1) All manufacturer certified vehicles must pass a certification inspection. Ask the dealer to give you the inspection list for the vehicle you are interested in. The inspection list will indicate what exactly has been inspected on the vehicle and should list any repair or maintenance work that was required to bring the vehicle up to certified standards.

2) Note the mileage on the vehicle and find out how much warranty you will get from purchasing a particular certified vehicle. Depending on the program, you might receive no additional benefits beyond the new car warranty, or you might receive up to 36 months/50,000 miles of additional certified warranty. Read the certified warranty information carefully to know what additional certified warranty (beyond any remaining new car warranty) you will receive with your certified pre-owned vehicle.

3) Most certified programs offer roadside assistance. Is there any incremental value to this if you already have benefits through AAA or your insurance?

4) Some programs offer return/exchange provisions. Find out if you will get the sales tax and licensing/registration fees back if you return or exchange the vehicle. Ideally, if the vehicle is certified properly and you did your homework right, you shouldn’t have to utilize the return/exchange provision.