8 Things To Know Before Buying a Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz

It's a great time to be in the market for a pre-owned luxury car or SUV. And more consumers are taking advantage of this buyer friendly market. New car sales remain strong, however, last year Americans bought even more pre-owned cars and a growing number are turning to the certified pre-owned programs offered by luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz.

Luxury automakers originated the certified pre-owned concept and Mercedes-Benz was among the first to offer car consumers high-quality nearly new cars, crossovers and SUVs that have been scrutinized by its dealers. Luxury CPO vehicles continue to gain popularity, and the award-winning Mercedes-Benz CPO program remains one of the most favored, so we decided to take a closer look at the programs many consumer benefits.

Here are 8 things you need to know before buying a certified pre-owned Mercedes-Benz.

Only the Very Best Cars and SUVs Are Selected

To qualify for the Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned program vehicles must be six years old or newer and driven less than 74,500 miles. Older higher mileage examples are rejected. The cars and SUVs chosen must also be accident free and have a clean CARFAX vehicle history report. Cars that have a record of a major repair are not accepted.

Mercedes also makes sure the car or SUV has had all of its proper servicing, like oil and oil filter changes, performed according to the manufacturers maintenance schedule as well as all recall, service and/or other campaigns performed. Most importantly Mercedes also verifies that the all of the vehicles fluids, filters and engine function properly.

The Vehicles are Extensively Inspected

Before a car or SUV is eligible for the Mercedes CPO program it subjected to an extensive, intensive and comprehensive 165 point inspection by the selling Mercedes dealer. This rigorous inspection includes every aspect of the vehicle, including its suspension, electronics, climate system, interior, steering, engine, brakes and glass. It is then subjected to an extensive road test.

It must also meet strict appearance standards for the condition of its wheels, paint, trunk, interior and engine. The Mercedes CPO entire certification inspection procedure is available for download at https://www.mbusa.com/en/cpo#certification.

If the car passes the inspections, proper servicing of the vehicle is performed according to its maintenance schedule and it is washed and waxed. If any mechanical issues are found, they are fixed and the vehicle is then re-inspected.

Industry Leading Warranty Coverage

This obsessive quality control of Mercedes-Benz certified pre-owned vehicles allows the company to stand behind the cars and SUVs with one of the best warranties in the CPO space. Every Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz comes with an unlimited-mileage warranty for one year that can be extended for up to two additional years.

Every Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz is covered by any remaining portion of the Mercedes-Benz four-year/50,000 mile New Vehicle Limited Warranty. Then, the CPO Limited Warranty provides comprehensive coverage for another 12 months with unlimited miles. This means up to 5 years of unlimited mileage coverage, extending to the engine and powertrain, steering, suspension, brakes (excluding wear of discs and pads), electrical system, climate control system, and more.

24-Hour Roadside Assistance is Included

For the duration of that limited warranty every Mercedes Certified Pre-Owned car and SUV comes with 24-hour Roadside Assistance, which is just a phone call away anywhere in the United States. Complimentary services include roadside tire change with your spare, roadside re-inflation for Tirefit system equipped vehicles, jump-start a dead battery and fuel for an empty tank. Battery replacement and other repairs are performed for the costs of parts and labor.

If your trip is interrupted by a warranty-covered breakdown more than 100 miles from home, Mercedes will provide up to $300 per day for documented meals, lodging and substitute transportation.

Aside from roadside assistance, Mercedes also encourages its owners to call the Customer Assistance Center 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for product information, even if you just want to know how to program the radio.

Nationwide Dealer Support

The Mercedes CPO program allows buyers to purchase a luxurious and fun to drive pre-owned Mercedes, for a fraction of the price of a new Mercedes. And peace of mind is part of the deal, because you're buying from a Mercedes dealer, so you know you'll have a good experience.

That relationship with the dealership doesn't end on the day of purchase, it will also save you time and money when your Mercedes needs service or parts. Over 300 authorized Mercedes dealers nationwide honor the standard Certified Pre-Owned Limited Warranty and Extended Limited Warranty and support every Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes-Benz.

Easy to Shop Local Inventory Online

We were also impressed with how easy it is to shop local certified pre-owned Mercedes cars and SUVs online. We simply logged onto mbusa.com and followed a few easy steps, which included typing in our zip code. Quickly our screen was filled with nearly new Mercedes sedans, coupes, convertibles and crossovers in our area at our local Mercedes dealers.

Each listing included dozens of clear and detailed photos of the vehicle as well as extensive information including its year, colors, mileage and equipment. The price of the car is also clearly listed, as well as its Vehicle Identification Number. All Mercedes models are included, from the popular C-Class to the sexy GT and G-Glass. Even AMG models. And you can easily schedule a test drive with a few strokes on your keyboard.

Vehicle Exchange Privilege

The fear of buyer's remorse shouldn't keep you from buying the car of your dreams, which is why every Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes comes with a seven-day/500-mile Exchange Privilege. If you're not satisfied with the vehicle in that time, your dealer will exchange it for another CPO vehicle of equal or greater value if you wish to pay the difference.

If you chose a CLA-Class, when you really wanted a GLC-Class. Don't worry, just bring it back.

Special Offers

Financing options from Mercedes-Benz Financial can be utilized through your Mercedes CPO dealer during negotiations. Owning its own credit institution allows Mercedes to offer exceptional financing rates on Certified Pre-Owned Mercedes vehicles, which consumers should be quick to take advantage of.

Often these special offers are listed on mbusa.com. During our last visit to the website Mercedes was offering a very low annual percentage rate of 1.99 percent for 36 months, plus a first month's payment credit on a long list of CPO sedans and SUVs including C-Class, E-Class, GLE-Class and S-Class. These special offers can save consumers thousands of dollars.