Audi Certified Pre-Owned Review

by Ray Shefska | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 | Certified Pre-Owned

Audi certified pre-owned vehicles are an excellent choice for someone who wants luxury and reliability without paying brand new car prices. It’s a great alternative to buying a questionable Audi off Craigslist. We’re about to go over the Audi CPO program’s intricacies and provide our insights along the way.

TLDR; The Audi certified pre-owned program only features one warranty: either the New Vehicle Limited Warranty that’s still active or a new CPO warranty. However, you don’t receive both. If the new car warranty is still active, there is no additional warranty. There’s also no separate powertrain warranty. However, the incredibly in-depth inspection process almost makes up for having unique warranty policies.

Audi’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Information

Audi has a unique warranty program since there are no mileage restrictions. They also do not separate their warranties based on what they cover, which many other automakers do. Instead, they have a warranty that covers almost every component on the vehicle.

The following criteria must be met to be eligible for the Audi certified pre-owned program:

• Passed vehicle history report with verified mileage
• Five years old or newer
• No more than 60,000 miles
• No aftermarket modifications

If it meets the above criteria, then it moves on to the inspection. We’ll cover the inspection in detail later on.

What does Audi’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?

Your Audi certified pre-owned vehicle will come with either the New Vehicle Limited Warranty or the Certified Pre-owned Limited Warranty. You can review more about these warranties in the publicly available warranty manual. If there is no remaining Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage at the time of purchase, the Audi Certified preowned Limited Warranty coverage period begins immediately and continues for 12 months, regardless of miles. Both provide the same coverage:

• No deductible for covered repairs
• Repairs must be completed at an Audi dealership
• Emergency repairs will be reimbursed provided there was no way to move the car to an Audi dealership

As for which components and systems are covered, the warranty is quite comprehensive. Please note that the below list is not all-inclusive:

• Engine, including engine block, pistons, and camshaft
• Cooling system, including radiator and coolant pump
• Automatic and manual transmissions, including the transmission control module and internal shift rods
• Final drive, including the drive shaft bearings and bearing housing
• Suspension, including axles and control arms
• Brakes, including ABS components and calipers
• Climate control, including A/C compressor and heater control cables
• Radio and navigation, including sound system and navigation components

Audi also makes special mention of areas that are not covered under warranty. This list is also not all-inclusive:

• Tires
• Maintenance services
• Any issues related to wear, as decided by the Audi technician
• Any issues related to damage, misuse, or negligence

The exclusion list is standard, and nothing strikes us as out of place. The only aspect of the Audi warranty that’s odd is the lack of a more extended powertrain warranty.

How long does Audi’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Last?

All newly sold Audi’s come with a New Vehicle Limited Warranty, which lasts for four years and 50,000 miles. If this warranty is still active at the time of the CPO vehicle purchase, the warranty carries over.

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If the New Vehicle Limited Warranty has expired at the time of the CPO car purchase, then the CPO Limited Warranty begins and will last for 12 months with no mileage limitation.

The lack of a mileage restriction on their warranties is outstanding and speaks to Audi’s overall brand since this is always the case.

We have to note that the way this is phrased, it is explicitly stated that you don’t receive the CPO Limited Warranty at all if you purchase a CPO vehicle that still has time left on the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Keep this in mind when shopping to guarantee that you have an extended warranty left on your CPO vehicle.

Whichever warranty covers your vehicle, it is fully transferable if you decide to sell your car while the warranty is still active. There is no fee for transferring your CPO or New Car warranty.

Audi’s Certified Pre-Owned Inspection

Audi goes above and beyond with their inspections. They call it a “300+” point inspection, which is miles above what other automakers offer. It’s almost double the number of inspection points as many other manufacturers. You can view the complete checklist on their website, but we’ll cover some highlights:

• Front interior, including fuel door release, dome light, and speakers functionality
• Rear interior, including window functionality and safety belts
• Front exterior, including headlight functionality and park sensors
• Rear exterior, including window glass condition and rear bumper condition
• Top exterior, including sunroof condition and convertible condition (if applicable)
• Engine, including engine mounts condition and power steering pump condition
• Cooling system, including water pump condition and coolant system pressure
• Transmission, including overall condition and transmission fluid level
• Electrical system, including alternator condition and battery condition
• Brake system, including brake fluid level and brake master cylinder condition
• Road test, including starter operation and shift interlock
• Undercarriage, including overall condition and brake line functionality
• Tires and wheels, including ensuring all four tires are the approved size
• Brakes, including calipers and brake pad condition

Please note that the above is just a sample; the inspection checklist is quite thorough.

Other Audi Certified Pre-Owned Perks

Every Audi certified pre-owned vehicle includes several perks. Below are the extras you’ll receive with your CPO vehicle:

• 24/7 Roadside Assistance, which covers fuel delivery, lockout services, jump starts, flat tires, and towing to Audi dealerships
• A comprehensive Vehicle History Report

Audi doesn’t seem to care about giving a ton of perks along with their CPO vehicles. Other manufacturers seem to think adding perks will sway people. However, we always say that the inspection and warranty should be what matters most.

We are impressed by the Audi certified pre-owned program. While the lack of a more extended powertrain warranty is concerning, the warranty they provide covers the powertrain. We appreciate the comprehensive inspection, which is an essential part of any CPO program. We recommend buying an Audi certified pre-owned vehicle; make sure you obtain a third-party pre-purchase inspection as well.  

Hyundai Certified Pre-Owned Review

by Ray Shefska | Last updated Dec 8, 2020 | Certified Pre-Owned

We always recommend buying a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle instead of a ‘side of the road’ used car. With a CPO vehicle, you have the peace of mind knowing that it was thoroughly inspected and comes with a warranty.

We’re about to take a look at the Hyundai CPO program and see how it stacks up. We’ll look over their warranty offering, their inspection process, and the perks that come with buying a Hyundai CPO vehicle.

TLDR; Hyundai does not offer an additional bumper-to-bumper warranty to replace the existing New Vehicle Limited Warranty that comes with every new car. This lack of a new warranty is unique in the worst possible way. Almost every other automaker adds a new warranty to the new car warranty. Other than this omission, the Hyundai CPO program is relatively standard. We would only suggest it if you’re a fan of Hyundai cars.

Hyundai’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Information

We’re surprised to see that Hyundai only provides the warranties that the vehicle already had. Almost every other automaker adds a new bumper-to-bumper warranty on top of the existing new car warranty, but Hyundai has decided against that.

To be certified as a pre-owned vehicle, a car must meet the below criteria:

• Newer than 5 model years
• Fewer than 60,000 miles

Once met, the inspection begins to see if the vehicle will be certified.

What does Hyundai’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?

The Hyundai certified pre-owned program includes the remainder of the five years / 60,000-mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty but does not add a warranty beyond that. The New Vehicle Limited Warranty covers most vehicle components, as long as the issue is a result of a manufacturer defect.

A powertrain warranty is also included. It’s worth noting that the warranty began when the vehicle was initially sold, not when you buy it. The powertrain warranty covers:

• Most engine components
• Transmission
• Drivetrain

The lack of a new warranty being added to the end of their New Vehicle Limited Warranty is unfortunate and lowers the stature of their CPO program, in our eyes. Their powertrain warranty is industry standard, even though it starts when the vehicle is initially sold.  

Hyundai also offers an additional 10-year/100,000-mile warranty on hybrid batteries for vehicles that contain one.

How long does Hyundai’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Last?

The powertrain warranty is in effect for ten years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. As we said above, the clock starts ticking when the vehicle is initially sold.

Unfortunately, the lack of an additional bumper-to-bumper warranty means that every vehicle sold in the Hyundai certified pre-owned program will have a different duration left on their existing warranty. Considering the requirements to participate in the CPO program are the same metrics as the New Vehicle Limited Warranty, it’s entirely possible that you can buy a CPO vehicle with one month left on its warranty.

This strange warranty policy means that if you’re going to buy a Hyundai certified pre-owned car, you need to ask how much time is left on the warranty. You don’t want to end up two months into your ownership without a warranty.

The 10-year/100,000-mile warranty on hybrid batteries is a nice touch, but it doesn’t quite make up for not offering an additional warranty on CPO vehicles.

Hyundai’s Certified Pre-Owned Inspection

We love the inspection aspect of buying a Hyundai certified pre-owned vehicle. The inspection results tell you that you’re buying a car without any apparent issues. Combined with the warranty, you can feel confident about your purchase.  

Hyundai conducts a 173-point inspection of any car before it is certified. You can review the entire checklist on their website, but we’ll address the major areas below:

• Inspect the Carfax vehicle history
• Road test, including engine idle sound and steering alignment
• Exterior, including paint appearance and turn signal functionality
• Interior, including horn functionality and instrument panel functionality
• Mechanical, including engine belts condition and vacuum line condition
• Maintenance, including brake fluid levels and transmission fluid levels
• Tires and wheels, including tread width and brake pad usage
• For hybrids, verify brakes hybrid battery, and test the onboard charger

Having a 173-point inspection boosts our opinion of the Hyundai certified pre-owned program. They are thorough before they certify any vehicle to participate in their program.

Other Hyundai Certified Pre-Owned Perks

Everyone likes bonuses, and automakers know that. Every Hyundai certified pre-owned vehicle comes with several perks:

• Detailed Carfax report
• Rental car reimbursement when your car is in the shop for warrantied repairs, up to $35 per day for a maximum of 10 days
• 24/7 roadside assistance for ten years from the purchase date, which includes towing, flat tire change, gas delivery, and lockout service.
• Travel interruption reimbursement, which reimburses $100 per day, up to $500 if there is a breakdown of a covered component more than 150 miles away from your home
• A three-month trial of SiriusXM

Many of these perks are standard, such as roadside assistance and SiriusXM, but the travel interruption reimbursement is generous. Some other automakers provide this same benefit, but we wouldn’t say it’s an industry standard.

We do not think highly of the Hyundai certified pre-owned program. The lack of an additional bumper-to-bumper warranty is unique in the worst possible way. Almost every other CPO program includes a warranty to replace the new car warranty. Other than the lack of a new warranty, the rest of the program is relatively standard. We always think you should go for a CPO car over a generic used vehicle, but unless you’re a big fan of Hyundai, there are better CPO programs out there to explore.

Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned Review

by Ray Shefska | Last updated Dec 8, 2020 | Certified Pre-Owned

Anyone looking to buy a brand-new Volkswagen should first consider going for a certified pre-owned vehicle. A Volkswagen certified pre-owned car comes with a warranty, inspection, and includes a few perks.

We’re about to dive into the Volkswagen CPO program, examine their inspection process, warranty coverage, warranty duration, and explore their added perks.

TLDR; We do not recommend the Volkswagen certified pre-owned program. They do not offer a powertrain warranty at all. To make matters worse, they have a convoluted model-based warranty offering that seems to be in place to encourage people to buy older cars. The inspection process is also incredibly minimal, only inspecting 112 points. Which is far below the industry average.

Volkswagen’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Information

The Volkswagen certified pre-owned program has a somewhat confusing year-based warranty offering. To qualify for the Volkswagen CPO program, the vehicle must meet the below criteria:

• Six model years old or newer
• Fewer than 75,000

These criteria are pretty par for the course, although most automakers make the cutoff point five years and 50,000 miles. Volkswagen decided to extend its standards a little more than most manufacturers.  

What does Volkswagen’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?

Every CPO vehicle comes with a Comprehensive Limited warranty that begins on the date that you buy the car. This warranty covers most major components in your car.

Unfortunately, Volkswagen says that inclusions and exclusions are available in the CPO manual, which they do not make available on their website. We have no way of verifying what exactly is and is not covered with this warranty. Refusing to make the manual available online is rare for CPO programs, as most automakers have the manual available directly on their website.

Repairs covered by this warranty still carry a $50 deductible per visit. Although this is better than paying for the repairs yourself, having this deductible is unpleasant. While it may not seem like much, it adds up over the lifetime of your warranty.

The absence of a specific powertrain warranty is alarming. Most automakers include a powertrain warranty that lasts up to 100,000 miles and ten years. Volkswagen does not offer any powertrain warranty. The lack of a powertrain warranty means that you could end up three years down the road and have powertrain problems that could potentially lead to scrapping your car.

How long does Volkswagen’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Last?

Volkswagen created a strange model-based method for offering warranties on their CPO vehicles. They talk about it like it’s a selling point, but we think it’s needlessly complicated. Either way, here are the warranty durations they offer:

• Model year of 2018 or newer: One-year or 12,000 miles, whichever occurs first
• Model year of 2017 or earlier: Two-year or 24,000 miles, whichever occurs first
• Model year of 2016 or earlier Turbocharged Direct Injection vehicles: Two years with unlimited miles

We should highlight that they offer the same warranty in every case: their Comprehensive Limited Warranty.

It’s unclear why the Volkswagen certified pre-owned program has this unique process for deciding on warranty coverage. It almost seems like their mentality is “our older cars need more coverage,” which does not instill confidence in their vehicles. This warranty offering also makes it seem like it’s worth buying 2017 over 2018 since you’ll get double the duration.  

Although there’s not much information available on the plans, you can opt to add up to 100,000 miles to the included warranty. There are five different plans that you can pick from. You can talk to the Volkswagen dealership near you for more information about their added warranties.

Volkswagen does not directly state if their warranties are transferable, which directly impacts your resale value if you decide to sell your car.

Volkswagen’s Certified Pre-Owned Inspection

Every vehicle in the Volkswagen certified pre-owned program has a 112-point inspection. This number of inspection points is relatively low for the industry standard. We’d say the average of inspection points is around 150-175 (Mazda inspects 160 points). Volkswagen also does not make its checklist publicly available on its website, which is unusual. They do give an overview of the process:

• Examine the engine for any starting issues or strange knocking and vibrations
• Examine the transmission for any performance issues or noises
• Test brakes for stopping distance, vibration, and overall function
• Test steering for noise, vibration, and pulling
• Perform any maintenance called for in the owner’s manual.

All of these descriptions are standard for a CPO inspection. It’s discouraging to see that they didn’t make their entire checklist available. It also doesn’t give us confidence in their cars that they are only inspecting 112 points. We’d like to see them enhance their program to catch up to other automakers.

Other Volkswagen Certified Pre-Owned Perks

Volkswagen has decided to offer several perks with their CPO vehicles, much like other manufacturers. Every Volkswagen certified pre-owned vehicle includes these perks:

• 24/7 roadside assistance for two years, including gas delivery, jump starts, lockouts, and emergency tows
• A three-month trial of SiriusXM
• A complete Carfax report (how trustworthy are Carfax reports?)

This perk offering is the bare minimum that we’ve seen from auto manufacturers. We’re wondering why the Volkswagen certified pre-owned program didn’t decide to provide more perks that might set them apart from other automakers.

We do not recommend the Volkswagen certified pre-owned program. They have a convoluted warranty offering, perform a minimum amount of inspection, and do not make vital information available to the public. Unless you particularly like Volkswagens, we suggest looking at other certified pre-owned programs that include more extended warranties, a powertrain warranty, and a more thorough inspection.

Acura Certified Pre-Owned Review

by Ray Shefska | Last updated Dec 8, 2020 | Certified Pre-Owned

Acura is known as a luxury brand, and the Acura certified pre-owned program irrefutably defends that reputation. The program provides an impressive warranty, thorough inspection, and goes above and beyond with more perks than most CPO programs. Thanks to the included warranty and inspection, we will always recommend a CPO vehicle over a generic used car.

Here we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Acura certified pre-owned program, including warranty coverage, insight into their thorough inspections, and what comes with your purchase.

TLDR; An Acura certified pre-owned vehicle comes with impressive warranties. Their limited warranty is far beyond the industry standard, while their powertrain warranty is about average. Acura inspects more on their cars than most other automakers and undoubtedly provides more perks than most.

Acura’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Information

Acura provides an impressive warranty with all of their CPO vehicles. For a deep dive into the Acura warranty, they’ve provided the full manual on their website. It’s 41 pages long, so we’ll cover the main points for you below.

To become certified as an Acura certified pre-owned vehicle, the car must be:

• Under six years old
• Under 80,000 miles

What does Acura’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?

When you buy an Acura certified pre-owned vehicle, it comes with two warranties. Each warranty covers different parts of your vehicle.

Limited Warranty covers:

• Fuel system
• Suspension
• Steering
• Brakes
• Batteries and bulbs
• Heating and air conditioning
• Electrical and sensors
• Audio and navigation devices
• Safety and safety restraints
• Fluids and lubricants
• Diagnostic time

Powertrain Warranty covers:

• Engine
• Transmission
• Front-wheel drive system
• Rear-wheel drive system

There is an exhaustive list of precisely what is covered, and perhaps more importantly, what is not covered, at the manual on their website.

Both warranties will replace original parts that are directly stated as covered, provided that the issue stems from the part that is defective.  Repairs must be completed in an authorized Acura facility and the parts used must be original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts.

In the event of emergency repairs, meaning a repair that’s completed outside of an approved facility, Acura offers to  provide reimbursement based on a few of the following conditions:

• The vehicle was completely immobile or otherwise unsafe to drive
• The repair would’ve been covered at an authorized repair facility
• There are no authorized Acura dealers or facilities within 50 miles, or they’re closed
• All repairs receive prior authorization

That’s pretty generous of them; most automakers wouldn’t provide this level of care or reimbursement. This reimbursement raises them quite a bit in our eyes.

How long does Acura’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Last?

Acura provides two warranties under their CPO program with different durations:

Limited Warranty

• Two years or 100,00 miles, whichever occurs first
• Begins when the Acura pre-owned vehicle is purchased or at the expiration of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty

Powertrain Warranty

• Seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs first
• Begins with the Acura was initially purchased as new

All new Acuras come with a New Vehicle Limited Warranty that is good for four years or 50,000 miles. If a certified pre-owned vehicle is purchased that still has this warranty active, the CPO warranty begins after the New Vehicle Limited Warranty expires.

All new vehicles come with a New Vehicle Powertrain Warranty that is valid for six years or 70,000 miles. This coverage overlaps with the Certified Pre-Owned Powertrain Warranty, so you’ll receive an extra year and 30,000 miles.

Both warranties are fully transferable if the vehicle is sold within the timeframe. No fee is required, and all that’s needed is a call to their client care services department. This transferability can be a great selling point if you’re looking to sell your vehicle.

We’re quite impressed by the length of their limited warranty. It’s way above industry standard, both in duration and allotted mileage. Their powertrain warranty is average.

Acura’s Certified Pre-Owned Inspection

All Acuras that meet the minimum requirements of the program must undergo a 182-point inspection. You can review the entire inspection checklist at this website, but we’ve provided  the major points below:

• Front interior, including horn operation and carpet condition
• Rear interior, including armrest condition and rear door operation
• Front exterior, including bumper condition and side mirror operation
• Rear exterior, including turn-signal light operation and trunk condition
• Underhood check, including engine mounts condition and cooling fan operation
• Under the vehicle, including brake caliper condition and driveshaft condition
• Brakes/tires, including brake pads and rotors condition for all four tires
• Replacement of various items, such as engine air filter and master keys
• Road test, including idle vibration and acceleration power

All CPO programs include a thorough inspection, but Acura raises the bar with its 182-point inspection once again exceeding industry standards

Other Acura Certified Pre-Owned Perks

All Acura certified pre-owned vehicles come with many included bonuses:

• Rental car reimbursement based on the amount  of required repair time. This includes increases in reimbursement for extended repair times.  The maximum repair time is over 16 hours, and they will allow four days and reimburse $180.
• A three-month subscription to SiriusXM
• The vehicle inspection form used to certify the vehicle
• Your first scheduled maintenance, such as an oil change, is complimentary
• 24/7 roadside assistance, covering all major issues, such as fuel delivery, battery jump-starts, changing flats, and emergency towing
• Access to the Acura Concierge Service, which provides several personal services, such as insurance claims assistance and glass replacement referrals
• Trip interruption expense reimbursement if your vehicle breaks down over 100 miles from your residence
• A three-month trial to AcuraLink, which provides services like Find My Car and Automatic Collision Notification

Acura has gone above and beyond with their included perks. While many auto manufacturers offer a few of these perks, Acura sought to provide their customers with unparalleled services. 

We’re impressed by Acura’s CPO program. They provide an excellent warranty, plenty of perks, and a thorough inspection. Make sure that you still get your pre-inspection completed and you should be in good shape with your new car.