Experience with certified pre-own vehicles?

[redstone]

I'm thinking of getting a certified pre-owned vehicle (about $15,000). So far, a Camry is my top choice.

Does anyone have specific experiences with buying certified pre-owned vehicles? Does the certification mean anything or is it just a marketing gimmick?

[Lynnae]

My brother's experience is that it was a marketing gimmick. He bought a certified pre-owned Honda, and when he took it into the shop, the underside of the car was all rusted.

We bought a Toyota that was in the certified pre-owned program, but we didn't pay for the warranty. It was only a month longer than the dealership's regular warranty, so it wasn't worth it.

My opinion is if you take a look at the history of the car and get it inspected by a good mechanic, you don't need to pay extra for the certified pre-owned program.

[redstone]

Thank you Lynnae, you probably just saved me thousands of dollars! I cannot believe a rusted car can pass the inspection required for the certification.

[Lynnae]

Yeah, I couldn't believe that either. Best to get your own mechanic to look at it.

[alex]

My CPO Accord was a mistake. The day after taking it off the lot, I had to bring it right back. Within the first three months, I spent nearly $1000 on issues the warranty didn't cover.

Maybe it was just bad luck.

All the PF people, and common sense, advise against buying new cars, but I'm never buying used again.

[purplefdu]

Buying used/new isn't about a general consensus as you can buy a bad new car as easily as a used one. Many states have lemon laws and other consumer buying protections set in place. No matter whether its certified or not always look at the vehicle yourself or have a mechanically inclined friend do it for you. You could have a mechanic do it, but most charge and if you don't buy the car you're now out their fee for nothing. Most certified programs will tell you what they include on this checklist, rust probably isn't on that as its body damage and something most people know to look for, especially anywhere it snows. Its also sometimes the most cosmetic and therefor something even teenagers will look for and spot issues with.

I recently bought a car from a dealership, not certified, but used and wouldn't trade it for the world. It came with a 60day warranty which is more than enough to cover any immediate issues it came with. Its coded a misfire when we test drove it so it already had a decent inspection before we bought it. My husband bought a brand new car that had more issues than most of the used ones he's bought. You just have to know the terms of the sale, warranty, and consumer laws and use your head when picking a vehicle. Check for known issues on the make/model/year and recalls and check those out as well or ask about having them checked before purchase.

[mydebtquest]

Originally Posted by redstone

I'm thinking of getting a certified pre-owned vehicle (about $15,000). So far, a Camry is my top choice.

Does anyone have specific experiences with buying certified pre-owned vehicles? Does the certification mean anything or is it just a marketing gimmick?

I've bought two CPO cars in the last year - a Toyota and a Volkswagen. I've had very good experiences with both cars. The Toyota was 1 year old at purchase, and the VW 4. So far as I can tell, the biggest perk to the CPO car is the warranty. Instead of the standard, state mandated (at least in NY) 30-60 day warranty, both cars came with rather expansive warranties - 5 years/100,000mi drivetrain for the Toyota and 2 years/24,000mi bumper-to-bumper for the VW.

For the comfort of purchasing from a dealer, with the "Certified" warranty, I think the slight price inflation involved with the "certified" title is worth it. In both cases, I got the car for under the Blue Book "retail" value and financed with incentive rates. The only thing to watch out for is the usual dealer up-selling - extended warranties and other dealer services.