ARLINGTON, Texas – In what is expected to be a record year for certified pre-owned sales, the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association is offering its members a better way to get a piece of the used car industry’s hottest market.

The new, upgraded NIADA Certified program gives independent dealers more choices, higher standards, better technology and more ways to give their customers what they want.

“NIADA Certified has been completely redesigned and expanded to give independent dealers the chance to compete on a level playing field in the most popular and profitable segment of the used vehicle market,” NIADA vice president of member services James Gibson said.

“Our administrators are among the most trusted names in the industry, offering top-of-the-line warranties, marketing, training and service. We’re very proud of the program we’ve put together.”

The new program, available to all NIADA members, includes tighter standards for vehicles to earn the certified designation, but still provides the opportunity for units up to 12 model years old with up to 150,000 miles to qualify for limited coverage in the newly created verified pre-owned category.

For the first time, NIADA Certified includes multiple administrators, adding GWC Warranty, AUL and ProGuard Warranty to previous administrator GSFSGroup to give dealers more options and offer nationwide coverage.

“NIADA is an extremely well respected brand,” GWC vice president of sales operations Jeremy Beck said, “and GWC is, too. Together with the other administrators, we offer an opportunity for consumers to really have confidence in the program, while at the same time building on the NIADA brand and our individual administrator brands.

“It’s a perfect marriage for all of us to get together and offer this program.”

ProGuard Warranty president and chief operating officer Dominic Limongelli agreed.

“This is a perfect collaboration,” he said. “We share a common objective to help independent dealers succeed. NIADA Certified gives them access to best-in-class products, sales training and tools, and that dovetails with ProGuard’s goal of protecting the customer and the dealer’s reputation by providing additional value.”

Another key component of the program is its integration with Carketa, which provides a 200-point digital inspection and condition report for all NIADA Certified vehicles.

Carketa’s system automates the inspection process and generates a digital condition report – with images – that can be automatically added to the dealership’s website, advertising, vehicle detail pages, third-party listings and vehicle history reports.

The report adds credibility and consumer confidence to the NIADA Certified program – and illustrates for the customer why the vehicle is worth the price.

“We build the value proposition by highlighting those items on the digital condition report, on your website, your VDP and on Carfax and AutoCheck,” Carketa CEO Brady Thurgood said. “That fits so well with NIADA’s new CPO program by building that value.

“It’s showing consumers what you’ve done on the car to validate the certified state of that vehicle. You’re showing that it’s held to a higher standard. And that’s the reason for CPO.”

CPO sales set annual records for nine consecutive years before that streak was interrupted by COVID in 2020. Sales rebounded last year to near-record levels, and Cox Automotive is projecting 2022 sales to reach 3.0 million, which would break the current record, set in 2019.

“Customers want certified vehicles and are searching for them,” Gibson said. “NIADA Certified offers independent dealers the tools to give those customers exactly what they’re looking for.

“And there is more to come. NIADA’s program will continue growing and improving, with more innovations coming in the future.”

For more information, visit niada.com/certified-pre-owned.