'Certified pre-owned' programs defraud car buyers, suits say.(California)

Trial, September, 2005 by Burtka, Allison Torres

"Certified pre-owned" (CPO) vehicles are marketed as more reliable than other used cars, but there may be little difference between them except price, say lawyers and consumer groups. Car dealerships that sell CPO vehicles at a premium are misleading and defrauding consumers, recent lawsuits allege.

In one case against Ford Motor Co. and a California dealership, "We deposed the technician that completed the certified pre-owned inspection, and he testified that the inspection he performs is the same as he does on any used vehicle," said John Gomez, a San Diego lawyer. In that case, a 17-year-old California girl died in an accident in a CPO car that her family later learned was sold with frame damage and a history of brake and steering problems that the...

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