If you are looking for CPO Fords for sale, then you probably already understand the advantage of buying Certified Pre-Owned (CPO), but do you understand the Ford Blue Advantage? The Blue Oval’s CPO program provides prospective buyers an opportunity to enjoy a used vehicle but with some added reassurances. Navigating the car market, new or used, is not for the faint of heart.
Let’s be real: purchasing a vehicle, whether it is fresh off the assembly line or it’s been around the block a few times, is a big commitment. You aren’t just plopping down an initial chunk; you are also signing the dotted line for future repairs, maintenance, and so on. That is where buying a used car can become a little bit iffy – you just don’t know exactly what you are going to get. With Certified Pre-Owned programs, you can still save some money, but you know there is a much higher probability that the vehicle won’t squeeze you for every penny.
Many of the major manufacturers have a CPO program, which is an excellent way to add new life into a vehicle. With the Ford Blue Advantage program, hopefuls have an opportunity to buy from three categories – Ford Blue Certified, Ford Gold Certified, or Ford EV Certified. The latter is self-explanatory, but understanding what you get from each and what you don’t can help you make the right decision.
Save Bigger With Ford Blue Certified
The lower rung of the Ford CPO program is the Ford Blue Certified category. This is where the older and more used vehicles go to get their new lease on life. To qualify, the vehicle can’t be more than 10 years old. This helps keep technology, safety features, and even styling current and modern. The vehicle also can not have more than 150,000 miles on the odometer, ruling out those vehicles that have experienced excessive wear and tear.
What is extra cool about the Ford Blue Certified category is that a vehicle does not have to be a Ford to qualify. This might seem a little odd, but it’s true, and it means you can get the same TLC that goes into refurbishing a Ford with all sorts of makes and models. Don’t worry, though; if you had your eyes on a Ford, you will find plenty of those in this first certification category.
Each vehicle has to pass a rigorous 139-point inspection to be badged. The vehicle is put through a road test, and the history of the vehicle is also reviewed. Technicians proceed with diagnostic tests, review underbody components, examine components under the hood, ensure hybrid systems are running properly, and check out the working condition of convenience features. If something isn’t up to snuff, it is repaired or replaced, putting the vehicle into tip-top shape. In exchange, the vehicle is covered by a 90-day/4,000-mile Comprehensive Limited Warranty and a 14-day/1,000-mile Money Back Guarantee.
Gold Certified Offers an Array of Benefits and Protections
Gold Certified is the cream of the crop of Ford Certified Pre-Owned, with the most stringent standards to be met. To qualify for the Gold badge, the vehicle must be a Ford for one and can’t be older than six years. If you were hoping to score another brand with the sparkling gold certification, you are out of luck, but for Ford fanatics, the good news keeps rolling in. Only Fords with under 80,000 miles on the odometer qualify, further eliminating undesirables.
The next step for a Ford is to go through a 172-point inspection, covering the same areas as the Blue Certified vehicles but also including interior and exterior condition. This means that any vehicle must be examined by a factory-trained technician both inside and out. Obviously, with such extensive measures taken, Ford Gold Certified vehicles are likely to be in the best condition you can get when considering pre-owned. With such care put in, Gold Certified Fords benefit from the best warranty coverage of the two.
Gold Certified vehicles are covered by a 12-month/12,000-mile Comprehensive Limited Warranty and a 7-year/100,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty. Gold Certified vehicles are likely to cost more than Blue Certified vehicles, but the benefits outweigh the extra cash. Plus, either way you cut it, you are saving money compared to a new vehicle.
There Are Also Ford EV Certified Models for Those Wanting to Go Electric
With how prevalent electric vehicles are nowadays, it makes perfect sense that Ford offers a CPO program for this segment. Everyone is jumping on the electrifying trend of EVs, and because of that, there are more and more of them hitting the used market. Offering EV Certification is a fantastic way of making them more affordable to the general public, letting people get them at a steal without having to pay what a brand-new one might cost. And get this: these CPO EVs might even qualify you for a tax credit, which just further shows the acceptance of electrification.
Similar to the Gold Certification, vehicles can’t be older than six years and can’t sport more than 80,000 miles on the counter. The vehicle must also be a Ford and also fully electric. If the EV matches the bill, then next up is a 127-point inspection, which covers electrical components in addition to the other items inspected from previous tiers. Once the EV passes each hurdle, it is then covered by a 12-month/12,000-mile Comprehensive Limited Warranty and an 8-year/100,000-mile BaseCARE EV Limited Warranty.
Some of the Extra Perks
All three certifications get extra perks that sweeten the deal no matter which CPO vehicle you choose. A complimentary vehicle history report is provided with every CPO vehicle; of course, most dealerships offer this with their used vehicles anyway. Just in case you aren’t sure, all CPOs also come with a 14-day/1,000-mile Money Back Guarantee just in case the vehicle isn’t what you hoped for. If the vehicle is everything you wanted and then some, you will enjoy the other perks that are included.
The first benefit is complimentary 24/7 Roadside Assistance, which is available on all three tiers. Owners are offered travel expense reimbursement of up to $1,000 if the breakdown happens when they are 100 miles or more away from their home. If you need to get somewhere, the coverage also provides up to $75 in destination expense assistance in case you need some help getting off the road. If overnight repairs are required to get your vehicle back on the road, owners are entitled to reimbursement for rental cars with a limit of $40 a day and up to five days of rentals.
Another benefit is FordPass Reward Points, which act as credit towards maintenance for your vehicle. Blue Certified vehicles come with 11,000 points, which can be used toward the first maintenance visit, while both Gold Certified and EV Certified vehicles get 22,000 points to go toward the first two maintenance appointments. The car care package is finished with a SiriusXM three-month trial, new windshield wipers, a full charge for EVs, and a full tank with a new oil filter for traditional vehicles. All in all, it is a decent care package for new car owners.
A Pre-Owned Ford Vehicle With Brand-New Warranties and Benefits
There used to be new car people and used car people, but with Certified Pre-Owned, you can be a little bit of both. In a sense, you get to have your cake and eat it too by getting a vehicle with new car benefits with a price closer to that of used. Although CPO vehicles tend to be higher than your typical used vehicle, you get a layer of reassurance you will be hard-pressed to find with simply used. Unless you are entering a monster truck show as one of those cars they smash, you probably expect to use your vehicle for as long as possible, so why not spend a little extra and take advantage of everything a Ford CPO offers.
