AITA? Ford Certified

[Tucsonjay]

Looking at a 2021 Mustang at a local Ford dealer, walkaround looks clean and it runs great but the Carfax says it's been in two reported accidents with "minor damage" defined as "mostly cosmetic."

I emailed the sales manager, but he has yet to clarify the nature and extent of the damage. He has also refused my request for an independent inspection, saying he personally "Ford Certified" the car after their 139 point inspection.

He strongly implied he won't trust someone else to give the car an honest look. Which I feel implied he can't trust me to be honest either. His argument is I can buy the car and then have it inspected, and that they offer a money back guarantee if I find an issue.

My argument is the guy who supposedly certified the car is the guy who will set the terms for whether I can return the car. And I'll be on the hook however long it takes to resolve any disputes.

AITA for not just accepting "Ford Certified" (and this guy's word) as enough?

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[Cobra Jet]

Pass.

Why even deal with it, it’s already starting out as a hassle. Plus I’d be willing to bet for the money they want there’s another out there for the same price or less that doesn’t have any damages.

 

[MidnightStars]

Definite a hard pass. Any time ANY dealer says "no" to your want or need of a PPI, throw your interest elsewhere. There will always be another good car.

 

[broncoboy22]

Agreed with everyone. Hard pass. I would only even think about it more if it’s the exact spec you want and if that spec is hard to find. Other than that nope!

 

[Oakley]

slapping a ford certified sticker on something is essentially meaningless.
if you're looking for a good car i'm thinking of selling mine soon

 

[SBR70.3]

slapping a ford certified sticker on something is essentially meaningless.

Agree 100%

Tommy Callahan agrees too.

 

[SheepDog]

Why bother? There are thousands of these cars for sale all over the country

 

[Skye]

Pass.

The certification is only as good as the inspector and the dealer. This dealer is sporting red flags already.

It's not worth the hassle.

 

[pickdyl77]

I used to work at a local Ford dealership until about 2 months ago. I would pass. Ford Certified is definitely a better inspection and includes a 1k mile/90 day additional warranty, but I have seen certified trucks back in the shop immediately with broken items that should have been checked in the inspection. Every dealership service department does NOT gaf.

The only real good thing is that Ford sometimes offers a 2.9% APR on Ford Certified vehicles, but if you do that, the dealership most likely will not negotiate the asking price.

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