By: John Chauvin, General Manager
Obviously, we shop for pre-owned vehicles for various reasons. The first of which may be the cost savings from new vehicle prices. Sometimes we just need transportation that’s reliable and we don’t have an affection toward the newest, latest, and greatest gadgets. Maybe the vehicle we want is so popular and a new one is not available, so we search for one that’s pre-owned and relatively new. Whatever drives us to seek out the perfect used or pre-loved vehicle, there are a few things to consider, the most important being where you buy it.
At Don Hewlett Chevrolet, Buick, Inc. we acquire pre-owned vehicles from multiple sources, the largest source being trade-ins. Sure, we buy auction vehicles, off-lease vehicles, and vehicles from customers who simply want to sell, but the acquisition of used vehicles is only one part of our pre-owned department. The main part would be what we do to service and recondition vehicles to get them sale ready. This is what you may not get from other purchase avenues.
We have technicians in our shop dedicated to just the used car department. Their knowledge of multiple brands spreads far and wide. Every vehicle we acquire gets put into the reconditioning process for these technicians to evaluate. Obviously, if a vehicle has a known issue that we’re not going to fix or is not cost effective to fix, that vehicle goes to the wholesale side and effectively gets “kicked out” so to speak. Although that’s rare, we also know that we have nothing to gain by not fixing something we know needs attention, so we don’t retail those vehicles.
While older vehicles typically need more reconditioning than newer ones, the process and check points remain the same. The car gets evaluated, the repairs and maintenance updates get reported to the Used Car Director, and once approved, the work gets done. It then goes to detail, photos and ultimately to the lot for sale.
Being that a motor vehicle is a mechanical item, they can be unpredictable at times. While everything was checked out during the recon process, something could come up soon after despite it working perfectly at the time of service. Although that is rare, we add our own “Hewlett Certified” warranty for that extra peace of mind when making your purchasing decision. We do sell a small handful of older vehicles on an “as is” basis (and even those get checked out) but most of our pre-owned vehicles have some type of factory warranty or Hewlett guarantee.
If you select a GM Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle, that vehicle comes with an additional 12 month or 12,000-mile warranty along with any and all incentives being offered at the time of purchase (including special interest rates). CPO vehicles are a special advantage because they’re as close to new as possible, you receive two free oil-changes with purchase and you get the savings from new vehicle prices at the same time.
I say all of this because we take great pride in our Used Car Department and all it has to offer. Pre-owned vehicles from an individual or from an independent used car lot, may or may not have the ability to perform what we perform prior to the sale in an effort to ensure your purchase is safe and reliable. While yes, we’re a franchised new car dealer and have been in this community for decades, our goal is to not just sell you a car but make you a customer for life. Whether you purchase new or pre-owned, you’re still a Don Hewlett customer and we take that seriously. We want to earn your business for not only new and pre-owned sales, but service, parts and collision and we go to great lengths to make it the best possible experience you could have.
