What Does Certified Mean When Buying A Used Car

Buying a new car is more expensive than ever, with the average new car price exceeding $40,000. Although used cars are more affordable, you might be reluctant to purchase one because it comes with uncertainties beyond what a vehicle history report can uncover. Luckily savvy car shoppers can have the best of both worlds thanks to certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles.

what does certified mean when buying a used car

The price difference between certified pre-owned and pre-owned vehicles can be substantial. You will pay on average about $1,000 less for a non-certified used car than you would for a comparable certified used car, according to Kelley Blue Book. And Edmunds puts that number at $1,500.

Certified pre-owned (CPO) cars are popular with buyers who want to minimize the risk of buying a used car. They get added benefits, such as a limited warranty, roadside assistance and loaner vehicles. Understandably, CPO vehicles often carry a higher price than a non-certified model. Many people feel comfortable paying that premium because of the peace of mind a CPO program gives them.

CPO doesn't stand for "Car Perfection Opportunity." But it's hard to fault consumers for thinking that it might. Every advertisement would have you believe that a CPO vehicle is just like new. Ultimately, though, a CPO car is still a used car. It may have gone through a 200-point inspection, but that doesn't mean that 200 parts were replaced.

During our colleague's salesman days, he had a customer who wanted to be thorough and took her CPO car to a mechanic shortly after purchasing it. The mechanic told her she had 6 millimeters remaining on her brake pads. She went back to Jones and wanted to know why she was sold a car with "just 6 percent remaining" on the brake pads. He explained that brake pads are usually between 8 and 10 millimeters thick when new, so 6 millimeters was pretty good. She had misinterpreted the meaning of 6 millimeters. Perhaps she expected brand-new brake pads, but that wasn't what the CPO standard required.

Be persistent: If you believe there's something amiss with a CPO car, follow up with the dealership. An Edmunds editor's spouse did this after he purchased his CPO Porsche 911. A few days after buying the car, he noticed that the tires were not the Porsche-approved N specification. When he researched the issue, he learned that Porsche will not approve a vehicle as a CPO unless it has tires with this specification. He was concerned that there would be warranty issues down the road if he used the non-spec tires that were on the car.

All things considered equal, it costs more to buy a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle than it does to buy the same used vehicle when it is not part of a CPO program. However, while non-CPO vehicles are typically less expensive, they are not equal to CPO vehicles. Here's why:

Late-model, low-mileage vehicles with clean vehicle history reports are accepted into certified pre-owned programs sponsored by auto manufacturers. If a vehicle does not meet specific criteria, which varies depending on the automaker, it cannot become a CPO vehicle.

The number of things that a dealer will examine and, if necessary, recondition or replace to meet CPO program standards varies by manufacturer, but generally a CPO vehicle has endured between 100 and 200 individual item checks and is approved by the time it goes on sale as a certified used vehicle.

OEMs now have their own certification process that they carry out in addition to the safety certification mandated by the government of Ontario. When a used car is certified by an OEM, it means that the OEM dealership has inspected it according to a list of points specific to that manufacturer and/or dealership.

For example, Ford promises a 172-point inspection. If you buy a used Ford, it has passed all 172 points. The inspection lists are available online, so review them as part of your research when shopping for a used car.

Some websites suggest foregoing the extra expense of buying a certified used car and just saving the money in case extra repairs come sooner than expected. If you choose that route, research vehicle reliability to help you find a car that has a less likely chance of causing you too many issues as it ages.

First you must choose between buying a new car and buying a used car. A new car may cost more but will come with a longer warranty and no history of abuse or neglect. However, new cars depreciate (lose value) almost immediately when they leave the new car lot, which means that if you can find a well-cared-for used car, it might be a good bargain.

The law prohibits rolling back or changing the number of miles on an odometer. Texas law requires the seller of any used vehicle to state on the title assignment the total number of miles the vehicle has traveled. Make sure you get a copy of the odometer statement when you sign the contract.

Additionally, 11,000 FordPass Reward Points are earned with the purchase of every Ford Blue Advantage Blue Certified vehicle, and those points can be used toward scheduled maintenance visits like oil changes and tire rotations. At Bird-Kultgen, we know that used car buying can be stressful, but we think customers deserve to worry less and expect more when purchasing a used vehicle.

There are many pros for buying a used car as well as for a Certified Pre-Owned car. Traditional used cars can give you a bit more wiggle room in your budget and give you an expansive selection to choose from. You have every model year up to this point to browse as well as makes and models of all shapes and sizes including ones that are no longer in production.

Just about every automaker operating in the United States has some form of a certified pre-owned vehicle program. Very few, if any, have one that is as advantageous to customers as the one started by Toyota and administered at Colonial Toyota. The dealership takes in a staggering number of used vehicles as trade-ins and lease returns. Not many of them will end up passing the certification needed to be a Toyota Certified Used Vehicle. 041b061a72