The Myth of the Certified Used Car.
Many people believe, and dealers are all too quick to sell this idea, that a “Certified” Car is a cut above the rest. This is not so. Certified Used Cars are no better, and no worse than any other used car out there. There is no industry standard for certifying used cars, so it is left up to each individual dealer and/or manufacturer to make up their own. Consequently, you will find a wide range of conditions that are found acceptable to be called “Certified”.
Example: We recently inspected a “Certified” BMW bought from a local dealer that was found to have sustained almost $7000.00 in collision damage, including frame damage, prior to being “Certified”. How does a car get “Certified” with a bent frame?
Certified cars, just like every other car out there, need to be fully inspected by a professional prior to purchase.
Certified? What does that mean exactly?