Certified Pre Owned Car

A certified pre-owned car or CPO is a type of used car. Certified Pre Owned vehicles are typically late-models, low-mileage vehicles, many of which are off-lease vehicles. CPO vehicles differ from other used cars by having been inspected, refurbished, and certified by a manufacturer or other certifying authority. They also typically include an extended warranty, special financing, and additional benefits.

One thing buyers should be aware of is that there is no authority that designates what a CPO vehicle is, or should be. In other words, any car dealer can call any used car “certified pre owned.” In this case, buyers should check to see that the certified used car they are buying is certified by the manufacturer. So if they’re buying a certified used car from a Ford dealer, it should be certified by Ford and backed by a Ford service plan.