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Hyundai Certified Pre-Owned Review

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Last updated Dec 8, 2020

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.

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