Certified Pre-Owned FAQ

What Exactly is a Certified Pre-Owned Car?

While it’s true that certified pre-owned cars have had other owners in their past, there are important points that set them apart from a more typical used car. Not every car can be “certified.”

To earn a certified status you have to meet certain strict requirements: 

A vehicle must be of a p relatively recent year and have relatively low mileage. Most importantly of all, it has to be in good condition. You won’t see any aging clunkers with 100,000 miles on their odometer in your dealership’s CPO section.

How Do Dealership’s Guarantee a CPO Car’s Quality?

To earn its certified status, a CPO vehicle has to pass a thorough multi-point inspection.  This inspection can’t be carried out by a dealership itself. It instead has to be performed by a trained third-party inspector. This system is designed to help guarantee both accuracy and credibility.

This inspector will look over the prospective vehicle and determine if it’s in a condition that’s comparable to something new. If it’s in a like new condition, then it can pass and earn its status as a certified pre-owned car. If a vehicle fails an inspection, however, it will remain simply “used.”

What’s the Benefit of Driving a Certified Pre-Owned Car? 

The simplest perk of driving something that’s earned a certified status is the peace of mind you get from knowing you’re driving a high-quality vehicle.

To be sure, it’s more than possible to find good cars waiting in the larger population of general used models. There are fewer guarantees in that market though, and it can be harder to know if the car you drive is actually worth what you paid for. The third-party guarantee that comes with a CPO car removes all doubts.

The other obvious benefit is the ability to get a good car for a better price. Many certified pre-owned models can provide driving experiences on par with their brand-new counterparts. If you play your cards right, it’s often possible to pay less for a CPO car that offers more than a more expensive one that’s brand new. When you add in additional common perks like extended warranties, things only get better.