The used car market has been crazy since COVID traveled the world and changed everything. Values have inflated to the point that cars once destined for auction or the scrap yard are polished up and sitting on dealer front lines with big CERTIFIED stickers on the window. Does it really mean anything? It depends on who is setting the standards, and if you bother to read them before you buy.
I used to run a shop that was an independent dealer and he was big into throwing that word around. However he backed it up. All the maintenance would be done. The filters got changed. The tires were replaced. The brakes done. Whatever was needed to get the vehicle to that like new "certified" status, it got done. Those cars needed drivers and nothing more. I have a truck that I bought from a nationwide dealer and it was certified to a standard, but a standard well below mine. She needed tires, some fluid services, and an alignment but overall it was in good shape. If I didn't know what to look for, I'd have had to pay much more. There's a great line from Tommy Boy about a bull and a butcher that describes this situation perfectly, but this is a family show so I will leave it at that.
The point of all this is to tell you that at Kamphaus Auto Care we do used car and pre-purchase inspections!!!. We go through every system in the car, give you the real story about what going on with it so you become an educated car buyer. We give you the tools to pay whats fair based on items the car may need. "Certified" means only what the seller wants it to. Keep that in mind. Stay Car Care Aware -Mat