[citation needed] Inspection, refurbishing, certification of functioning and other methods are sometimes employed by companies, but there is no standard for what distinguishes that which is certified pre-owned from something that is used.
Manufacturer (or "factory") certified pre-owned vehicles are only sold at authorized dealers specializing in that particular franchise.
Factory certified pre-owned cars are generally five years old or newer and have less than 80,000 miles (130,000 kilometres).
These vehicles generally have not been inspected by anyone outside the dealership, but do typically carry a warranty or extended service contract to provide some protection to the purchaser.
Both OEM and dealer-certified program vehicles are typically inspected by employees of the selling dealer—not by the manufacturer as may be assumed.
Independents may employ a disinterested third-party inspector to ensure objectivity, or may allow the dealer to inspect their own vehicles.