Clark Howard's Tips
Defining a certified used carJanuary 9, 2008
We've all heard the term "certified used car," but what exactly does that mean?
It's really a marketing term that statistics show can inflate the price of a vehicle by several thousand dollars. But the term itself may or may not have any real meaning from dealership to dealership.
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CLARK'S TIP TOPICS
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Minnesota has decided that it's heard enough horror stories about people buying certified used cars and getting lemons. The Land of 10,000 Lakes has passed a law to define what "certified used car" should mean.
There are basically 3 criteria: The certified used vehicle must have a warranty; the dealer must believe it's in good shape; and it can't have been in a bad wreck.
Clark never goes through a week of the year when someone doesn't tell him a lemon horror story about a certified used vehicle. So be Clark Smart when buying and have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle.
