Questions About Acura Pre-Owned Certification

[jkeen01]

I am currently looking at a 2000 NSX-T. I spoke with the Acura dealer selling the car and was told the car was Acura Certified. I did some searching on here and noticed that there are different types of certifications (sometimes the cars are just Dealer certified, not Acura certified). I think the certification the dealer mentioned was the full Acura Pre-Owned Certification (150 point inspection), although he did say that the warranty was expired and did not make any mention of any extended warranty provided by the certification. I have some questions about this certification and would appreciate any help/insight anyone here could provide:

(1) How much value should the pre-owned certification add to the car. To me, this doesn't seem like much more than having a PPI done, so I wouldn't think it should add that much value. Separately, how much extra should I expect to pay for a car that has been Acura certified (i.e. IMO it may not add much value, but to the car-buying public, it may add more).

(2) Is there usually an extended warranty provided by the certification? If so, what are the usual terms?

(3) Is there some kind of report or paperwork that the dealer could provide me that would detail the specifics of the certification?

(4) Should I still have a PPI done, or does the Acura Certification make that unnecessary. I mentioned to the dealer that I would probably consider having a PPI done and he wasn't sure why I would need that. He did have a point in that the Acura dealer that did the certification probably would have been my best bet for having a PPI done. I'm not sure where else in the area I would even be able to take the car to have an independent inspection done.

(5) I actually just did a quick search on Acura's website. The dealer I called has a 2004 Acura Certified NSX as well. I searched Acura's pre-owned certified database and saw the 2004, but not the 2000 I was interested in. Should I be alarmed?

There are probably some other questions I'm not considering, so I would appreciate any responses to my questions or other thoughts/considerations that anyone might have.

 

[RPM217]

I am currently looking at a 2000 NSX-T. I spoke with the Acura dealer selling the car and was told the car was Acura Certified. I did some searching on here and noticed that there are different types of certifications (sometimes the cars are just Dealer certified, not Acura certified). I think the certification the dealer mentioned was the full Acura Pre-Owned Certification (150 point inspection), although he did say that the warranty was expired and did not make any mention of any extended warranty provided by the certification. I have some questions about this certification and would appreciate any help/insight anyone here could provide:

(1) How much value should the pre-owned certification add to the car. To me, this doesn't seem like much more than having a PPI done, so I wouldn't think it should add that much value. Separately, how much extra should I expect to pay for a car that has been Acura certified (i.e. IMO it may not add much value, but to the car-buying public, it may add more).

(2) Is there usually an extended warranty provided by the certification? If so, what are the usual terms?

(3) Is there some kind of report or paperwork that the dealer could provide me that would detail the specifics of the certification?

(4) Should I still have a PPI done, or does the Acura Certification make that unnecessary. I mentioned to the dealer that I would probably consider having a PPI done and he wasn't sure why I would need that. He did have a point in that the Acura dealer that did the certification probably would have been my best bet for having a PPI done. I'm not sure where else in the area I would even be able to take the car to have an independent inspection done.

(5) I actually just did a quick search on Acura's website. The dealer I called has a 2004 Acura Certified NSX as well. I searched Acura's pre-owned certified database and saw the 2004, but not the 2000 I was interested in. Should I be alarmed?

There are probably some other questions I'm not considering, so I would appreciate any responses to my questions or other thoughts/considerations that anyone might have.

I would think that the first place you should go in regards to this, is to the selling dealer, and ask them for a copy of the "certification documentation" and what is covered. If it's not in writing, it's worthless anyway!!!

 

[nsxtasy]

To me, this doesn't seem like much more than having a PPI done, so I wouldn't think it should add that much value.

Assuming you are referring to the Acura pre-owned certification, it is VERY different from a PPI (pre-purchase inspection).

A PPI simply inspects the car and reports to you any problems that are apparent from that inspection. It does not provide any warranty coverage whatsoever.

Acura pre-owned certification functions just like an extended warranty. Any problems that are uncovered during the specified period will be repaired under the terms of the certification, not just by the selling dealer, but by ANY Acura dealer in the country. The terms of Acura certification include a limited warranty of 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first (presumably from the time of purchase), and a powertrain limited warranty of 7 years or 100,000 miles (presumably from the time that the car was first sold). For more details, see the Acura website (launch the website and click on "Pre Owned").

There is no specific amount that Acura pre-owned certification would necessarily add to the car's market value, but I would expect it to be significant, since it eliminates much of the risk of purchasing a used car (perhaps as much as a couple thousand dollars or more, but this is entirely a guess on my part).

 

[nsxtasy]

(4) Should I still have a PPI done, or does the Acura Certification make that unnecessary. I mentioned to the dealer that I would probably consider having a PPI done and he wasn't sure why I would need that. He did have a point in that the Acura dealer that did the certification probably would have been my best bet for having a PPI done. I'm not sure where else in the area I would even be able to take the car to have an independent inspection done.

A PPI can still provide useful information. For example, some items such as wear items (tires, brake pads) are probably not covered by the certification. Also, it may turn up aesthetic problems (e.g. dings, finish scratches) that might not be covered, either.

There are two dealers in your area, so the other dealer is a possibility. Other owners in your area may also be able to recommend a qualified (i.e. NSX-experienced) independent mechanic and/or body shop.

(5) I actually just did a quick search on Acura's website. The dealer I called has a 2004 Acura Certified NSX as well. I searched Acura's pre-owned certified database and saw the 2004, but not the 2000 I was interested in. Should I be alarmed?

No. Primarily because online databases are often not kept up to date. Also because they may not have yet performed the 150-point inspection needed for certification, and are holding off on doing so until they find that certification is needed in order to close a deal to sell the car.

 

[The Kid]

a 2000 NSX cannot be Acura Certified, its too old. Nothing past 2001:wink:

 

[nsxtasy]

a 2000 NSX cannot be Acura Certified, its too old. Nothing past 2001:wink:

That explains why it doesn't come up in the database.

That also means that any "certification" the dealer offers on a 2000 NSX is something that they (the dealership), acting on their own, are providing, having nothing to do with Acura's franchise agreement. It would therefore not be honored at any other Acura dealership (unless they offered some sort of reimbursement arrangement). It would also not be worth as much money as a true "Acura pre-owned certification".

 

[The Kid]

That explains why it doesn't come up in the database.

That also means that any "certification" the dealer offers on a 2000 NSX is something that they (the dealership), acting on their own, are providing, having nothing to do with Acura's franchise agreement. It would therefore not be honored at any other Acura dealership (unless they offered some sort of reimbursement arrangement). It would also not be worth as much money as a true "Acura pre-owned certification".

As some of you might remember, we sold a yellow 2000 a couple of months ago. It couldnt be certified by Acura's standards but we still did the 150 pt inspection and did everything required to certify the vehicle.