Introduction

Certification. When it comes to buying a used car, it seems as though everything is certified. It's everywhere: on "Certified Pre-Owned" banners at dealerships, on melodramatic car commercials, on straight and simple dealer advertisements - where there's a used car for sale, that word will, sooner or later, creep around the corner and tap you on the shoulder.

Psst. Hey. I'm certified. Wanna see my 1,654 inspection item list?

So buyer, please beware. That car may be a certified waste of time, a bonafide barge that costs you hundreds of dollars and a boatload of self-respect. For unscrupulous characters, certification is a nifty word to put on banners and lure in unsuspecting customers without having certified anything but, perhaps, the fact that the car has four wheels.

This is not the intended meaning behind used vehicle certification. But for every shady operator who abuses vehicle certification, there are many legitimate programs that provide a complete overview of a vehicle's mechanical fitness. It's a simple concept when you peel away the marketing noise: