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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 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:
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:
Powertrain Warranty covers:
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:
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.
Acura provides two warranties under their CPO program with different durations:
Limited Warranty
Powertrain Warranty
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.
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:
All CPO programs include a thorough inspection, but Acura raises the bar with its 182-point inspection once again exceeding industry standards
All Acura certified pre-owned vehicles come with many included bonuses:
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.
Anyone looking at buying a used car should first consider purchasing a certified pre-owned vehicle from a dealer. A CPO vehicle has many benefits over a Craigslist used car, primarily that it has been thoroughly inspected and comes with a warranty.
We’re about to dive into the Nissan certified pre-owned program, including discussing the warranty, inspection, and bonuses.
TLDR; Nissan provides a lackluster CPO program that we do not recommend. The lack of a bumper-to-bumper warranty on their CPO vehicles is a massive downside of their program. While their inspection process looks excellent, the absence of this warranty sticks out. You should only buy a Nissan CPO if you are a fan of Nissan. Otherwise, there are better CPO programs out there.
To be eligible for the Nissan certified pre-owned program, a vehicle must meet the below criteria:
We should highlight that they’ve phrased the age requirement interestingly. They don’t clarify if the ‘date in service’ is the date the car was made or the date the vehicle was sold. That’s something to clarify if you visit a Nissan dealership, as we could not find any clarification on their website.
Nissan only offers one warranty with their CPO vehicles: a powertrain warranty.
The powertrain warranty covers:
It needs to be mentioned that there is also a $100 deductible for covered repairs. While that may not seem like much, it can add up during the life of a vehicle.
While the powertrain warranty will protect you from significant damage that could total your car, the lack of a bumper-to-bumper warranty is detrimental to the entire program. Almost every automaker offers a specific bumper-to-bumper warranty with their CPO program.
The Nissan certified pre-owned program only has one warranty. It lasts for:
This powertrain warranty duration is about average for the industry. Some automakers boost the year range to ten, but 100,000 miles is standard.
We should compare the CPO eligibility against the powertrain warranty. Notice how you could potentially buy a vehicle with only one year left on the warranty or perhaps you only have 20,000 miles left? Since the powertrain warranty duration started counting down when the car was first sold, you should try to buy a newer Nissan certified pre-owned vehicle, if at all possible, to get the most out of the extended warranty.
Should you decide to sell your Nissan while the warranty is still active, it is fully transferable. This bonus can add some excellent resale value to your car. Although, Nissan does not make it clear if there is a fee to transfer the warranty.
Every Nissan certified pre-owned vehicle has been through a 167-point inspection. This amount of inspection points is about average for the auto industry. You can view the complete inspection checklist on Nissan’s website, but we’ll cover the main points below:
As you can see, their 167-point inspection covers every part of your vehicle. We are impressed by the attention to detail shown in their checklist, even if the overall inspection point number is average. The inspection process is the most substantial part of the Nissan certified pre-owned program.
Be aware that the dealer performs this inspection. You should also obtain a pre-purchase inspection before you make your decision.
Every automaker likes to include a few perks with their CPO program. Here’s what Nissan has:
Each of these perks is standard for the auto industry and they should not persuade you to buy a Nissan CPO car.
Overall, we are not impressed by the Nissan certified pre-owned program. The complete lack of a bumper-to-bumper warranty for their CPO vehicles means that there are thousands of components in the car that are not covered, even if it’s due to a manufacturer defect.
We do not suggest buying a Nissan CPO vehicle unless you’re a specific fan of Nissan. If you’re looking for a CPO vehicle that comes with a great warranty and nice perks, there are other automakers to research.
Buying a Kia certified pre-owned car means your new vehicle has been thoroughly inspected and comes with a comprehensive warranty. Nine times out of ten suggest going for a certified pre-owned vehicle over a Craigslist used car, as long as the financials make sense.
We’re about to review everything you need to know about the Kia certified pre-owned program, including warranty information, the inspection, and the bonuses.
TLDR; Kia has a standard CPO program, which is a good thing. The platinum warranty is transferable for a $40 fee, which increases your resale value. We need to highlight that the powertrain warranty begins on the date that the car was initially sold, or as Kia put it, when the odometer was at 0.
There are no surprises in the Kia certified pre-owned warranty. We expected that the powertrain warranty would begin on the initial sale date, but that’s something we always like to highlight to avoid confusion.
Not every Kia is eligible to become a certified pre-owned car. To qualify for the Kia certified pre-owned warranty, a vehicle must meet the following criteria:
Comprehensive Platinum Coverage
Limited Powertrain Warranty:
The official Kia website says that exact coverages, exclusions, and limitations apply, but you’ll have to review your contract or see a dealer for details. This lack of transparency is a mark against them since they don’t make these conditions publicly available on their website.
It’s worth noting that Kia’s program has a $50 deductible per visit for warrantied repairs. This fee is unusual for the industry and something we definitely don’t like. However, some other automakers charge deductibles on their CPO extended warranty, so this isn’t unique to Kia.
The warranty is mostly what makes buying a pre-owned vehicle worthwhile. Kia provides two warranties with different lengths with all of its CPO vehicles:
Any Kia certified pre-owned vehicle that still has the initial manufacturer powertrain warranty, which is 10 years or 100,000 miles, will be transferred to the new owner. Since the minimum requirements to qualify for the program are 5 years or newer and less than 60,000 miles, every Kia CPO car will come with the powertrain warranty. The difference will be how much longer you have left on it, based on the car’s age and mileage.
Both warranties are fully transferable to a new owner. Thanks to this transferability, your resale value on your Kia certified pre-owned vehicle is boosted, although there is a $40 fee.
The Kia certified pre-owned program includes a 164-point inspection. You can view the entire inspection check sheet at the manufacturer’s website. Any inspected vehicle must score 100% to be certified. We’ll go over the main points with you:
Kia makes special mention that they use manufacturer-authorized parts for any repairs made during the inspection process. This policy is ideal because many aftermarket parts are known for failing much faster than manufacturer-approved parts.
We should note that Kia inspects more about each car than many other automakers. This extra level of care gives us confidence that their program is only offering the best cars available.
Every car manufacturer likes to add in some bonuses to tempt you into buying a CPO car. Here’s what Kia offers:
Ultimately, these perks alone don’t do much to make a CPO car worth it. We think the inspection and warranty are what make a CPO vehicle worthwhile. These perks are just a nice add on.
The Kia certified pre-owned program is well-rounded and undoubtedly in line with the industry standard. There are no surprises. The warranties they offer will give you some peace of mind for the beginning of your car’s life. Buying a certified pre-owned vehicle is exponentially better than going for a random used car that hasn’t been inspected by anyone.
Whether you’re going through eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace, you need to know how to buy a car from a private seller. We’re here to arm you with information you can use to secure a reliable car and avoid scams (which are all too prevalent on these peer to peer websites).
You’re about to learn a few easy-to-remember things about how to buy a car from a private seller that will guarantee you are purchasing a roadworthy vehicle. Our hope is that you don’t end up like Riley, or John.
You should ask if the seller has the title to the car before you even agree to meet them. In your first or second message to them on your chosen platform, ask if they have the title. If they say yes, you should inquire if the title is in their name.
That last part is vital – the title must be in their name. Something you should know about buying a car from a private seller is that some people “jump” the title. This term means they’ve purchased the vehicle from another seller and are now trying to sell it to you without putting the car in their name first. While legal, jumping the title is extremely risky.
You want to avoid someone who is attempting to jump the title because it may indicate they have stolen the car. Surprisingly, some car owners store their title in their glove box (please, never do this!). If someone steals that car that has the title in the glove box, not only do they have a car, but they also have the title. All they have to do is sign the back of the title, and they can sell the car to you.
If you end up buying a stolen vehicle, you’ll end up losing the car. It will likely happen when you go to transfer the title to your name. If you’re lucky, they’ll only take the vehicle and bring you in for questioning. If you’re unlucky, well, it could get much worse.
Of course, purchasing a stolen vehicle is a worst-case scenario. The point is that the person whose name is on the title should be the person that you’re dealing with. Even if the person selling the car claims the title is in their spouse’s name, don’t buy that car.
It’s simple; you need to know the history of the vehicle you want to buy. While an honest seller will tell you everything they know, they might leave something out or not know the entire story.
Grab the VIN from them before you meet up and buy a Carfax report (are those reports trustworthy?). The cost of a Carfax report is well worth it to know everything about the vehicle.
The main things you’re looking for on the report are:
Another alternative to a Carfax report is to contact your insurance company. They have a wealth of information at their disposal that goes beyond what you could find by Googling the VIN.
However you go about it, be sure you have all of the information you can find about this vehicle. You need to be positive that you aren’t buying a salvage title (unless you want to) and that you are aware of every accident the car has been in.
We always suggest getting a pre-purchase inspection before buying a car, whether you’re buying from a private seller or a dealership.
A pre-purchase inspection is a specific type of vehicle inspection that a mechanic performs in which they look over the car for any apparent issues. They inspect it for any signs of damage, leaks, and any parts that will need to be replaced soon.
The goal of a pre-purchase inspection is to get a well-rounded picture of the vehicle that you’re looking to buy. Depending on the mechanic, they’ll likely give you an overall opinion: “yes, buy this,” or “no, avoid it.”
Combined with the Carfax report, the pre-purchase inspection paints an image of the car’s history and gives you a glimpse into the future. You might discover that the lower control arms are going out or that the alternator is failing. This information can be used to negotiate with the seller or help you decide to avoid buying the vehicle altogether.
Something you should know about how to buy a car from a private seller is that if the seller refuses to let you have the vehicle inspected, just walk away. They could be hiding something intentionally, or they may just be a pain to work with. If they’re worried about handing you the keys to take it to the mechanic, have them go with you.
Due to the price tag and people’s naivety, the private car selling world is filled with various scams. You can avoid most of them by following one piece of advice: if it sounds too good to be true, then it is.
The most common types of scams that we see have to do with how you pay for the car, such as:
You should only pay for the car with traditional forms of payment. Of course, you should only buy a car you’ve seen in person. That’s right; some scammers try to get people to pay for vehicles they don’t even have.
Information is your greatest tool when it comes to buying a car from a private seller. You should know everything about the vehicle that you possibly can. You should also know simple tips, such as making sure the seller is listed on the title and not paying for the car with strange forms of payment. By arming yourself with information, you’ll be ready to buy a car from a private seller.
Buying a Chrysler certified pre-owned vehicle is a great way to buy a quality car without having to pay brand new sticker prices. A CPO vehicle has been thoroughly inspected and comes with a warranty to give you peace of mind. We will always suggest buying a CPO car over a generic used car if for nothing other than the peace of mind that comes with a certified pre-owned vehicle.
We’re about to dive deep into the Chrysler CPO program and discuss the warranty, inspection process, and the added perks. You’ll see why we suggest buying a CPO car over a “side of the road” used car whenever we can.
TLDR; The basic warranty is far too short. This short warranty brings down the entire CPO program. However, the powertrain warranty is thorough and will almost make up for the poor basic warranty. The add-on perks are standard but still a great addition to the program. The inspection points are a bit lower than competing automakers. Overall, this is a substandard program, but it still beats a standard used car.
Chrysler’s warranty has a short basic warranty but an extended powertrain warranty. We consider their program to be below average overall, largely because the basic warranty is quite substandard.
To qualify to be in the Chrysler CPO program, a vehicle must meet several conditions:
Chrysler certified pre-owned vehicles come with two warranties:
Basic Warranty:
Powertrain Warranty
All covered repairs also have a $100 deductible. While this may not seem like much, it can add up quite quickly if there are frequent repairs.
Both warranties are fully transferable to a new party for a $150 fee. Being able to transfer the warranty dramatically increases your vehicle’s resale value, although that depends on where you sell your car.
The Chrysler certified pre-owned program offers two warranties with different durations:
The issue that stands out the most, is the length of their basic warranty. Three months and 3,000 miles is far too short. Think about the frequency of oil changes in your current car; that’s how long the basic warranty is. We don’t think that’s long enough for manufacturer defects to appear.
Chrysler offers Certified Upgrade Plans if you wish to extend your basic warranty. Each plan will begin on the date of purchase and will also have a deductible for covered repairs. Chrysler does not provide specific details about these upgrade plans, and their website directs you to contact your dealer.
Chrysler does not inspect as many components as other manufacturers, such as Kia, Mazda, or Honda. However, the inspection is still quite thorough and is much better than an uninspected used car. The Chrysler certified pre-owned program inspects 125 points. You can view the exact Chrysler certified pre-owned checklist here, but we’ll cover the significant inspection areas below:
While other manufacturers’ inspections have more inspection points, we believe that the Chrysler inspection is thorough and covers all the crucial points.
It’s worth noting that every car must pass the inspection with a score of 100%; otherwise, it is not certified.
All automakers like to include a few perks as part of their CPO plan, and the Chrysler certified pre-owned plan is no different. Each CPO vehicle purchase includes:
Overall, the Chrysler perk offering is relatively standard in the auto industry. These perks shouldn’t persuade you to buy a Chrysler CPO, but they serve as a nice bonus.
We think the Chrysler certified pre-owned program is slightly below average based on industry standards. Their inspection points are lower than many other automakers, and their basic warranty is far too short.That being said, we still advise buying a Chrysler pre-owned vehicle over a generic used car thanks to their inspection and warranty. Make sure you always get a pre-purchase inspection from an unbiased third party, though. We want to make sure that you buy a car in excellent condition.