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Land Rover Certified Pre-Owned Pro Review
For many, Land Rover is the best luxury SUV brand in the market. They’ve made a name for themselves, and many people who are drawn to SUVs end up wanting a Land Rover. The problem is that they can be incredibly expensive to buy brand new. While you can always go for a used Land Rover, a better option is to go for a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle. A CPO vehicle has been thoroughly inspected and comes with a warranty, making it a great middle-ground between new and used.
We’re about to dive into the Land Rover certified pre-owned program and discuss the warranty, inspection, and bonuses that come with a CPO vehicle.
TLDR; We are pleased with the Land Rover certified pre-owned program. The two most crucial aspects of a CPO program are the warranty and the inspection, and Land Rover looks great in both of these areas. While we wish Land Rover would disclose a specific exclusion list on their website, their warranty offering is solid. They don’t offer many perks, but we don’t think bonuses should be a significant factor when buying a vehicle.
Land Rover’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Information
For a Land Rover to be sold as a Land Rover certified pre-owned vehicle, it must meet the following requirements:
- 60,000 miles or fewer
- Five years old or newer
- Pass a thorough 165-point inspection
It’s worth noting that the vehicle must score a perfect 100% on the inspection to be certified. If a single point fails, the car will not be certified until the failed area is repaired.
What does Land Rover’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?
All Land Rover CPO vehicles come with a Land Rover Approved Certified Limited Warranty. They do not expressly state what is and is not covered on their CPO website. While third-party information is out there that suggests it only covers manufacturer’s defects, we would prefer that Land Rover directly state their warranty coverage.
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Land Rover states explicitly that the warranty is fully transferable to a new owner. They don’t mention if there’s a transfer fee, but either way, being able to transfer the warranty will boost the resale value of the Land Rover certified pre-owned vehicle.
We’re happy to see that Land Rover explicitly states that there is no deductible for repairs covered under the Approved Certified Limited Warranty.
How long does Land Rover’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Last?
The Land Rover Approved Certified Limited Warranty lasts for seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. However, coverage begins when the vehicle is first sold, and the odometer is at zero, not when you purchase the car.
When you compare the warranty duration to the CPO eligibility requirements, it’s clear that the shortest warranty you’ll end up with is two years and 40,000 miles. We think that’s still a decent warranty timeframe. Of course, if you buy a newer CPO vehicle, you’ll end up with a more extended warranty.
Land Rover’s Certified Pre-Owned Inspection
Every Land Rover has passed a 165-point inspection to become certified and warrantied. You can view a public-ready version of their checklist on their website, but we’ll cover the main points below:
- Eligibility, including checking the vehicle history report and searching for recalls
- Interior, including general interior condition and airbag system functionality
- Electrical tests, including interior lights and battery condition
- Heating/Air conditioning, including blower motor condition and HVAC pollen filter condition
- Exterior electrical tests, including hazard lights functionality and headlights condition
- Exterior, including general body and paintwork and glass windshield condition
- Luggage compartment, including tool kit and spare tire
- Engine area, including engine oil levels and air filter condition
- Drivetrain, including suspension and steering
- Stationary test, including engine idling and alternator condition
- Road test, including engine performance and wind noise
- Emissions testing
We’re pleased with this inspection checklist as it looks like every central point is inspected. Overall, 165 points of inspection is slightly above average for CPO programs. We would expect over 200 inspection points from an automaker with a reputation like Land Rover, but we aren’t disappointed in their inspection.
Other Land Rover Certified Pre-Owned Perks
Like other automakers, Land Rover has decided to include several perks with any Land Rover certified pre-owned vehicles. They are:
- Trip interruption benefits, including reimbursement for lodging and transportation, should your Land Rover become disabled due to a warrantable defect when you’re on a trip
- A Carfax Vehicle History Report (are those reliable?)
- 24/7 roadside assistance, including coverage for flat tires, fuel delivery, and lockouts.
We expected Land Rover to offer more competitive perks, but they’re at least offering the bare minimum. CPO perks should not be a significant factor in deciding whether to buy a car.
Ultimately, we are happy with the Land Rover certified pre-owned program. They include a lengthy warranty that will last for two years, and possibly more if the CPO vehicle is newer. We’re also happy with their inspection, although more inspection points would be appreciated. The warranty and inspection points are the most critical elements of any CPO program, and Land Rover does well in these areas.
Before you buy a Land Rover, make sure that you get a pre-purchase inspection before signing any contracts. These inspections are always recommended so that you have a better idea about the car’s condition from an independent source.
We think the Land Rover program is an excellent way for someone to get into a Land Rover without paying new car prices.
Unethical Car Dealer Practices to be Aware of Before You Buy a Car
Some car dealers do everything they can to be honest and showcase their integrity. Others do whatever they can to make an extra buck. While we’d love to tell you about all the great car dealers out there, we’re here to be your advocate in the car buying process. A big part of advocating for you is arming you with information.
Today, we’re going to take a look at unethical car dealer practices that you absolutely should be made aware of before you buy a new car. Even if a friend recommends your car dealer, even if you have a friend who works there, you should know about these practices.
We’re about to cover unethical car dealer practices that occur at every stage in the car buying process, from advertising a price you’ll never get, to packing your loan payments, to getting kickbacks from lenders.
Unethical Car Dealer Practices: Advertising the Wrong Price
We recently received an email from a reader in which they linked us to a dealership that was advertising two different prices: one if you financed with them and one of you didn’t. Guess which price was higher?
If you decided to finance with them, they gave you the price advertised in big, bold letters. Otherwise, you paid $1,000 more to use your financing option. Essentially, you must finance at the dealership and agree to whatever rates and terms they set up for you, or you’ll pay more.
This practice is not exactly common, but it does tie into more common practices. Car dealers often advertise prices that aren’t even available to most customers. The advertised price includes every available rebate, such as a first responder or recent graduate rebate. Then, when you show up to buy the car, they tell you that you don’t qualify.
Another prevalent practice is not including the price of tags, title fees, and other related expenses that they could easily add to the advertised price.
Essentially, one of the primary unethical car dealer practices that you absolutely must know is that the advertised price is not always what you’ll end up getting. You should research the market price of any potential car before you even visit the dealership so that you know what you should be paying. In other words, do your homework.
Unethical Car Dealer Practices: Packed Payments
Let’s play out a scenario: you walk into a shady car dealership, and a salesperson starts asking you questions. One of the earliest questions they’ll ask is, “how much can you pay per month?”
If you say $350, you can be confident they’ll do mathematical gymnastics to make sure that you pay $350. The financing managers do this by tweaking the loan amount and the APR until it works out that you’re paying either the exact amount, or more, than what you said you could afford.
So, if the loan should’ve been $300 but they inch it up to $350, then you’ll end up paying an extra $2,400 over a four-year loan. That’s not a small amount of money that could otherwise be in your pocket.
This practice is called packing or loading payments, and it’s a hard practice to detect.
If you do end up agreeing to the packed loan, you better believe they’ll pull out any other tricks they have to squeeze you out of every dime. It’s better to push back and be firm on how much you will pay, and please, don’t be afraid to walk away from the dealer. You always have the option of walking away from a situation where it feels like they’re taking advantage of you.
Your best defense against having packed payments is to secure your financing from your bank or credit union. Other than that, you can also do plenty of research before you visit the dealership so that you know what your payments should be.
Unethical Car Dealer Practices: Pushing Leases Through Dishonesty
Leases are an essential revenue stream for most car dealerships. Always selling new cars is their primary revenue source, but the margins are tight, so they often opt to urge people to lease instead.
Sometimes, a dealership will attempt to coerce you into leasing instead of buying through dishonest practices. Typically, a car dealership will quote you high prices on purchasing a new car and then give you the much lower lease price that seems like a steal. The salesperson will make it seem like leasing is the best way to get the car you’re after. They might even make false promises about the lease, which can veer into illegal scam territory.
We have nothing against leases, but if you’re going to a car dealership to buy a car and the salesperson tries to push a lease on you, leave that dealership.
Unethical Car Dealer Practices: Adding Prep Fees to the Vehicle
If you owned a car dealership and had no moral compass, how would you make a quick profit without doing anything? Add a fee to every vehicle you sell. Just like that, you’re making an extra $500 to $1,000 per vehicle without any added effort.
That’s what prep fees are. Even above-the-board car dealerships have been known to do this. They’ll disclose the fee and say that it’s part of preparing your vehicle for you. Doing this almost seems fair at first glance.
What does a prep fee cover?
Some things it might cover include: peeling off plastic covering, vacuuming the interior, and adding fluids to the car. It’s about 2 hours of work, but they want you to pay $500 (and they’re probably paying the person that’s doing the prepping minimum wage).
Prep fees are entirely legal. The only thing you can do is ask that they credit you back the prep fee. That’s right; refuse to pay it. Get up and walk out if you need to. An extra $500 fee for adding oil to your engine just isn’t worth it!
Unethical Car Dealer Practices: Kickbacks for Loans
Let’s say you finance through the dealership, and the lender approves you at a 7% APR. However, you don’t know the exact number; it’s all done behind closed doors. After some waiting, the salesperson comes back and says they got you a 10% APR.
It’s a little higher than you had hoped, but you go for it. You sign with the lender for a 10% APR. Guess who gets that extra 3%? The dealership, through a payment from the lender.
This practice is known as an auto loan kickback. It’s one of the worst unethical car dealer practices because it can boost your monthly payments beyond what you had planned.
How do you protect against it? Get pre-approved for a loan through your bank or credit union. Doing so wholly avoids this unethical practice. If that isn’t an option, do plenty of research about what kind of an APR someone with your credit history should be getting. If they come back with a number higher than what you expected, say no.
Be Aware of These Types of Illegal Fraud
Not everything unethical is illegal. However, we can safely say that everything illegal is also unethical. As such, we absolutely must inform you about illegal fraud that some dealerships try to get away with:
- Yo-yo financing, which is the practice of having you drive off the lot believing that the loan is pending and then having you come back in to sign a different, pricier loan
- Stating that you will own a vehicle outright once the lease is paid for, which is always incorrect
- Dealer falsifying personal information to coerce you into agreeing to a higher interest rate, even though you should qualify for a lower one
- Not disclosing any material information, such as damage or malfunctions, about a vehicle
- A “rollback,” which is where the dealer will alter the car’s odometer
- Withholding information about a past accident, flood, or other damage
- Misrepresenting warranty coverage
- Underpaying or undervaluing a customer’s trade-in vehicle
- “Bait and switch” schemes, where an advertised deal is said to be no longer available, and then the salesperson tries to sell the same vehicle at a higher price
- Saying that some features are required when they’re really optional
- Boosting the price above the sticker price by including options the customer didn’t request or adding undisclosed fees
If you catch a dealership doing any of the above, they may be violating various consumer protection laws. We are not qualified to give legal advice, but we do believe you should seek a lawyer if you’ve been involved with any of these practices.
Be Open to Different Options to Avoid Bad Practices
You can do two things to protect yourself against unethical car dealer practices: arm yourself with information and be open to different vehicles.
The first one is this article’s purpose; to inform you about specific practices that car dealers try to get away with. The second is up to you. If you are less committed to one particular vehicle, especially a specific VIN, then it’ll be easier to walk away if you believe there is something unethical happening.
Unfortunately, you have to keep your head on a swivel to avoid being taken advantage of. Research loans and car values before you visit a dealership, and you’ll be in an excellent position to prevent these practices.
General Motors Certified Pre-Owned Review
Buying a General Motors certified pre-owned vehicle allows you to get a stable, warrantied car for a fraction of the price of a new car. We always steer people towards a CPO vehicle over a used car whenever we can.
We’re about to go over the General Motors certified pre-owned warranty, the inspection process, and other bonuses. We’ll give you our thoughts along the way so that you can evaluate whether their program is worth your money.
TLDR; General Motors provides an average warranty with their certified pre-owned cars. The bumper-to-bumper warranty is longer than some competitors, while the powertrain warranty is shorter than most competitors. However, their inspection process is quite thorough, and we like that they investigate vehicle history as part of it. While the perks they give you are nice, we don’t think they should persuade you to buy a General Motors certified pre-owned vehicle.
General Motors’ Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Information
Warranties are half of the reason we always recommend a certified pre-owned vehicle over an ‘off the street’ used car. The other half is due to the inspection. Between the warranty and the inspection, you know that you’re getting a reliable vehicle and that the manufacturer has you covered if any issues should occur.
What does General Motors’ Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?
Every General Motors certified pre-owned vehicle includes two warranties:
Bumper-to-Bumper Limited Warranty:
- $0 deductible
- Covers “almost every part” in your car
- Does not include anything considered damage or misuse
Powertrain Limited Warranty:
- $0 deductible for repairs
- Covers most engine components, transmission components, and drive systems
- Does not cover damage caused by aftermarket parts, such as turbochargers
The General Motors certified pre-owned warranties are average compared to industry standards. The bumper-to-bumper warranty is longer than some competitors, but the powertrain limited warranty is also shorter than some competitors.
We appreciate that there isn’t a deductible for covered repairs. Other automakers have deductibles, so it’s nice to see that General Motors is not taking part in this trend.
How long does General Motors’ Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Last?
General Motors certified pre-owned vehicles come with two warranties that have different durations:
Bumper-to-Bumper Limited Warranty:
- 12-months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first
- Begins when the vehicle is purchased, or the New Car Warranty expires
- Completely transferrable with no transfer fee
Powertrain Limited Warranty:
- Six years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first
- Begins when the vehicle was initially sold
- Completely transferrable with no transfer fee
Being able to transfer the warranty is a nice feature. Imagine being able to sell a used car with a warranty; the new owner will love that. Not having to pay a transfer fee is also excellent, as some automakers do have a transfer fee.
We aren’t pleased with the warranty durations, although their bumper-to-bumper warranty is four times longer than Dodge. A longer powertrain warranty would put General Motors on par with other car manufacturers.
General Motors’ Certified Pre-Owned Inspection
The inspection is an essential part of any CPO program. It’s how you know the vehicle will be reliable, and the warranty provides some peace of mind. General Motors conducts a thorough 172-point inspection of all cars before they are certified. You can view the complete checklist on their website, but we’ll cover the main points below:
- Investigate vehicle history, including checking for recalls and going over the Carfax report (are Carfax reports trustworthy?)
- Perform upcoming maintenance, including changing the oil and cleaning battery connections
- Check tires and brakes, including checking all four wheels for tire tread depth and brake pad thickness
- Detailing, including removing any foreign odors and cleaning glass surfaces
- Road test, including checking the engine, transmission, stability, steering, and HVAC
- Functional areas, including airbags and parking brakes
- Engine compartment, including the checking the brake system and cooling system
- Under the vehicle, including visually inspecting for leaks and checking the drivetrain condition
- Interior, including seating functionality and lighting functionality
- Exterior, including checking headlights and functionality of all door handles
- For hybrids, they check the hybrid battery and confirm the auto stop
Again, we appreciate their inspection because a vehicle history investigation is included. While we can assume other manufacturers do this, too, we like seeing it on the checklist.
Other General Motors Certified Pre-Owned Perks
Automakers like to include perks with their CPO programs, and General Motors is no different. Every General Motors certified pre-owned vehicle comes with a handful of bonuses:
- 24/7 roadside assistance provided by Allstate, valid for the length of your powertrain warranty. It covers all common issues, such as flat tires, lockouts, battery jump starts, and gas delivery.
- Two complimentary scheduled maintenance visits, which include oil and oil filter change, tire rotations, and a multi-point inspection
- OnStar limited trial, which is their system that provides turn-by-turn navigation, emergency crash assistance, and advanced diagnostics
- A three-month trial of SiriusXM
- Enrollment in MyGM, which provides points that can be redeemed for rewards
These perks are pretty average. However, one that stands out is the two complimentary scheduled maintenance visits. Some other competitors provide one visit, while most give no free maintenance visits. The OnStar trial is also an excellent perk, and may come in handy in the event of an accident.
We aren’t particularly impressed by the General Motors certified pre-owned program, but we aren’t disappointed in it either. It’s quite an average program, which isn’t a bad thing. They would impress us a bit more by extending their powertrain warranty. We do like how many inspection points are checked during their inspection process, though. Overall, we’re neutral towards this program.
BMW Certified Pre-Owned Review
All around the world, BMW has a specific reputation for providing quality, luxurious cars. However, buying a brand-new BMW is quite costly. That’s why we recommend going for the BMW certified pre-owned vehicle program. You can get into a BMW that’s been inspected and has a warranty without paying new car prices.
TLDR; We like the BMW certified pre-owned program. Although, the lack of a separate powertrain warranty does bring down the entire program. Most other programs include a powertrain warranty. We do appreciate that they add the CPO warranty to the end of the New Vehicle warranty. Their inspection process is thorough, and they offer great perks. The BMW CPO program is a great way to get into a BMW.
BMW’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Information
BMW says their CPO program is “selective from the start.” While that’s an excellent sales pitch, what does it mean? Here’s what we’ve gathered:
- Less than 60,000 miles on the odometer
- A “late-model” vehicle with more than 300 miles on it
- A clean Carfax or AutoCheck report
- Only has genuine BMW parts
- An up-to-date maintenance history
The lack of a specific age range is a bit concerning, but with a 60,000-mile maximum, most vehicles will only be a few years old. We love the program criteria because they require an up-to-date maintenance history for the car, which is not standard for other CPO programs.
What does BMW’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?
Every BMW certified pre-owned vehicle includes comprehensive coverage that kicks in after the New Vehicle warranty expires. We love to see automakers add a new warranty to the end of the New Vehicle warranty instead of replacing it.
The CPO warranty has the same coverage as the New Vehicle warranty, described as “specific defects in materials and workmanship.” They also include a complete breakdown of what is not covered:
- Maintenance, such as oil changes and replacing brake pads
- Upkeep, such as engine drive belt replacement and wheel alignment
- Suspension, such as ball joints and tie rod ends
- Body, such as mounts and partitions
- Interior, such as bulbs and floor mats
- Any non-original equipment parts, components, and accessories
While this might seem like a long list of what they don’t cover, it’s all relatively standard for CPO programs. Most CPO programs are a little more specific about what they will cover. Based on our interpretation, BMW will cover repairs if they are related to a manufacturer defect.
The warranty may be transferred to a new party, which significantly increases your resale value.
How long does BMW’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Last?
Every BMW certified pre-owned vehicle comes with whatever is remaining on the New Vehicle Warranty, if anything, which lasts for four years and 50,000 miles. After that warranty expires, the CPO warranty kicks in, which provides one year of coverage with unlimited mileage.
Since one of the requirements to be in the BMW certified pre-owned program is to have less than 60,000 miles, it is possible to buy a CPO vehicle with a New Vehicle warranty that has already expired. Fortunately, you’ll still be covered by the new warranty. Although, this does mean you would benefit from buying a newer CPO vehicle, if possible.
You may purchase extended protection at any point during the warranty to extend your coverage. BMW offers a few different types of extended warranties that you can view on their website.
BMW’s Certified Pre-Owned Inspection
BMW performs a thorough inspection of every vehicle before it’s certified. Unlike almost every other automaker, they don’t talk about how many inspection points they have. Instead, they call it a “360-degree vehicle inspection.” Even on their inspection checklist, they don’t number the inspection points. So, what are they inspecting? Let’s take a look:
- Vehicle background, including maintenance records and VIN report
- Wheel assembly, including tire measurements and brake inspection
- Body and mechanical, including bumper condition and glass condition
- Mechanic, including belt tensioners and exhaust system
- Stationary review, including pedal function and driver’s seat functions
- Road test, including pedal function and navigation system functionality
- Rolling review, including cold/hot starting and ABS condition
Something that jumps out about their inspection process is that their checklist has a section for “comments.” Most automakers have a simple “pass” or “fail” checklist. BMW may include this section for many possible reasons, but we like to think it was so they could more accurately describe the component’s condition.
Other BMW Certified Pre-Owned Perks
Most automakers provide perks with every CPO vehicle they sell, and BMW is no different. Here are the bonuses you can expect if you buy a BMW certified pre-owned vehicle:
- 24/7 roadside assistance for the duration of your warranty, including lockout assistance, fuel delivery, emergency tows, and jump-starts
- Trip interruption, providing coverage of up $1,000 per incident if your car breaks down “far” from home (although “far” is not explicitly defined)
- BMW Assist, which is a safety plan that provides emergency assistance and can detect collisions
- Loaner vehicles directly from the dealership during the duration of your warranty, if your vehicle is in for covered repairs
- Three months of SiriusXM
- A comprehensive Vehicle History Report
Some of these perks are standard, while others go above and beyond what is par for the course. Providing loaner cars directly from the dealership is a unique benefit and prevents the hassle of having to deal with a rental car business or going through the reimbursement process. We also appreciate the trip interruption perk.
We recommend the BMW certified pre-owned program. They provide a thorough vehicle inspection, although they don’t use the point-based system other automakers use. We do wish they offered a specific extended powertrain warranty. They make up for this lack of warranty with their other offerings, but overall the absence of a powertrain warranty does bring the program down. Ultimately, it’s an excellent program for someone looking to get into a BMW who doesn’t want to go for a brand-new car.
Ford Certified Pre-Owned Review
Buying a Ford certified pre-owned vehicle is a fantastic way to own a relatively new Ford that comes with a warranty and has been inspected. You don’t need to pay new car prices to have a car with a warranty. We often advise people to go for a CPO vehicle over a Craigslist used car since you know the vehicle you’re buying has been inspected and comes warrantied.
We’re about to dive deep into the Ford CPO program, where we’ll discuss the warranty, inspection process, and go over the perks they offer.
TLDR; Ford’s warranty is unimpressive, but it’s also not disappointing. They are offering an industry-standard warranty. Their inspection process, while thorough, is also industry standard. There’s nothing that jumps out as unique or exciting about the Ford CPO program. If you’re a fan of Ford, it’s still worth buying a Ford CPO over a generic used Ford off the side of the road.
Ford’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Information
The Ford certified pre-owned program includes two warranties that are on par with the industry standard. They don’t rise above the average, but they also don’t fall below it. To be eligible for the Ford CPO program, a car must meet the following criteria:
- Less than 80,000 miles
- Five model years old or newer
The mileage requirement is slightly higher than other automakers, who generally set the bar at 50,000 miles.
What does Ford’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?
When you buy a Ford certified pre-owned vehicle, you’ll receive two warranties that cover different parts of your car.
Comprehensive Limited Warranty which covers over 1,000 components including:
- Engine
- Electrical system
- Brakes
- Steering components
- Front and rear-wheel drive
- Safety systems
Ford also provides a Powertrain Limited Warranty, which covers:
- Engine
- Transmission
- Drivetrain
Both of these warranties are offering industry standard coverage. This can be considered a good thing since they aren’t dipping below the industry standard. However, we would like to see more components covered in the Comprehensive Limited Warranty.
How long does Ford’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Last?
The Ford certified pre-owned program provides two warranties of different lengths:
- Comprehensive Limited Warranty: 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first
- Powertrain Limited Warranty: Seven-year or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first
Both of these warranties are fully transferable to new owners with no transfer fee, enhancing your resale value.
Ford also offers Extended Service Plans, which cover more areas of the vehicle and have varying durations. These plans are available at a Ford dealer, and they do not post any information about them on their website.
It’s important to note that Ford does not explicitly mention what happens when you buy a CPO car that still has the New Vehicle Warranty. They should state whether or not that warranty will carry over, and if the CPO warranty kicks in after it expires. Perhaps it means you won’t be receiving a CPO warranty. This policy needs to be stated directly.
Both of their warranty durations are relatively standard for the auto industry. The Comprehensive Limited Warranty duration is the same as most other competitors, while the Powertrain Limited Warranty is slightly lower than others, as some offer ten years.
Ford’s Certified Pre-Owned Inspection
Every Ford certified pre-owned vehicle has been through a rigorous 172-point inspection. You can view the complete inspection checklist on their website, but we’ll go over the significant points:
- Vehicle history, including inspecting the VIN and looking through service recalls
- Road test, including engine starts, engine acceleration, and engine noise
- Exterior, including body condition and power liftgate functionality
- Vehicle interior, including interior amenities condition and navigation system functionality
- Vehicle diagnostics, primarily a self-test for all CMDTCs
- Underhood, including engine oil levels and belt conditions
- Hybrid/electric vehicles have unique inspection points, such as charging components and hybrid cooling system
- Underbody, including the presence of frame damage and tire tread depth
- Convenience, including owners guide and a complete set of keys
Providing a 172-point inspection is more thorough than some competitors, but not by much. It is an average amount of inspection points. We’re unimpressed by their inspection process, but still, we aren’t disappointed in it.
We should highlight that this is Ford’s internal inspection. You should still have your own pre-purchase inspection done.
Other Ford Certified Pre-Owned Perks
Every Ford certified pre-owned vehicle comes with many perks. Ford provides these perks both as a ‘thank you’ and to persuade you to buy a Ford CPO vehicle. The perks are:
- A three-month subscription to SiriusXM
- 24/7 roadside assistance for the duration of the Powertrain Limited Warranty, which covers lockouts, flat tires, emergency tows, and gas delivery
- A Vehicle History report
- You can buy a Ford certified pre-owned vehicle with Ford Credit, which is their unique credit offering which gives you the ability to return the car within one year
This perk offering is pretty small as compared to other automakers. We’re a little surprised since Ford is such a big name in the auto world. Perhaps it’s for this reason that they don’t feel the need to offer too many perks?
Overall, the Ford certified pre-owned program is average in every way. They only fall below average with their perk offering, but that’s not as important. The critical aspects of a CPO vehicle are the warranty and inspection, and they’re perfectly average in those regards. Being average is certainly better than being subpar. We recommend this program for fans of Ford. If you are looking for a reliable certified pre-owned vehicle, Ford is an acceptable way to go, but there are other automakers with better programs.
