Certified vs. Not on 2013-2015 SS Purchase - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

CHRISCAM · 12-09-2018, 01:04 PM

Hi guys,
I'm getting closer to finally being able to get my dream Camaro. It's looking like it's just about a month away from now!
What I'd like some honest, candid input on is, should I worry about buying, say, a 2013 that has around 20k mi. on it if it's not Certified but has been maintained (per Carfax history)?
I'm specifically looking at 2013-2015 models, M6 only, and preferably a 1LE if I can find one in my price range. I see some 2014-2015 models offered as certified models in my price range, but some of the 2013 models out there are not (understandable, due to the longer time since first sale). I'm hoping to find something in the 15-40K mile range, with (obviously) lower miles being the preference. I'm also honestly more a fan of the 2013 and older styling, with the 2014+ being a secondary preference.
So, ultimately, my question is, should I worry about getting a relatively low-mileage model from one of these years that doesn't have any type of warranty? I know the drivetrain is largely considered to be bullet-proof, but it's still a bit of a "spooky" undertaking when you get roped into financing a $20K+ car that has no warranty coverage.
What do you guys think, am I being overly worried here?

pyroguy · 12-09-2018, 01:27 PM

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Don't get too hung up on "certified" preowned. Get the car checked out by a mechanic you trust prior to purchase, but the 5th gen Camaro as a vehicle has been very stout and reliable.

O.F. · 12-09-2018, 01:59 PM

Agree with pyroguy. My "cpo" Camaro had a clean Carfax and still, half the car has been repainted. Have it checked out by a pro if you can find one.

anth331 · 12-09-2018, 02:59 PM

Just remember, It has to be “REPORTED” to be on carfax. My 13 SS was a one owner car no accidents etc. When I put in my Heritage Grille, could see bolts that weren’t the same, some missing and different colors on the wires going to the side marker lights. I’m not a Mr Goodwrench but, I could see that I had a different front bumper due to over spray paint on parts around other parts. In other words, you cannot trust Carfax

CHRISCAM · 12-09-2018, 03:12 PM

These are good points, guys-- especially about the Carfax not showing all activity. I've seen some cars listed that had no accidents on the Carfax report, but the dealership itself revealed in the listing that it had been in an accident.
The thing about "Certified" that I like is that it gives you 6 years / 100K mi. on the drivetrain at least-- from date of first purchase. If I ended up finding a 2015 that was first sold in, say, Summer of 2015, that would mean that it would still be covered until Summer of 2021, which would give me at least about half of my loan period with coverage on it.
Just sayin...

Aqua Blue RS/SS · 12-09-2018, 03:43 PM

I just bought a 52,000 mile 2010 2SS/RS about 2 months ago. I didn’t buy the extended warranty and I have no regrets. It’s been a blast from day one. These things are stout that’s all I can say.

gringo · 12-09-2018, 06:43 PM

Don't get too hung up on the "Certified" rating. It all comes down to inspecting the car to look for previous body repairs/accidents and any mechanical problems that the vehicle may have.

If you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself, I'd have it inspected by an independent mechanic or a person knowledgable about these cars.

Welker2 · 12-10-2018, 01:50 AM

As others have already stated, don't get hung up on 'certified'; have heard many horror stories from people who bought a 'CPO' vehicle and had nothing but issues with it, everything from mechanical/electrical issues to finding out it had been a major accident. Also, don't look at Carfax report as being factual, they often don't show major issues due to them not being reported. The best thing to do if you find a vehicle you like is to personally inspect it and take it to a reputable shop to have inspected before purchasing it. If there is nothing wrong with the vehicle a dealership or private party shouldn't have an issue with you doing this .. if they do, don't walk, run away.

Glassman66 · 12-10-2018, 07:26 AM

I bought a CPO 2014 Camaro SS RS 1le with 4300 miles on it. I didn't have it checked because I've seen the way GM dealers go through their CPO cars. Wish I had, the rear tires were shot, I have no idea how the tech passes these tires, made me very suspect on the rest of the inspection.
After a long fight, the dealer is eating 1/2 the bill for the tires.
Make sure you get an inspection of your own. I like having the 12 month 12000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.

BMR Sales · 12-10-2018, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CHRISCAM

These are good points, guys-- especially about the Carfax not showing all activity. I've seen some cars listed that had no accidents on the Carfax report, but the dealership itself revealed in the listing that it had been in an accident.
The thing about "Certified" that I like is that it gives you 6 years / 100K mi. on the drivetrain at least-- from date of first purchase. If I ended up finding a 2015 that was first sold in, say, Summer of 2015, that would mean that it would still be covered until Summer of 2021, which would give me at least about half of my loan period with coverage on it.
Just sayin...

That would be the benefit. I would opt for a CPO car as long as you can get an Independent Inspection.

SecondZ28 · 12-10-2018, 09:23 AM

A Certified car does not mean it hasn't been painted. Every manufactor has different standards.

I.e. Toyota doesn't allow a car to be certified that has had more than 3 panels re-painted.

dpeterson7 · 12-10-2018, 09:23 AM

Also remember that a CPO car comes with extra factory warranty (1yr/12,000 miles bumper to bumper and 1yr/up to 100,000 miles powertrain) and goes through a more thorough inspection than a regular used car. It measures stuff like tread life on tires, wear on brake pads, the proof of any work done on the engine, etc. i bought my 2011 non-certified and although it was in great condition (almost 6 years old with only 45,000 miles), the previous owner threw 3 different types of tires on the shitty 20" chrome cragars he decided would look good on these cars. just something to keep in mind.

Royal Tiger · 12-10-2018, 09:23 AM

Chevy won’t stand behind “certified pre-owned” anyway, so don’t trust them.

redcoats1976 · 12-10-2018, 03:39 PM

when i had issues with the TPMS on my CPO car the dealer had it in the shop 3 times,finally replacing 4 wires that had to run away from the heater fan motor to fix it.loaner cars were everything from a gen 6 camaro to a 4 door silverado.of course when i had the truck i didnt need to haul anything but they said not to bother filling it up,since they didnt have anything more economical it wasnt my fault and not to worry about it.i suspect my dealer is one of the better ones though.

12-09-2018, 01:04 PM	#1
CHRISCAM Drives: 2013 Summit White 2SS/1LE Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: SoCal Posts: 118	Certified vs. Not on 2013-2015 SS Purchase Hi guys, I'm getting closer to finally being able to get my dream Camaro. It's looking like it's just about a month away from now! What I'd like some honest, candid input on is, should I worry about buying, say, a 2013 that has around 20k mi. on it if it's not Certified but has been maintained (per Carfax history)? I'm specifically looking at 2013-2015 models, M6 only, and preferably a 1LE if I can find one in my price range. I see some 2014-2015 models offered as certified models in my price range, but some of the 2013 models out there are not (understandable, due to the longer time since first sale). I'm hoping to find something in the 15-40K mile range, with (obviously) lower miles being the preference. I'm also honestly more a fan of the 2013 and older styling, with the 2014+ being a secondary preference. So, ultimately, my question is, should I worry about getting a relatively low-mileage model from one of these years that doesn't have any type of warranty? I know the drivetrain is largely considered to be bullet-proof, but it's still a bit of a "spooky" undertaking when you get roped into financing a $20K+ car that has no warranty coverage. What do you guys think, am I being overly worried here?

12-09-2018, 01:27 PM	#2
pyroguy Started#gottalovethatblue Drives: ABM #831 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: TN Posts: 6,917 View My Garage	Don't get too hung up on "certified" preowned. Get the car checked out by a mechanic you trust prior to purchase, but the 5th gen Camaro as a vehicle has been very stout and reliable. __________________ '10 Camaro 2SS/RS \| Aqua Blue #831 of 3,903 \| Silver Stripes Check out my build thread

12-09-2018, 03:43 PM	#6
Aqua Blue RS/SS Drives: ABM #93 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Lotaburger Posts: 2,692	I just bought a 52,000 mile 2010 2SS/RS about 2 months ago. I didn’t buy the extended warranty and I have no regrets. It’s been a blast from day one. These things are stout that’s all I can say. __________________ ABM #2399 2SS/RS:SOLD ABM #93 2SS/RS Black Rally stripes, Titanium Interior 4,000 miles: GM GFX side skirts and diffuser waiting on paint, GM dovetail, GM heritage, RPI ZL1 style splitter. ‘87 IROC-Z Iroc blue. all original unmolested with 50K miles.

12-10-2018, 01:50 AM	#8
Welker2 Ret AF, cancer survivor Drives: 2013 Camaro 2SS/RS & 2006 Corvette Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Mesquite, NV Posts: 2,741 View My Garage	As others have already stated, don't get hung up on 'certified'; have heard many horror stories from people who bought a 'CPO' vehicle and had nothing but issues with it, everything from mechanical/electrical issues to finding out it had been a major accident. Also, don't look at Carfax report as being factual, they often don't show major issues due to them not being reported. The best thing to do if you find a vehicle you like is to personally inspect it and take it to a reputable shop to have inspected before purchasing it. If there is nothing wrong with the vehicle a dealership or private party shouldn't have an issue with you doing this .. if they do, don't walk, run away. __________________

12-10-2018, 09:23 AM	#11
SecondZ28 Drives: 2013 ZL1 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Illinois Posts: 807	A Certified car does not mean it hasn't been painted. Every manufactor has different standards. I.e. Toyota doesn't allow a car to be certified that has had more than 3 panels re-painted. __________________ '13 ZL1 '06 TBSS '98 TJ '87 GN

12-09-2018, 01:59 PM	#3
O.F. Drives: 2015 BLK/BLK 2SS/RS MN6 Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: New Hampshuh Posts: 266	Agree with pyroguy. My "cpo" Camaro had a clean Carfax and still, half the car has been repainted. Have it checked out by a pro if you can find one.

12-09-2018, 02:59 PM	#4
anth331 Drives: 12SS Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Dayton, Tx. 77535 Posts: 728	Just remember, It has to be “REPORTED” to be on carfax. My 13 SS was a one owner car no accidents etc. When I put in my Heritage Grille, could see bolts that weren’t the same, some missing and different colors on the wires going to the side marker lights. I’m not a Mr Goodwrench but, I could see that I had a different front bumper due to over spray paint on parts around other parts. In other words, you cannot trust Carfax

12-09-2018, 03:12 PM	#5
CHRISCAM Drives: 2013 Summit White 2SS/1LE Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: SoCal Posts: 118	These are good points, guys-- especially about the Carfax not showing all activity. I've seen some cars listed that had no accidents on the Carfax report, but the dealership itself revealed in the listing that it had been in an accident. The thing about "Certified" that I like is that it gives you 6 years / 100K mi. on the drivetrain at least-- from date of first purchase. If I ended up finding a 2015 that was first sold in, say, Summer of 2015, that would mean that it would still be covered until Summer of 2021, which would give me at least about half of my loan period with coverage on it. Just sayin...

12-09-2018, 06:43 PM	#7
gringo Account Suspended Drives: Camaro V6 Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: U.S. Posts: 1,722	Don't get too hung up on the "Certified" rating. It all comes down to inspecting the car to look for previous body repairs/accidents and any mechanical problems that the vehicle may have. If you don't feel comfortable doing this yourself, I'd have it inspected by an independent mechanic or a person knowledgable about these cars.

12-10-2018, 07:26 AM	#9
Glassman66 Drives: 2014 Camaro 2SS/RS 1le Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: Denver Co Posts: 260	I bought a CPO 2014 Camaro SS RS 1le with 4300 miles on it. I didn't have it checked because I've seen the way GM dealers go through their CPO cars. Wish I had, the rear tires were shot, I have no idea how the tech passes these tires, made me very suspect on the rest of the inspection. After a long fight, the dealer is eating 1/2 the bill for the tires. Make sure you get an inspection of your own. I like having the 12 month 12000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.

12-10-2018, 09:23 AM	#12
dpeterson7 Drives: 2011 Camaro RS - Imperial Blue Met. Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Yorkville, IL Posts: 28 View My Garage	Also remember that a CPO car comes with extra factory warranty (1yr/12,000 miles bumper to bumper and 1yr/up to 100,000 miles powertrain) and goes through a more thorough inspection than a regular used car. It measures stuff like tread life on tires, wear on brake pads, the proof of any work done on the engine, etc. i bought my 2011 non-certified and although it was in great condition (almost 6 years old with only 45,000 miles), the previous owner threw 3 different types of tires on the shitty 20" chrome cragars he decided would look good on these cars. just something to keep in mind. __________________ Never underestimate the therapeutic power of seeing a mustang crash.

12-10-2018, 09:23 AM	#13
Royal Tiger Account Suspended Drives: 2013 2SS/RS Convertible Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 3,873	Chevy won’t stand behind “certified pre-owned” anyway, so don’t trust them.

12-10-2018, 03:39 PM	#14
redcoats1976 Drives: LT W/2LT,blue metallic Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: central florida Posts: 4,915	when i had issues with the TPMS on my CPO car the dealer had it in the shop 3 times,finally replacing 4 wires that had to run away from the heater fan motor to fix it.loaner cars were everything from a gen 6 camaro to a 4 door silverado.of course when i had the truck i didnt need to haul anything but they said not to bother filling it up,since they didnt have anything more economical it wasnt my fault and not to worry about it.i suspect my dealer is one of the better ones though.