Volvo announced its revised Certified by Volvo pre-owned vehicle program on Thursday, and it has a new offer to attract buyers. Each certified pre-owned Volvo will come with an unlimited mileage warranty.
While it's not a lifetime warranty, Volvo said it can customize the warranty to a buyer's needs. Buyers who take part in the Certified by Volvo program can extend warranty coverage for up to eight years and take advantage of the unlimited-mileage warranty.
Like many other certified vehicle programs, Volvo won't approve any vehicle.
To qualify, a car must show fewer than 80,000 miles on the odometer and cannot be more than five years old. Technicians inspect more than 170 points throughout a candidate car and each goes through a vehicle history screening to ensure titles meet the Certified by Volvo standard. A CarFax vehicle history report is also included with each certified Volvo.
The brand said its new program is crucial to building a loyal customer base in the United States. Rick Bryant, vice president of sales operations for Volvo USA, said data showed 60 percent of certified Volvo buyers are new to the brand. The goal is to keep them in the program, or perhaps sell them a new Volvo vehicle when the time comes to trade in a car.
So far, it's worked. Certified Volvo sales are up 24 percent through October. The Certified by Volvo program could also help the brand ease into the vehicle subscription service it plans for pre-owned cars. The brand hasn't provided specifics on the future program, but it will likely follow the form of the new-car version, which is called Care by Volvo.
Care by Volvo offers subscribers a new vehicle for 24 months and includes insurance, maintenance, and some concierge-type services. Subscribers may swap into a new vehicle after 12 months, but doing so resets the 24-month subscription period. Volvo said this past June it finally began delivering subscribers their vehicles after state paperwork held up the process.