Cadillac Extends Certified Pre-Owned Coverage

Cadillac announced new coverage limits Monday on its certified pre-owned cars, with a full bumper-to-bumper warranty extending to six years or 70,000 miles from when the car was new. That's two years and 20,000 miles past the brand’s previous CPO policy, which extended just four years or 50,000 miles. The program also includes 24-hour roadside assistance and three months' OnStar and Satellite radio service.

Shoppers can also purchase Cadillac's Premium Care Maintenance, which covers oil changes, tire rotations and other routine maintenance, for $399, Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell confirmed. Premium Care Maintenance is standard on new Cadillacs but was previously unavailable on CPO cars.

The brand’s program falls short of BMW's six-year, 100,000-mile CPO bumper-to-bumper policy; both brands employ simple caps that apply no matter when you buy the car. Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Audi also have 100,000-mile warranty limits, but their yearly limits vary depending on when you buy the car.

How does Cadillac compare? Let's say your prospective CPO car still falls within its original factory warranty. Cadillac extends coverage to six years or 70,000 miles. Mercedes extends coverage to five years or 100,000 miles, while BMW and Audi extend coverage to six years or 100,000 miles. If the CPO car is past its original warranty, Cadillac and BMW stick to the caps above. Mercedes and Audi, meanwhile, start the clock on CPO coverage from the date of your purchase. Audi's policy extends two years or 50,000 additional miles, while Mercedes' policy extends one year or 100,000 original miles. Lexus goes a unique route, with a three-year CPO policy that begins from the date of purchase regardless of original warranty status. No matter the purchase date, Audi and Lexus — like Mercedes — cap their coverage at 100,000 original miles. All policies stop at whichever comes first, whether mileage or years.

Once a casualty of the recession, auto leasing has been on the mend for several years now, and the influx in so-called "off-lease" cars — typically low-mileage cars just a few model years old — creates a familiar opportunity: Dealers can recondition the cars, furnish a longer warranty and sell them as CPOs. Cadillac anticipates twice as many lease returns this year, sales and service chief Chase Hawkins said in a statement.


Courtesy of Cars.com