Certified Pre-Owned Sedans

The advantages to buying a certified pre-owned sedan are many.  Certified pre-owned gives you the best of both worlds:  manufacturer-backed warranty and a great car for a reasonable price.  Here’s how certifying a pre-owned sedan works.

First the manufacturer of the sedan has it inspected at one or more of its dealer locations.  These inspections are very thorough because the manufacturer is seeking to protect its image and will have to offer an extended warranty on the vehicle if it passes inspection.  Any problems must be 100% remedied, or the car is disqualified from the program.  If it does pass final inspection, Once it does, the manufacturer agrees to back a warranty beyond the initial new-car warranty.  This extended warranty will last for a certain amount of time or a certain number of miles, whichever comes first.  The length of time or number of miles may depend on several factors, such as the model and your location.

Certified pre-owned sedans may also come with additional perks such as free roadside assistance, free use of a loaner car while waiting for service to be completed, shuttle pick-up and drop-off,  and – last but certainly not least – low financing on loans.  Other perks may include reimbursements for lodging and rental car in the event of a breakdown.  However, these are usually awarded only when the certified pre-owned sedan owner is at least 100 miles from home.  Some of the more upscale-model sedans (think Lexus) may come with sophisticated in-vehicle communication and anti-theft systems like  OnStar.

Beware of other “certified” sedan programs.  Some dealers may brag that the used cars they sell are “third party certified,” but this is not at all the same as cars that are certified pre-owned by the manufacturer.  Some of these inferior programs necessitate paying for any needed repairs and then having to wait for a reimbursement check.  Some even may carry a deductible anywhere from $50 to $400 or more, which must be met before any reimbursements kick in.  Others may offer the option of buying a longer warranty, but this seems to defeat the purpose of purchasing a certified car.  

Ideally, you want the purchase price to cover you for any mishaps that may occur along the way, without struggling with the decision of how much coverage to buy.  The manufacturer of a certified pre-owned car has backed it with an appropriate warranty, hoping of course that the next time you need a car you may buy a new one from that manufacturer.  So the maker of the sedan definitely has a stake in how satisfied you are, when you buy certified pre-owned.  This gives many owners of certified pre-owned cars the peace of mind and freedom they seek.