GM adds 12-month/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty on certified used vehicles

Now that leasing seems to be going through a slow phase-out, shoppers looking for a good deal on a newish vehicle may take a harder gander at certified pre-owned models. GM realizes this and has responded by ambushing customers increasing the warranty coverage on the CPO models for all of its brands, minus Cadillac which has its own program. The new warranty stands at 12-months or 12,000 miles and begins when the CPO purchase is made -- an increase of up to nine-months over the previous guarantee. Being a "bumper-to-bumper" warranty, everything excluding wear items like tires and brakes are covered for manufacturing defects. The powertrain warranty remains: five years or 100,000 miles from when it was sold as new.
GM hopes that this increased coverage has a corresponding effect on its CPO sales. What's more, the automaker also believes that this action will have a desirable effect on its vehicle's residual values.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

PRESS RELEASE

GM Adds 12-Month/12,000-Mile Bumper-to- Bumper Warranty on GM Certified Used Vehicles and Saturn CPO Vehicles

Program Enhancements Provide Buyers Added Value, Peace of Mind Assurances

DETROIT - General Motors today announced that it will provide consumers with a fully transferable 12-month/12,000-mile* "bumper-to-bumper" warranty with no deductible on all GM Certified Used Vehicles and all Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles sold in the United States. The announcement was made by Brian McVeigh, general manager, GM Fleet and Commercial Operations, and Jamie Hresko, GM North America vice president of quality.

GM also announced it has extended the age and mileage eligibility standards for GM Certified Used Vehicles and Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles to include models six years old or newer, with up to 75,000 miles.

In September, GM Certified Used Vehicles, the industry's top-selling manufacturer-certified used vehicle brand**, will mark the sale of its 3-millionth vehicle, making GM Certified the first OEM certified pre-owned program to reach that milestone.

"This is a clear indication of our confidence in the quality and value of our cars and trucks," said McVeigh. "We're pleased to now offer that same level of confidence with every GM Certified Used Vehicle from Buick, Chevrolet, GMC and Pontiac, and every Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle. As we reach the 3-million sales milestone, this warranty enhancement adds a real point of differentiation for our program, enabling our dealers to offer customers a range of peace-of-mind assurances that compare favorably with any other manufacturer-certified program in the industry. GM Certified and Saturn Certified do an outstanding job of bringing in new GM customers, and this enhancement will only add to that."

The fully transferable 12-month/12,000-mile* bumper-to-bumper warranty, which begins on the date of purchase of the GM Certified or Saturn Certified model, is standard on all GM Certified Used Vehicles or Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles purchased from participating dealers after September 13, 2008. The warranty covers the vehicle from bumper to bumper on any vehicle defect related to materials or workmanship, including all but standard wear-and-tear components on the vehicle. All body and sheet metal components are warranted against rust-through corrosion for six years/100,000 miles***.

GM Certified and Saturn Certified also provide buyers a five-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty*** with 24-hour roadside assistance and courtesy transportation, free vehicle history report, a comprehensive 117-point vehicle inspection and a three-day, 150-mile customer satisfaction guarantee.

"We upped our game and made great strides in quality," said Hresko. "We take care of our customers by standing behind our cars and trucks. With a five-year/100,000-mile transferable powertrain warranty plus roadside assistance and courtesy transportation, we already provide the best coverage in America and now we're making that coverage even better."

Cadillac Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles, Saab Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles and Hummer Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles operate separate programs - each of those programs has a 6-year/100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper comprehensive warranty (whichever comes first), effective from the vehicle's in-service date.

Consumers can go to www.gmcertified.com to learn more about GM Certified Used Vehicles, locate the closest GM Certified dealer or search the industry's largest available certified pre-owned inventory, with 60,000-plus vehicles. Consumers can visit www.saturn.com to learn more about Saturn Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles.