Should You Purchase A Certified Used Car?

This depends on your comfort level in negotiating with experienced salesmen and your ability to have the car inspected that you are purchasing. As a general matter, in my opinion, this is not a good purchase. The term “certified” means almost nothing. In the context of a used car sale it only means that the manufacturer has issued a warranty on your car and has required the dealer to perform some extensive inspection. Remember this is not free. There is a charge for this warranty, whether the dealer tells you or not. You are purchasing this warranty. Then the dealer tries to sell you an extended service plan. What a joke.

First of all, shouldn’t the dealer have to inspect the car before they sell the car to the public? Why is this extra? Just purchase your own warranty on the internet and have the car inspected by your own mechanic.

Here is a listing of all the major manufacturers’ certified used car programs.

After all this is done you might discover that the car was damaged.

I have litigated many consumer fraud claims where the dealer sold a certified used car that was damaged. I have also litigated claims where new cars have been damaged.