Certified Used-Car Programs Are Evolving; Here's What to Watch Out For
What Car Shoppers Need to Know
- Certified pre-owned programs are offered by many automakers as a peace-of-mind option to those looking to purchase a used vehicle.
- Some of these programs even sell vehicles that aren’t the same brands as their parent automakers.
- Eligibility requirements have expanded, so some programs certify older, higher-mileage vehicles than previously allowed.
- There are big differences with many of these programs, from warranty coverage to deductibles based on the kind of vehicle.
Certified used-car programs are a great way to have peace of mind when buying a used car. A certified pre-owned car is a car that goes through multipoint inspections and gets extended warranty coverage, sometimes in addition to the remaining factory warranty left on the vehicle. But the last few years have seen many of these programs change, which may confuse shoppers. If you’re in the market for a CPO used car, here’s what’s changed, major differences between programs, and what you should watch out for.
Related: Shop for CPO Vehicles
CPO Basics
CPO programs are all automaker-backed certifications with inspection requirements, eligibility limits on vehicle age and mileage, and extended warranty coverage on top of the remaining factory warranty. A few have features others don’t, such as vehicle history reports, roadside assistance programs and smaller perks like satellite radio trials, rental and loaner coverage, and a window for customers to exchange their vehicle or get their money back.
How CPO Programs Are Changing
Brands have been changing certified programs with new tiers, inspections and certifications. Acura, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Lincoln, Kia, Nissan, Toyota and GM’s CarBravo program for Chevrolet, Buick and GMC have all introduced lower-tier certifications for older, higher-mileage vehicles. Most of these lower tiers allow for vehicles up to 10 years old and with mileage up to 150,000 miles, with the exception of Lincoln, which only goes up to 7 years old/80,000 miles or less.
Honda has the biggest expansion with its HondaTrue certified program now having a new HondaTrue Used tier that accepts cars up to 10 years old and with no mileage cap. Hyundai has Select Used that accepts models up to 10 years old with up to 120,000 miles. Kia’s expanded CPO program, called CPO Lite, accepts cars 7-10 model years old and 100,000 miles or less, up from Kia’s standard eligibility of less than 6 years old and 80,000 miles.
Lower-Tier CPO Programs
There’s a commonality with these lower-tier CPO programs in that they all trade coverage and inspection depth for allowing these higher-mileage vehicles into the program. HondaTrue Used gets just six months/10,000 miles of limited warranty and powertrain coverage plus a 112-point inspection. Honda’s main certification gets up to seven years/100,000 miles of powertrain warranty coverage with an additional two years/100,000 miles of non-powertrain limited warranty and a 182-point inspection.
Hyundai’s Select Used and Kia’s CPO Lite are similar. Hyundai Select Used gets just 90 days/5,000 miles of powertrain coverage with 117-point inspection. Kia’s CPO Lite gets six months/6,000 miles of warranty coverage and a 135-point inspection.
Brands That Certify Other Cars
Other brands have been expanding their CPO programs to include vehicles from other brands. Ford’s Blue Certified covers non-Ford vehicles but reserves its Gold tier for Ford-branded vehicles. This means you could find a “certified” BMW at a Ford dealership under Ford’s certification eligibility and warranty coverage, though not BMW’s.
Nissan has its Certified Select program covering non-Nissan vehicles, but like Ford, it reserves its higher-tiered Nissan Certified and electric-vehicle-specific CPO programs for Nissans only.
GM’s CarBravo certifies vehicles from other brands and applies its inspection standards to them, as well.
EV-Specific CPO Programs
In addition to Ford and Nissan, EV-specific CPO programs are offered by Honda (HondaTrue Certified EV) and Acura (Precision Certified EV) with their own specific EV coverage tiers. Hyundai and Volkswagen don’t have EV-specific CPO programs but have dedicated EV battery coverage within existing CPO coverage. Know, however, that EVs have generous factory warranties from new on the expensive high-voltage battery and EV components, often for 10 years/100,000 miles without any additional certification or CPO programs.
What You Should Watch Out For
There are a few things you need to be aware of when shopping for used vehicles under these newer branches of CPO programs.
Less Coverage
The first is that despite the “certified” label, these programs have very different protection and inspection standards. Top tiered CPO plans usually have a year or more of warranty coverage with inspection running from 160-200 points. Lower tiers have much smaller coverage, with warranty coverages of less than a year; some have as little as 30 days/1,000 miles of powertrain coverage. Inspection points are also lower, with some having as little as 62 points. Make sure to check which CPO tier the vehicle is in and, if needed, get that tier’s coverage and inspection results in writing.
Different Makes Get Less Coverage
CPO programs that cover other brands’ vehicles often give those vehicles different or less coverage than their own vehicles.
- Ford limits non-Ford vehicles to its lowest coverage tier, Blue, and gives those vehicles just 90 days/4,000 miles of warranty coverage.
- Nissan’s lowest tier, Select, gives non-Nissan vehicles a $50 reimbursement for one service visit instead of a free service visit Nissan-brand vehicles get.
- GM’s CarBravo covers non-GM vehicles sold in California with a service contract instead of a limited warranty, though CarBravo doesn’t exactly say why this is done. Make sure to ask who is backing the service contract and what the deductible would be if the vehicle needs service.
Next, if shopping for a CPO program on an automaker’s CPO site (e.g., Stellantis’ Spoticar), keep an eye out for listings without a “certified” label. While some cars listed have labels of or similar to “certified” or “prior rental,” many vehicles have no label at all. Be sure to ask if these vehicles are covered and get the paperwork to back up that coverage.
Varying Warranty Start Dates and Coverage Types
Check for warranty coverage details like when coverage actually starts and whether or not that coverage is combined with the vehicle’s original warranty. Some CPO programs have different starting points for when their warranties kick in. Kia, for instance, has 10-year powertrain coverage on CPO vehicles in its upper tiers — but that warranty kicks in on the original in-service date, not the purchase date. Luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes and Audi have CPO coverage that stacks on top of the remaining original warranty but doesn’t replace it.
This also extends to checking warranty coverage type and the fine print of the programs because they’ll detail things that aren’t really publicly available. For example, Toyota’s Silver tier only covers the powertrain, and Subaru’s seven-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage is a vehicle service agreement. Make sure to ask and check whether coverages are comprehensive or merely powertrain-specific. Also make sure to check what the deductible is for coverage because those can vary, as well — from $0 with brands like Honda, Mazda and Subaru to $100 for premium-brand programs like Infiniti’s Select.
CPO Return Windows
You may also need to check for the return window on programs that offer return or money-back guarantees. Ford and Lincoln’s CPO program has a two-week/1,000-mile money-back guarantee; Honda, meanwhile, gives just three days for its exchange window.
CPO Financing
Last, make sure to check with your local dealer for financing details — specifically if you go with Toyota’s CPO program. We found that Toyota has different finance rates for its tiers. There was a 4%-5% difference between Toyota’s Gold Certified and Silver Certified tiers.
Compare Mainstream-Brand CPO Programs
Below is a chart of the various CPO programs’ coverage and inspection points. Ford’s Blue Advantage for instance has three tiers: Gold Certified, EV Certified and Blue Certified. Gold is the best tier, with a 172-point inspection process for vehicles and 12-month/12,000-mile limited warranty along with a seven-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. But it’s also limited in the vehicles that are covered: Models that are up to 6 years old and have under 80,000 miles are the only ones available to be certified under the Gold Tier.
GM’s CarBravo certified program has just two tiers: CarBravo Certified and BravoBudget. CarBravo Certified allows for older models than Ford, with vehicles less than 10 years old and under 100,000 miles permitted for coverage; BravoBudget allows for vehicles up to 15 years or newer and up to 150,000 miles. Warranty coverage for CarBravo Certified mirrors Ford’s Gold tier, but the inspection for CarBravo only covers 126 points; choosing BravoBudget means a 62-point inspection and 30-day/1,000-mile limited powertrain warranty.
Some of these programs also certify and list vehicles from other brands, but they differ in how they do so. Ford, GM’s CarBravo and Stellantis’ Spoticar all certify and list other brands vehicles for sale. But Ford’s CPO program limits other brands to its lowest tier while CarBravo seems to have no limits on the other brands it covers.
| Program | Eligibility (Top Tier) | Inspection | Warranty (Top Tier) | Older-Vehicle Tier | Certifies Other Brands? |
| Ford Blue Advantage (Gold) | Up to six years/under 80,000 miles | 172-point | 12 months/12,000 miles comprehensive; seven years/100,000 miles powertrain (EV: eight years/100,000 miles) | Blue: Up to 10 years/under 150,000 miles; 90 days/4,000 miles | Yes (Blue only) |
| CarBravo | Under 10 model years/under 100,000 miles | 126-item | 12 months/12,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, no deductible | BravoBudget: 10-15 model years and/or 100,000-150,000 miles; 30 days/1,000 miles powertrain | Yes |
| Toyota (Gold) | Up to six years/85,000 miles or less | Quality assurance inspection | 12 months/12,000 miles comprehensive; seven years/100,000 miles powertrain | Silver: Up to 10 model years/125,000 miles or less; 12 months/12,000 miles powertrain | Not listed |
| Honda (HondaTrue Certified) | 2021-26 model years/under 80,000 miles | Inspection report provided | Seven years/100,000 miles powertrain; non-powertrain listed as two additional years/up to 100,000 miles | HondaTrue Used: 2016-26, no mileage limit; six months/10,000 miles | Not listed |
| Hyundai (Certified Used) | Six model years or newer/80,000 miles or less | 173-point | Five years/60,000 miles comprehensive; 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain | Select Used: Up to 10 model years/up to 120,000 miles; 90 days/5,000 miles powertrain | Not listed |
| Kia (CPO) | Under six years/up to 80,000 miles | 165-point | One year/12,000 miles Platinum comprehensive; 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain | CPO Lite: 7-10 model years/100,000 miles or less; six months/6,000 miles powertrain | No (Kia vehicles) |
| Nissan (Certified) | Up to six years/under 80,000 miles | 167-point | Seven years/100,000 miles limited warranty; one year prepaid maintenance | Certified Select: Up to 10 years/under 100,000 miles; 12 months/12,000 miles | Yes (Select tier only) |
| Jeep (Stellantis) | — | 125-point | CPOV: Seven years/100,000 miles powertrain plus three months/3,000 milesCPO Gold: 12 months/12,000 milesCPO Go: three months/3,000 miles | — | Yes (Through Spoticar) |
| Chrysler (Stellantis) | — | 125-point | CPOV: Seven years/100,000 miles powertrain plus three months/3,000 milesCPO Gold: 12 months/12,000 milesCPO Go: three months/3,000 miles | — | Not listed |
| Dodge (Stellantis) | — | 169-point | One of three comprehensive plans, depending on make, model year and mileage | — | Not listed |
| Ram (Stellantis) | — | 125-point | Three months/3,000 miles Maximum Care limited warranty (5,000 components) plus seven years/100,000 miles powertrain; $100 deductible | — | Not listed |
| Subaru | — | 152-point | Seven years/100,000 miles powertrain service agreement; $0 deductible | — | Not listed |
| Mazda | — | 160-point | 12 months/12,000 miles limited warranty; seven years/100,000 miles powertrain; $0 deductible | — | Not listed |
| Volkswagen | — | 100-plus-point | Two years/24,000 miles limited warranty; eight years/100,000 miles high-voltage battery | — | Not listed |
Compare Luxury CPO Programs
Luxury and premium brands are much more strict with their vehicle coverages, especially on programs that offer higher tiers. Infiniti’s CPO program, for instance, only allows vehicles of 10,000 miles or under on its top Executive Certified tier; BMW allows for five years or newer, but the vehicle’s Carfax report has to be clean.
| Brand/Program | Eligibility | Inspection | Coverage | Shopping Page Shows Other Brands? |
| Lexus L/Certified | — | 161-point | Up to six years with unlimited mileage combined with the new-vehicle basic warranty; four maintenance visits (two years/20,000 miles); roadside assistance, travel protection, loaner car | No, Lexus only |
| Acura Precision | Certified: 2021-26, under 80,000 milesEV: 2024, under 80,000 milesUsed: 2016–2026, no mileage limit | — | Certified: Seven years/100,000 miles powertrain, two years/100,000 miles non-powertrainEV: Eight years/100,000 miles battery, 2 years/100,000 miles limitedUsed: 6 mo/10,000 miles powertrain and non-powertrain | No, Acura only |
| Infiniti | Executive Certified: Under 10,000 milesCertified: Under 60,000 miles, up to 5 yrsCertified Select: Under 100,000 miles, up to 10 yrs | 167-point (Executive, Certified); 84-point (Select) | Executive Certified, Certified: $0 deductible; six years/75,000 miles or six years/unlimited miles limited warranty; first-year basic maintenanceSelect: $100 deductible; 12 months/12,000 miles limited warranty | No, Infiniti only |
| Lincoln Certified Pre-Owned (two tiers) | Top tier: Five model years/up to 60,000 milesSecond tier: Seven model years/up to 80,000 miles | 200-point (top tier); 139-point (second tier) | Top tier: Six years/100,000 miles comprehensive limited warranty, listed as after the new-vehicle warranty; PremiumCare upgrade to nine years/125,000 miles availableSecond tier: 12 months/12,000 miles from date of purchase14-day/1,000-mile money-back guarantee | No, Lincoln only |
| Genesis | Five model years or newer, clean Carfax title | 191-point (gas); 99-point (EV) | Six years/75,000 miles limited warranty plus the remainder of the 10 years/100,000 miles powertrain warranty; transferable | No, Genesis only |
| BMW | Five years or newer/under 60,000 miles | Certification checklist | One year/unlimited miles, after the four years/50,000 miles new-vehicle warranty endsEV high-voltage battery: eight years/100,000 miles | No, BMW only |
| Mercedes-Benz | Six years or newer/under 75,000 miles | 165-plus-point (gas) | Remaining four years/50,000 miles new-vehicle warranty, then 12 months with unlimited milesOptional extended coverage of one or two years | No, Mercedes-Benz only |
| Audi | — | 125-plus-components | Limited warranty continues for one year/20,000 miles after new-vehicle warranty ends | No, Audi only |
| Volvo (Certified by Volvo) | Under 80,000 miles, Carfax report | 170-plus-point | 12-month, unlimited-mile factory-backed warranty | No, Volvo only |
| Land Rover (Approved CPO) | Previous five model years | 165-point | One year/unlimited miles or two years/100,000 miles, whichever comes first | No, Land Rover only |
| Jaguar Certified Pre-Owned | — | — | — | No, Jaguar only (F-Pace, E-Pace, I-Pace, F-Type, XF) |
| Porsche Approved | — | — | Minimum 24-month warranty | No, Porsche only |
| Tesla Certified Pre-Owned | — | Fully inspected and refurbished | Extended one-year warranty | No, Tesla only |
FAQ
Is a certified pre-owned car worth it? This really depends on the CPO tier and price gap. Upper tiers usually pair a 160-200-point inspection with a year or more of warranty coverage while lower tiers have much less, usually only up to three months and less than 5,000 miles (such as CarBravo’s BravoBudget tier and Ford’s Blue tier). CPO vehicles generally cost more than regular used cars, but you’re paying a premium for that extra coverage.
What’s the difference between a certified pre-owned car and a regular used car? A vehicle that’s in a CPO program has gone through a set inspection process and meets age and mileage limits to be covered by the program it’s in. It also comes with manufacturer-backed warranty coverage that’s usually in addition to any remaining warranty coverage the vehicle originally came with; a regular used car has none of the inspection and coverage — unless it has some remaining factory warranty left.
How long does a CPO warranty last? Warranty coverage varies widely. At 10 years/100,000 miles, Hyundai and Kia’s powertrain coverage is an example of what you’ll see on the long end; most mass-market brands offer slightly less coverage at seven years/100,000 miles. At the opposite end are much shorter coverages of just a few months, such as Ford’s Blue and CarBravo’s BravoBudget. Some programs add coverage that starts only when the vehicle’s original warranty ends, such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz’s CPO programs.
Can I get a certified pre-owned car from a brand that’s different from the automaker’s CPO program? You can, but not with all of them. Ford, Nissan and CarBravo all certify vehicles from other brands. But while these CPO programs do certify these other vehicles, be aware that CPO coverage for these is often thinner than it is for vehicles from the same brand. Ford locks non-Ford vehicles into its lowest Blue tier CPO coverage, for example; Nissan and CarBravo do the same thing. Be sure to check what gets covered with these vehicles from other brands.
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