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Anyone want to share their experiences? I've been disappointed in the past. Unsafe tires being sold on certified used cars. Tires with poor tread depth or in the case with a family member of mine, a tire that was unraveling due to the previous owner curbing the wheel/tire. Also, outstanding warning lights on dash.
Anyone want to share their experiences? I've been disappointed in the past. Unsafe tires being sold on certified used cars. Tires with poor tread depth or in the case with a family member of mine, a tire that was unraveling due to the previous owner curbing the wheel/tire. Also, outstanding warning lights on dash.
This doesn't sound like a CPO. From what I understand, CPOs are supposedly reconditioned back to like new standards, and often given an extended warranty. To be honest, used cars are often supposed to have been reconditioned to as good of quality as possible to be sold. Probably depends on the size of your dealership, though. For instance, I would assume the Ford dealership or Toyota place would rehab a used car to have it ready for sale, where as your small time "buy here, pay here" may not put their vehicles through as extensive rehab. Again, I'm not in the biz so I'm just going on a lot of assumption.
But, sticking the the spirit of assumption, I would assume if something is CPO, you should not be having warning lights and used of tread on tires.
That's not a true CPO car you're talking about OP. No way a manufacturer is going to put their warranty and name behind that type of car. There is a difference between a "Certified Pre-Owned" car being sold by a dealership of the manufacture, and some slick willy who slaps a "Certified" banner on the hood of the Camaro out on Rt. 8.
I've even made comments before to salesmen who tried to sell me on it being "Certified", with "certified as what, a rolling pile of poop"?
I've owned 2 true Certified Pre-Owned cars, both exceptional experiences and will always look to that space when buying another car first, if possible.
This doesn't sound like a CPO. From what I understand, CPOs are supposedly reconditioned back to like new standards, and often given an extended warranty. To be honest, used cars are often supposed to have been reconditioned to as good of quality as possible to be sold. Probably depends on the size of your dealership, though. For instance, I would assume the Ford dealership or Toyota place would rehab a used car to have it ready for sale, where as your small time "buy here, pay here" may not put their vehicles through as extensive rehab. Again, I'm not in the biz so I'm just going on a lot of assumption.
But, sticking the the spirit of assumption, I would assume if something is CPO, you should not be having warning lights and used of tread on tires.
The 2 cars with issues were at a large Chevy dealer, and were certified. Now that I think of it not sure if it was truly CPO or just certified, but it did come with a 1 year warranty. 2012 Cruze which had many issues, but were covered under warranty or recalls, I've since traded it in for a new Honda. The other was a 2017 Malibu my mother and law bought. I noticed a tire was unraveling the day after she bought it. She took it back and they admitted the tires were bad, and put on new ones.
I've never purchased a CPO car because I tend to buy reliable cars with easy DIY maintenance and with good vehicle histories. I will spend a few hours on model specific forums to learn about any common problems or quirks. My brother, on the hand, buys BMWs and refuses to own one out of warranty. CPO works well for him...especially when the car battery costs $400 and repair bills around $2K aren't uncommon.
As for my non-CPO used car buying experience:
In 2004, I bought a 2001 VW Golf TDI with 80K miles through a private seller. I scanned the ECM for codes, did a visual inspection after a hard test drive, wired the money, and had the deal notarized and hour later. I have 300K miles on it and the only issues I had was a seized idle pulley bearing (defective as it only 15K miles on it) and a leaky fuel injection pump ($200 to have the gaskets replaced).
In 2012, I bought a 2007 Lexus Rx400h with 80K miles on it at a Jeep dealership in Scottsdale, AZ. It had 4 brand new tires, a new 12V battery, oil change, and a small crack in the windshield. I paid $4K less than the market value in my region and they sent out Safelite to replace the windshield at my convenience. The car was 180K miles now and aside from spend $150 to replace the radiator (leaky plastic end-tank), I'd had absolutely no problems.
In 2016, I bought a 2013 off-lease Fiat 500e with 24K miles on it. It came with 2 brand new front tires and the rear tires were about half worn. We've driven 40K miles on it and the rear shocks are probably blown, but no other issues and no premature tire wear.
I'm pretty picky with the cars I buy and I'm generally okay with my vehicles have a few problems...as long as it doesn't affect its drivability. You know, stupid things like a broken hinge on the armrest console, a door light being out, etc. I wouldn't pay up for a CPO, but I think they can be a good idea for less reliable or expensive to maintain cars.
My brother, on the hand, buys BMWs and refuses to own one out of warranty. CPO works well for him...especially when the car battery costs $400 and repair bills around $2K aren't uncommon.
I drive a CPO vehicle. About two months after I purchased it, the battery crapped out. Three years is about tops for battery life in the desert and it was right on-schedule. Replacement cost is just over $400. Covered by warranty.
I just took it in for an oil change yesterday and had them check the radio. I knew based on prior research that failure of the radio isn't unusual or unexpected. When left in AM, upon restarting it, I'd get garbled output. I had a good video recording on three different dates so I wasn't concerned about them not replicating the issue. It was replaced under warranty also. That was probably a $2000 repair.
Other than that, I've been extremely pleased with the purchase. About six months before the extended warrant expires in 2.5 years, I'll make a call to keep or sell it. Having that little bit of warranty will make it more comfortable for a new owner. If it proves to be reliable, I'll keep it.
The new car warranty is 4 years or 50,000 miles and the CPO adds two more years or 100,000 miles assuming the car still under the original warranty. It was three years old when I purchased it so I get another three years or 60,000 miles.
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I've bought CPO Toyota, Volvo, Audi, Lexus, Porsche, and Bentley. Every single one was a positive experience, more or less, although the Toyota one was the weakest of the bunch. I'd say Volvo was by far the best program - they covered absolutely everything up to 100k / time limit.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy another CPO car. A much better value than new in my book.
I've bought CPO Toyota, Volvo, Audi, Lexus, Porsche, and Bentley. Every single one was a positive experience, more or less, although the Toyota one was the weakest of the bunch. I'd say Volvo was by far the best program - they covered absolutely everything up to 100k / time limit.
I wouldn't hesitate to buy another CPO car. A much better value than new in my book.
Agreed. Though I've found it's become a bit of a struggle to find a CPO for a luxury used car recently where the dealer hasn't priced it TOO high in comparison to market pricing on similar models.
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