Cadillac’s Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Coverage

Disclosure: This content was produced by an independent editorial party for the purposes of educating our customers, and is not influenced by the other business operations of CARCHEX.

An extended car warranty is protection from the vehicle manufacturer against mechanical breakdowns. This term is sometimes incorrectly used to describe coverage from third-party providers, which offer similar protection plans called vehicle service contracts. CARCHEX is a vehicle service contract provider.

A certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle is a used car that has been inspected and certified by the car’s manufacturer. The purchased car usually comes with some form of factory warranty coverage. In Cadillac’s case, your car comes with a 4-year/50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper factory warranty, which is extended to 5 years and unlimited miles with a certified pre-owned Cadillac.

Buying a certified pre-owned Cadillac means you’re getting a vehicle that meets Cadillac’s 172-point inspection and reconditioning process. CPO Cadillacs come with the same coverage of new Cadillacs—but a certified pre-owned warranty has its limits. Once the limited warranty ends, your car is no longer protected. 

A reliable vehicle service contract can save you money on inevitable repairs, even after your Cadillac factory warranty has expired.

Used Cadillacs within certain age limits that have been well maintained are eligible for the CPO program. CPO-eligible vehicles must pass a 172-point inspection that includes the following checks and tests:

• Under-hood and under-vehicle inspections
• Exterior and interior inspections
• Road test
• Performed scheduled maintenance

After purchasing a CPO Cadillac, your car continues its 4-year/50,000-mile factory warranty. Once that expires, your car’s CPO coverage starts, providing you additional coverage for one more year without a mileage limit. The CPO plan begins when you purchase the vehicle if the factory warranty has already expired.

Buying a Cadillac through its CPO program can save you money in both the short and long term. Cadillacs are luxury cars, making them more expensive, so buying a used one that’s only a few years old with low mileage can make for a cheaper purchase. Because of its luxury status, repairs are also more expensive, so having CPO coverage can protect you from having to pay those repairs out of pocket for longer.

Cadillac’s CPO program still has some downsides. For example, it doesn’t offer trip interruption, which some other companies provide. And while the plan covers unlimited miles, it only lasts one year. Some other manufacturers provide CPO plans that last longer than a year.

Even with a certified pre-owned Cadillac, your limited warranty will expire. Once that happens, it’s important to consider if additional coverage is right for you. A vehicle service contract from CARCHEX could breathe fresh life into your Cadillac for five to 10 more years after the date of purchase.

It’s important to consider your car’s reliability rating and repair costs. RepairPal gives Cadillac a reliability score of 3.0 out of 5.0 and ranks it 26th out of 32 car brands. According to RepairPal, Cadillac owners pay on average $783 per year for repairs and maintenance. This is higher than the national average of $652 per year.

The CPO warranty only adds one year of coverage. With a vehicle service contract after that point, you’ll get many of the same benefits as your Cadillac CPO warranty, plus you can save on air conditioning repairs, electrical repairs, engine replacements, suspension repairs, transmission rebuilds, and more.

When it comes time to sell your CPO Cadillac, a vehicle service contract can also increase its resale price. Since contracts are transferable to a new owner, selling the car with a plan can increase its price and make it more appealing to buyers.

CARCHEX offers five plans with varying degrees of coverage. You can find basic coverage for the powertrain (engine, transmission, and drive axle), or high-level coverage for more systems like the air conditioning and electrical system. The plan options are outlined below.

• Titanium: High-level coverage for many systems like the engine, transmission, drive axle, high-tech, air conditioning, electrical, steering, suspension, and brakes.
• Platinum: Covers everything in the powertrain plus plan as well as brakes, high tech electronics, suspension, fuel system, and more.
• Powertrain Plus: Covers nine main systems including the air conditioning, cooling system, fuel system, and electrical.
• Powertrain: Covers the engine, transmission, drive axle, turbocharger, transfer unit, and cooling system.
• Extra Care: Covers components outside the powertrain system like the steering, suspension, brakes, fuel system, audio, and air conditioning.

Finding the right protection plan to meet your needs doesn’t have to be difficult. With CARCHEX, you can expect quality service and affordability when you choose one of our Vehicle Protection Plans to cover your certified pre-owned Cadillac vehicle. The plans are customizable to your car’s year, make, model, and mileage. All it takes is a free, instant quote from one of our specialists to determine the right plan for you.

Once a plan is chosen, you pay for coverage in either a one-time payment or affordable monthly payments. When a covered repair arises, you pay a deductible as low as $0. The plan also comes with added benefits, such as trip interruption, rental car reimbursement, towing, and roadside assistance.

You can be sure that we will handle your repair or replacement efficiently. We value “Customer Service Above All,” a claim that is backed by our A+ customer service rating by the Better Business Bureau.

Sources:

Autotrader: 
autotrader.com/car-shopping/cpo-program-review-cadillac-238060

Better Business Bureau:
bbb.org/greater-maryland/business-reviews/extended-warranty-contract-service-companies/carchex-in-hunt-valley-md-23015869

RepairPal: 
https://repairpal.com/reliability/cadillac

Kelley Blue Book: 
https://www.kbb.com/cadillac/recall/