"Certified" Used Cars
Many different dealerships (from CarMax to new-car franchises) offer "certified" used cars on their lot. Of course, what might be "certified" could possibly vary in its meaning. Certified as what?
To me, I think it would involve a "100+ point quality inspection" or something along that line - with proof that certain primary & secondary maintenance tasks were completed, either by that dealership or with verifiable records from another shop.
An example of a "certified" vehicle might be the 2008 Mustang GT that I leased from January '08 to January of 2010 - with just a hair under 30,000 miles (the limit of my two-year lease) on it. Aside from washing & waxing, everything related to maintenance was done at one Ford dealership. I normally do my own preventive maintenance, but it was "free" with my lease agreement - so I had the work done there. All of the information is in their computer and the Mustang received a very thorough inspection when I returned it at the end of my lease.
Of course, there really was not anything that needed done in that short amount of time - aside from oil & filter changes and tire rotations. I even spent eight bucks and replaced my own air filter once; just to avoid the hassle of making an extra trip over there when I found it to be slightly dirty.
:hungry:
If a vehicle has more than one owner or got the car serviced at different places, there may not be a "record" or documentation to show when and where maintenance was done. How can you 'certify' that oil was changed often enough by previous owners - even if it might look good when you go to look at the car or take it for a test drive? Hard call to make sometimes, huh?
I keep all my receipts - for parts, labor, service, etc., on every car I own or lease. I do this even long after the warranty expires - both for my own peace of mind and to show a prospective buyer that my vehicle was cared for in a proper & timely manner.
:keyboard:
My 2004 Chevy Silverado truck - which I bought used in February - had a clean Carfax report and a few maintenance items (from GM dealerships) were listed.....but it obviously had other things done to it that were not on there. The fluids all looked great and it was obvious that someone kept pretty decent care of it.
For my own good measure, I did an oil & filter change at home in my driveway (very easy on this truck), even though it was changed only 2,500 miles ago as per a KwikLube sticker at the top of the windshield. Peace of mind, ya know? I used five quarts of 5w30 dino oil and one quart of Marvel Mystery Oil (awesome stuff), as the 5.3L V8 takes six quarts - and a Fram oil filter. The filter is easily-accessed - adjacent to the oil pan; and nothing spills on other parts of the vehicle when you unscrew it. At the next oil & filter change, I will switch to synthetic 5w30, probably Mobil-1.
Two weeks ago, I took it to a trusty mechanic (one of very few in existence, who came recommended to me by a friend who is a Chevy fanatic) who works at at a GM dealership. I had both the cooling system and the automatic transmission flushed out (BG Products service) on their high-tech machines; along with new serpentine/drive belts and a fuel-injector cleaning (also BG). Perhaps some of this had been done before; but perhaps not. It ran me over five hundred bucks (including some burned out light bulbs that had to be replaced) - but I expect to take the vehicle on two or three long trips this year, and don't want any trouble.
Since I plan to keep the truck a long time, I figured it would be good long-term 'insurance' to keep the truck running properly. I have about 77,000 miles now - and intend to get a custom dual exhaust system installed during the summer; and the spark plugs and rear differential fluid will be replaced around 90,000 miles or so. When the time comes to sell my truck, I will at least be able to show what was done to it during my tenure with it. My other car, a 2002 Nissan Sentra has been with me since I bought it new; and I have every receipt for anything I ever did to the car during the past 110,000+ miles -- right down to wiper blades.
Anyway, GM, Ford, Toyota and Nissan (and probably many others) all offer "certified" cars and trucks. As with anything else, caveat emptor -- Let the buyer beware.
:hatsoff:
