat memory #1 position would indicate that holds true. 😄 (It's the Luxury package w/ the 8-way power seats & moonroof. Also has the cold weather package)
The car averaged 4k miles/year until 2019, then dropped to about 2k/year. All service done at GMC dealers. I can't tell if the spark plug TSB was performed or not, I'll have to specifically inquire on that. It is CLEAN under the hood & under the chassis. There's even a very light oil sheen on the plastic bits under the hood like it just rolled off the assembly line. The CUE was pulled by the selling dealership to be repaired, so I'm waiting on that to get back before we move forward w/ a proper test drive. Hopefully this week.🤞 I'll also take a peek at that rear differential to see if there's any sign of a leak.
Selling dealer also said they would put new tires on it.

 

... Selling dealer also said they would put new tires on it.

You'll kick yourself if they put runflats on. Maybe not next week, but within the next several months. If you have a choice and without being specific, go with a nice touring all season or something.

 

Does anyone know the TSB info for the piston / sparkplug issues mentioned? I went looking, and there are over 2,000 TSBs out there for the 2013 ATS...
I've also been searching for a site that tracks used car prices over time - feels odd that I've not been able to track that down. Anyone aware of something like that?

EDIT: I did find this forum post that indicates there was a Customer Satisfaction notice #14591. That got me to the TSB here.

 

Thank you to everyone for all the help in this process. I'm going in a different direction on the purchase decision, but not because of any concerns with the car. If anyone is seeking a really clean 2013 ATS with very low miles - hit up Herb Chambers Lexus in Hingham MA.