While buying a car a lot of factors have to be kept in mind. Not all can afford a new car and people buy used cars. While buying a new car, a used car is traded in. The dealer generally keeps the good cars and sells the ones that are not in good condition. To market the used car which people feel are ‘abused’ cars, dealers call them ‘pre-owned’ or ‘pre-driven’ cars. This makes the people feel that the cars have been owned by someone and they feel more comfortable buying.

Buyers have been suggesting for a long time that the used cars for sale should be inspected, repaired and then sold. The dealers felt it would not be worth the effort and the price. Then the car manufacturers came into the picture. They told the dealers to pay for the inspection and repair of the car. Then the manufacturers would give a warranty on these certified ‘pre-owned’ cars.

If you buy a pre-owned car without certification, you have to check out the condition of the car, the title deed, the maintenance history and get it inspected and repaired. All these procedures will be taken care of by the dealer itself. So, a certified pre-owned car is definitely a good deal.

There are two types of certified cars. One of them is factory backed and the other is dealer backed.

The factory backed pre-owned certified car means that the factory gives a warranty and there is no cost that you have to bear. If the car is taken to any dealer dealing with the same brand of car, you have warranty for it. If you are on vacation too, and have some problem with your car, you can take it to the dealers who sell your brand of car and get the problem fixed. You will also get the same sort of coverage as a person with a new car will get. There will be representatives who will do periodic checks to ensure that inspection and repairs have been made. Multipoint inspections would have been made on the car. So, if for example, the brakes have only 60% of life left in them, they will have to be replaced.

In a dealer backed pre-certified car, you have to buy an extended warranty for the coverage of your car through the car dealer or the insurance company. It has also to be brought back to selling dealer for any service or repair that you might need. Without a factory warranty, only the exterior of the car might have been repaired. An engine that has little life left in it might not have been repaired. Multipoint inspections on the car might not have been made. So, if the brake has only 60% of life left in it, you have to hope that the extended warranty covers it.

A new car might be a sedan car, hatchback car, sports car, SUV etc is very expensive . A certified pre-owned car is an alternative. A car that has been pre-owned is inspected, repaired and warranted and sold to you. Although it might cost more, the advantage of having peace of mind is a very important factor.

Whether you are buying a factory backed or dealer backed certified pre-owned car, be sure that you know what is covered in the warranty and what is not. You should also know what deductible you should pay and who will do the repairs on the car. Check the certification list and find out if the major parts have been inspected and repaired. Check the mileage and age of the car on the warranty. Take the car for a long drive.