What Does The GM Certified Pre-Owned Program Offer?
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Over the last several months, we’ve received many emails (and even phone calls) asking about the General Motors Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program. What does it do? How much it does cost? Where is it available? We’ll try to address those questions — and more — in this article.
For starters, GM CPO is a benefits package for used General Motors products including Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC. GM CPO, also known as Owner Care, does not apply to Cadillac vehicles, since Caddy has its own pre-owned program called Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned that differs slightly. GM CPO includes the following elements:
- 2-Year/30,000-Mile Standard Maintenance Plan: starting with the delivery of your GM CPO vehicle, the plan provides a 2-year or 30,000-mile standard vehicle maintenance that includes tire rotations, multi-point vehicle inspections, and oil changes (based on the vehicle’s Oil Life Monitor system).
- Two Warranties: a 12-month/12,000-mile bumper-t0-bumper warranty plus a 5-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.
- 24/7 Roadside Assistance and Courtesy Transportation
- 3-Day/150-Mile Customer Satisfaction Guarantee (this one varies by state)
- 3-month trials of OnStar and SiriusXM Satellite Radio
To become a Certified Pre-Owned unit, the vehicle must:
- Be a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Pontiac, or Saturn
- Be within current, plus 5-model years
- Be within a maximum of 75,000 miles
- Pass GM’s 172-point Vehicle Inspection and Reconditioning Process
- Possess al of its original equipment and be working as new
- Have a clean title
- Come with a Vehicle History Report
GM calculates that its CPO program adds up to $2,135 worth of value for the vehicle (when compared to a non-Certified unit).
So there you have it: the CPO program includes a maintenance plan, two warranties, roadside assistance, and a customer satisfaction guarantee. The 172-point inspection means that not all vehicles are worthy of carrying the title — or the warranties. We like to think of the GM CPO program as this little gem that is very useful for consumers but, unfortunately, one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves from shoppers.
It’s important to note that most dealerships offer aftermarket products that replicate or augment the GM CPO program such as extended warranties and protection plans. But who wants those when you can have an official piece-of-mind program from The General himself?
Have you known about the GM CPO program or bought GM Certified vehicles? Sound off in the comments.
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The warranty as GM states it is great, but the way some dealers do the inspection and handle claims is inconsistent. My buddy bought an 07 G6 GXP as certified pre-owned. But he noticed some interior blemishes like cigarette burns and a cracked wood trim piece on the shifter. At first the dealership said it would all be fixed free since the car is certified pre-owned. After he bought the car, he got the paperwork for the CPO program, the inspection sheet had the “interior free of burns/major blemishes” part checkmarked stating it was done and free of said burns/blemishes. Well, clearly the inspection wasn’t very thorough. That made us question what else might not have been inspected to GM CPO spec.
Then when he went to have the interior blemishes fixed they refused to do it saying he should have had the work done before taking delivery. So I told him to go back with the checklist sheet and threaten legal action because the car was sold advertised and under contract as GM certified pre-owned, when clearly it did not comply with GM certified pre-owned specification. Needless to say, they finally gave in and the interior was fully fixed.
However, now there are noises when he turns left, we suspect a cv axle/boot, since it sounds just like my sister’s 02 Elantra that had the same issue.
And it turns out the dealership my buddy bought the car at has a reputation for selling vehicles that have had major damage repaired without disclosing the information to the buyer.
So overall it’s only as good as the dealership you’re buying from. But it’s still probably the safest way to buy a car.
@Jeff You’re absolutely correct. Totally depends on the dealer offering the CPO vehicle.
I would also recommend filling at an WE OWE form at the dealer to list their promises as to what they’re promising to fix on the vehicle post-delivery. That’s the best way to guarantee they’ll keep their word and both ends of the deal are held up.
I bought an ’08 Pontiac G6 GT w/ 47,042 miles in Aug. ’09 I love my car. At that time, CPO didn’t include the maintenance program like it does now, but I have never had any issues w/ my G6. I did have to put brakes on, but that was normal wear & tear and at 72,000, I finally had to spring for a new set of tires. So I replaced the 40k Hankook’s with 80k mile Cooper, better tires, better traction, albeit slightly more road noise than the Hankook’s.
I love my car & the CPO program gave me the piece of mind that I would not get nickel & dimed to death so I could make my payments instead & feel safe in the car.
I’ve had the car to northern Minnesota, NW Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and all over my home state of Michigan, & I know I can drive it and not worry about falling apart on me.
If you are looking for a pre-owned vehicle, do yourself a favor & check Certified Pre-Owned. Oh, the resale & trade-in value is higher than non-certified as well.
Oh, and by the way, in 28 months, I’ve put 21,000 miles on my G6 & it’s still going strong!
Check that, make 29,000 miles in 28 months…I’m at 76,800
The CPO program is only as good as the dealership. I’m going to take the opportunity to plug here: Wally Edgar Chevrolet in Lake Orion actually spends the money and does all 172 points on the inspection, so the CPO warranty would be silly to pay for since you can get a discount by buying the car non-certified and then purchasing the extended warranty. Other dealers we are aware of have their program work like this: Take the car in, give it a bath, tag it Certified, then tell the customer that whatever problems they have are covered. It saves the used car department money, lots of it. Keep in mind that each dealer uses the large amounts of freedom GM gives differently so it pays to check out the used car department and how they do business. All dealers have their horror stories if they’ve been in business a while, some cars are born bad and other times the mechanic is an idiot, while still other times the used car department is full of crooks. If you’re seening burn holes and other visible stuff that’s easily fixed, don’t walk RUN.
I agree with others that have posted, the GM Certified is only as good as the dealership. I purchased a vehicle from Sawyers Chevrolet in DeWiit Michigan and two months and 2000 miles later a noise developed. They said that it had damage that was caused by me, even though I am certain it was not. The problem with the 172 point inspection is they do not allow you to be present when it is performed so how can you verify what has been checked off is accurate or as I suspect, just checked off with no verification.
Sorry to hear about your experience. You should be able to see the service RO that accompanied the vehicle if you know to ask. It looks just like a regular RO that the service department uses at your dealership of choice, and lists what was actually done to the car. The Certified checklist is just that, and is useless to look at since if there was a problem they would have to fix it before they checked the box anyway. You might have some recourse if you take it to another dealer and they side with you to earn your business. Don’t be afraid to play one dealer against another, it’s one of the few points of leverage that the consumer has.
For what it’s worth, my Pontiac came from Draper Chevrolet in Saginaw, who’s won Service Awards from ASE & GM and is a Saturn Certified Service shop as well. They took such good care of me, I went to work for them.
The most important thing to remember about the 2 year 30,000 maintenance plan is it is according to the vehicles oil life monitor, if you like to change your oil every 3,000 miles it will not cover them all.
As far as dealers not inspecting as they should, every inspection must be signed by the used car and service manager so there is accountability. We also get spot checked by GM to make sure we are in strict compliance with the entire CPO program; any dealer who is not will probably be in hot water soon enough.
It is a great program and a definite added benefit to purchasing pre owned.
You have too much faith in the CPO compliance inspections. As long as GM leaves this much freedom in the program, there will be dealers that do it wrong. It sounds like you guys are doing it right like we are at Wally Edgar, where are you from?
I purchased a CPO Chevy Malibu with 11,000 miles and a clean carfax. I had noticed before even taking delivery that the driver door had a mettalic, harsh close; it didn’t “wmmph” like an 11,000 mile car should. The dealer service dept, claimed they couldn’t hear anything wrong with it. Eventually, the interior trim pieces began falling off this same door. When I bring this up to the dealer management they merely refer me back to the service dept with the deaf service writer. I’ve driven enough newer cars (mostly rentals) to know that the door has been repaired, probably internally by the previous fleet owner (so didn’t appear on carfax), and was not properly readjusted. I also know the dealer has to also know this. Do I have any recourse?
I purchased a 2012 Impala. It is a CPO with 18,000 miles. I was told the 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty would start when the original 3 year 36,000 mile expired. In other words the warrant would be 4 years or 48,000 miles from date of original delivery. Can anyone comment on the accuracy of this statement ?
Yup, that’s correct. What you might get into is that the maint. program is only covered for the duration of 2 years based on the oil life monitor from date of CPO purchase.
I have the same deal on my 2011 HHR, I was told I had the factory warranty and then the 30,000 2 year with 12months bumper to bumper after the factory warranty ran out.
The service department say’s that the 2 years has ended. They count it from when I bought it instead of at the end of the factory warranty.
The one year bumper to bumper warranty starts on the day that you buy the used car. It says clearly on the description. It is basically a GM scam because you have the factory bumper to bumper warranty anyway.
Not exactly a horror story as I love my car, but I will never be so naive again. I bought my certified 2008 Pontiac G6 late August 2011. I was really sold on the 12/12000 bumper to bumper and the 24 month CPO program, really talked up by my salesman. He told me everything but normal wear and tear covered. I pointed out a few things (like bad wipers on the car….this should have been my first clue) when I bought it, was assured that once I take delivery all of this would be fixed. Once home found out that the Serius satellite radio….wasn’t, the rear door locks didn’t work and the passenger door sounds hollow, tinny sounding when it shuts. When I took it in with my list, that is when they told me, sorry, we are not replacing the wipers, so I paid for those begrudgingly at 25.00 each. They did fix the door locks and told me nothing is wrong with the door. When I asked how they would notify me for my first oil change, the service writer told me they are no longer offering that program, when I protested, he said that ruling was handed down in a company meeting the week before I bought my car, evidently the info never made it over to the used car dept. Well today I received literature from my dealership telling me that my car should be brought in to take advantage of this wonderful maintenance program which includes all oil changes. When I had my car in last week for repairs, my service writer kept up the charades when I was griping to him about the change in the plan. Funny thing, when I contacted GMC today to complain and they verified my car was a certified vehicle….they were not
amused. I should not have been so trusting and should have complained long ago.
Oh yes…got carried away on the maintenance plan. Forgot to mention that part of the reason for having it in for service is among other things, that the glass over one of my gages cracked and the the the cover over the mirror on the drivers sun visor broke, but if I want they can replace it for $150.00. I was told by the service manager that whatever breaks, if it does not directly affect the operation the the vehicle is not covered.
I bought a 2011 HHR from Freehold Buick GMC, in Freehold, NJ. Saw the car on line as as GM Certified Preowned, went to GM web site and noted vehicle was a GM CPO listed vehicle. While purchasing car was told car was not certified because I did not pay enough for the car, this was never mentioned until I was in the office signing the final papers, even though the fact of it being a GM CPO was brought up at the time of my offer and during the test drive. Salesman said if I wanted vehicle to be a GM CPO I would need to pay an additional $399 .
After contacting GM they said GM CPO is a dealer optional protection plan that you need to puchase if you don’t give the sticker price.
In summary: You must pay for the plan even though it is advertised as being part of +’s of the vehicle.
Hello, considering a purchase of a 2005 Chevrolet Uplander ad says GM Certified, it has low miles (less than 46,000) but reading the info. about the certification requirements, I am thinking it can not be since it is past the 5 year model range? is that correct?
Jimmy, Since the only thing “Pre-Owned GM Certified means is it has only had one owner, and it meets their 174 point check system. It only covers minor things such as oil changes, tire rotation. What they don’t tell you is that it’s actually a plan for maintenance that cost $399.00 . They have buried this cost in the price of the vehicle, so for $399. you’ll get oil changes and tire rotation for 24 months. Tell them to take $399.00 off the price of the car and the Certified will disappear, bottom line get everything in writing.!!!
I bought a 2008 sts Cadilac in norman Oklahoma,bad experience. Also bought a precertified package. GM Customer service involved to help resolve issues. Transferred my service to Tulsa Oklahoma who have now Refused to honor the precertified program. Customer Service Representative offered me $500 to get over it and go away. Stating GM can not make a Cadillac dealership honor my service agreement but maybe I could take the $500 and put down on another car! My STS has not had any of the services I bought in the warnity and it will be TWO Years this August. I am terribly disappointed and frustrated. I just don’t understand how this could happen at a time like this in our country when service and honor NEEDS to mean so much more. PLEASE HELP ME!
I purchased a 2008 pontiac g8 last year on the month of july. a year later i just found out that the center piece that attached to my two piece driveshaft wore out causing a loud clunk when driving. i havent taken it to the dealer yet but i spoke to a gm representative and asked about my powertrain warranty. they said it started on april 10 2008 but that it got re added on january 1 2012. does anyone now what that means and since my car is past the five years for the original warranty will it cover me. i dont have 5 years with my car someone please help. car had a small clunk when i bought it but i just thouht that it was the tires till it got worse. car was considered certified pre owned.
I purchased a 2010 Chevy HHR from Suntrup Buick in St Peters Missouri that they claimed was GM Certified too. Less than a month after I bought the car I had to take it back because the alignment was out and the brakes were shot. They had to replace brake pads and turn the rotors. Also, the alignment was so far out that they had to “grind” the tie rod down to bring it into spec. That should have been the first red flag. We also got the 2 year/30,000 mile maintenance package that now is not being honored. I got one oil change out of them and they told me the next one was on me. That’s not how the program works. Fast forward eight months. My wife was rear ended sitting at a stop light. The car was not totaled but bad enough to make me get under the car to see what damage I had. My new tires that only had 8500 miles on them since I purchased the car, were worn to the cords on the insides; both sides. Turns out, after taking it back to the dealership, that the rear axle was bent. After a royal pain in the butt and going back and forth, the dealership is finally taking care of the issue. But not after many hours of back and forth and leaving my car for days. As others have said, the GM certified is only as good as the dealership. Watch who you buy from and take no crap. These guys fixed it; but reluctantly. I feel only because they knew they had been caught with their pants down and just wanted me to go away. Guys in the shop have a bad attitude and it shows. It’s not my fault they sold me a bum car. But for every customer that gets a bum car and doesn’t say anything, they win don’t they?
Does every vehicle that falls within the mileage and year requirements have an inspection done to see if they qualify for the GM CPO program? We bought a used vehicle recently, and insisted that it be part of the GM program. Needless to say, we have found (3 times in the shop in 10 days of ownership) that the certified pre owned program they sold us the vehicle under is not through GM, and as it is an obvious “lemon,” we would like to know why GM opted not to include it in their program.
I learned the hard way that the CPO “Bumper to Bumper” is no good. I have a broken door handle on my 2010 Avalanche and GM refuses to cover it. They say it is “Trim”. Well I don’t know of any trim that is a necessity to enter the vehicle so in my humble opinion it is a functional piece that should be covered if the CPO truely adds “Bumper to Bumper” for 12 months or 12k miles. I will refuse to pay for the CPO if I ever buy another GM vehicle after this very unfortunate incedent. I recommend that everyone that reads this also decline to pay the extra that they tack on to call the vehicle “Certified” as it adds absolutely NO value. The powertrain is already covered for 5/100k so you are good to go there. Pretty dirty trick by GM if you ask me!
My daughter purchased a 2011 Traverse a couple months ago that was GM certified. The brakes now seem to be totally shot. Is this covered under the 12 month bumper to bumper warranty? Shouldn’t have these have been checked before the car was sold seeing they certified it?
Bought my 2011 GMC Sierra as a CPO. A few weeks later, I noticed that the rubber seal above the front windshield was coming loose. Took it to my local dealer and was notified that this was not covered because it was not an OEM windshield. I asked them how it was able to be certified as a CPO if there were aftermarket parts on it that would not be covered. They agreed but told me that I was out of luck. I called GM twice and they said the same thing. The GM CPO program is for the most part worthless. I think that dealers ignore and check off items as being good when they are not to have less in the vehicle for more profit.