General Motors has announced that effectively immediately, certified pre-owned Chevrolet, Buick and GMC models will come with a 2 year, 30,000 mile standard vehicle maintenance package that takes care of oil changes, tire rotations and a 172-point inspected; along with a trail period of OnStar and XM Satellite radio.
Chevrolet/Buick/GMC Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles will replace the previous name of these dealership-approved models, formerly referred to as the GM Certified Used Vehicles program. This program will still include a 12 month/12,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and a 5 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty along with roadside assistance and courtesy transportation. The 172 point inspect is not actually new, but it has been expanded from the previous 117 point inspection – making this one of the most rigorous certification inspections in the industry.
A certified program like this helps to improve the attractiveness of those brands in the used car market, helping to remove the basic costs that an own incurs every few months. On top of the savings on oil changes and tire rotations, the intensive inspection should remove the chances of running into problems shortly after buying a new-to-you used car. This increases the overall value of the car to consumers along with lowering the cost of ownership. If you figure the average cost of an oil change being around $16, over the course of 30,000 miles at the rate of every 3,000 miles, that’s $160 in savings just on oil changes.
Cadillac is not included in this announcement as the GM luxury brand has its own unique Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned program which, surprisingly, does not include free oil changes and tire rotations. Perhaps they figure that people who buys a used Caddy can afford to pay for their own basic maintenance..or maybe they’re cooking up something special for their premium brand.
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