DAYTON — If you are in the market for buying a used car, do you really know what you are getting when you buy a certified pre-owned vehicle?
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News Center 7′s Nick Foley found paying more for a certified vehicle doesn’t always pay off in the end.
Kevin Brasler is the Executive Editor with Consumer’s Checkbook. He said, “The word certified gets used pretty often these days, and yet when you dig into what it means, it doesn’t mean much if they haven’t done the things they’re supposed to do.”
He said only a new car dealership can offer a manufacturer-certified used vehicle and he requirements for those certifications change depending on the company.
Jason Pembertson is the Used Car Manager at Beau Townsend Ford in Vandalia. He said, “Currently, I am sitting on about 115-120 certified vehicles.”
Being a franchised Ford dealer means it must meet certain requirements before a used car on their lot can be labeled certified.
“It is much cheaper for us to put a car on the lot non-certified as to put a car on the lot certified. However, in terms of a value proposition for the customer it makes sense. You know, people want to buy a car they know as been through these processes and procedures, backed by the manufacturer in terms of the warranty and has all these standards that have been met,” Pemberton said.
Other independent sellers can apply their own certification labels with their own list of checks.
However, Brasler said consumers should not be fooled into thinking “certified” always means problem-free.
“A lot of consumers have been lulled into a sense of security, thinking, ‘Oh, this is a good car.’ They’ve promised they’ve done all these checks. But inf fact, the promise is only as good as the dealer selling the car,” Brasler said.
Consumer’s Checkbook reviewed lawsuits and complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. It found certified cars with unreported crashes, flood damage and one that was used as a federal crash test vehicle.
“Those cars should never been certified and probably shouldn’t be back on the market and yet they were promised as being certified cars having passed all these rigorous checks that really weren’t done at all,” Brasler said.
Rosemary Shahan is the Founder of the advocacy group, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety. She said, “I would never buy a certified car because it usually means you’re paying a lot extra.”
Shahan also said the best thing consumers can do is to save money and get your own inspection done. It’s important to find out everything you can about the condition and history of the car and decide whether you really want it or not.
A lot of dealers will give you a grace period when buying a used car. Brasler said, consumers should always use that time to hire your own mechanic.
Its possible consumers could get charged a re-stocking fee if you return the vehicle, but at least you’ll get another set of eyes on the car.
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