What is Toyota Certification and is it worth $500?

Glad your ok

 

I can't comment on the specifics, but there is a decent TCUV shopping tool at toyotacertified d o t com.

I bought my 2010 in May as a certified vehicle. It'd been through their inspection, there were brand-new tires on it, and it's under warranty. The only thing I'd do differently is go for the III model instead of the II.

 

It's not worth $500 because it isn't a warranty. I had a salesman tell me they rarely certify cars because it just drives the cost up, and most people prefer to keep cost down when purchasing a used car.

That said, I wouldn't purchase a used car from the dealership. You will end up paying more for a vehicle that they don't know the usage and maintenance history on. Buy privately and the owner will tell you exactly how they drove the vehicle (if they are honest), and likely have some records to show what maintenance has been done.

EDIT: Wrong about it not being a warranty.

 

It may be that they are really telling you it needs work. Certification is nothing more than a multipoint inspection, which they have already done. So you might ask them what they intend to do to it that's worth $500.

 

I'm a little unclear here.

Check out this link. www.toyotacertified.com/certification.html

If this a "Toyota" certification? It does include some ownership benefits such as a 1 year warranty.

But if it is a Toyota certification, I don't really understand why you are being asked to pay for it. If you're going to be asked to dish out $500 than you deserve to know what benefits will be afforded you for that payout. I could be wrong but my understanding of Toyota's Used Car Certification program is that authorized dealers can "Certify" used Toyota vehicles that meet certain parameters in regards to known vehicle history, mileage and age. Then certain limited warranties are attached and some ownership benefits and conceivably the dealership can in selling the vehicle as a "Certified" used vehicle, charge a little more.

Seems strange that you have an uncertified vehicle and the dealership is asking you if you want to "pay" for certification. The dealership should either have confidence in the vehicle and want to make it certified...to their benefit in being able to ask more for it, and to your benefit in getting the advantages included in ownership of a certified vehicle.

Seem like a strange violation or misstep in protocol to be asking YOU if you want the vehicle certified.

I'd check out the link to all the information as to what a "certified" Toyota used vehicle is suppose to be. Then I'd be sure THAT is what the dealership is talking about, and not some "dealership independent" certification.

Then I suppose it just comes down to whether you think it is worth it to make your vehicle a certified used vehicle or not. Seems a little hokey of the dealership to be offering certification as an "option", I could be wrong but that it not my understanding of how Toyota's Used Vehicle Certification program is suppose to work.

 

I am curious if the Toyota certification gives you 1-yr HV battery warranty. In which case it might be worth it for a Prius approaching 100,000 miles. In your case if you are buying car with 50000 miles you would already have coverage on the batt to 100000 miles.

 

Toyota Certified vehicles (at least here in GA) come with 12k miles 1 year bumper-to-bumper warranty. At least this is what I got on paperwork when I bought my 2010 with 71k miles

- Alex

 

That still doesn't sound like an official Toyota certification. As a "Toyota" certified used vehicle is given a 1 year or 12,000 mile warranty, along with a 7 year Powertrain Warranty and if it's a Toyota certified hybrid...the factory battery is given a 8 year warranty.

Still your choice evidently to get it or NOT get it. And not getting it might be wise. But what the dealership is offering doesn't seem to be an official " Toyota " certification.

 

Well, just click on my link. What Toyota presents as a the parameters of their certification and what you "said" they are offering don't mesh.

But do what you want. Just saying, what you say they would be doing if "certified" is different that what Toyota presents on their own site as being the parameters of a official Toyota certified used vehicle. So unless there was just a misunderstanding in communication? Something isn't right.

 

As discussed, it seems the Certified cars receive an additional 12-month/12,000-mile limited warranty, not to exceed the end of the 7th year of manufacture and 100,000 total miles.

However, the car already comes with a 5 year, 60,000 mile powertrain warranty and an 8 year, 100,000 mile hybrid warranty. So the Certification process really only makes sense on cars that are over 60,000 miles but under 85,000 miles, and/or between 5 years and 6 years old. This is a very specific set of parameters that would make certification worth anything. Even then, it really only extends the powertrain warranty since the hybrid warranty is still in effect through this period of extended coverage.

Based on the info provided from the OP, the car is a 2010 and has 44,000 miles on it. Therefore, it has another year and 16,000 miles left on the original warranty. The certification would not extend coverage for this vehicle.

 

I don't know about other dealerships but mine provides a complete service history. I love the Prius technology but I'm not likely to take it anywhere else for service, at least for the first 8 years. So far only one service.

5,184
Repair Order Number: 0013935
ROTATED TIRES/PERFORMED MULTIPOINT INSPECTION, TIRE PRESSURES READINGS LF_40__ RF_40__ LR_40__ RR_40__, COMPLETED MULTI-POINT INSPECTION

 

Maintenance information is often available as long as the vehicle was maintained at the dealership, but if not, you won't get the history. When I bought my Acura, the dealer said it was illegal for him to provide the maintenance history provided by the previous owner, which I'm sure was a load of

With a new car, often some of the regular (and easy) maintenance is included in the sale price up to a certain number of miles. I never buy new, so I do all my own maintenance, and I do better work than people that are minimally paid and have no interest in the quality of work.

The whole reason behind the "multi-point" inspection is to find something they can convince you to spend money on, such as replacing an air filter for 5x the cost of the filter at any parts store. There are surely honest and hard working service technicians and dealerships out there, but the majority are really looking to expend the least amount of effort for the most amount of $$ extracted from the customer.

My car salesman friend likes to talk about how someone went in for an oil change, but was talked into to spending $2000 on other junk they don't really need.

 

If it's a 2010 IV, then the leather and heated seats were factory installed. If port or dealer installed, then it's probably a III.

 

I had my 2004 Highlander for 75000 miles. They never offered to sell me something, just did what was required which was usually oil change, rotate tires and inspection. Yes, a couple of air filters I believe the cost was around 2 x but that's no big deal.

 

That's Hill Assist for holding the car while stopped on an incline so you can press the accelerator and not have the car roll back into the tailgater behind you.

 

If you stomp on the brake pedal at a stop, the TCS light will blink and the brakes remain locked. Once you let off, the brakes release after 2-3 sec. This is called the "hill start assist" or some such thing. Any other dash light coming on would not be normal.