We check 160 points. All to prove one point: Only the best get to be Toyota Certified Used Vehicles.Checked 2026-08-11
Certified Pre-Owned (CPO)
A used car inspected under a manufacturer's own program and sold with added manufacturer-backed coverage.
Also called: CPO · certified used
What it means
Definition
A certified pre-owned vehicle has passed a manufacturer-run inspection and reconditioning program and is sold through that brand's franchised dealers with warranty coverage added on top of whatever remains of the original. Each manufacturer sets its own eligibility limits on age, mileage and condition, and its own inspection checklist — Toyota's program brochure, for example, states that it checks 160 points. The inspection count, the eligibility rules and the added coverage are brand-specific.
Why a buyer cares
What it changes
The standard behind the word is the manufacturer's, not the selling dealer's. A dealer's own 'certified' sticker is a different thing with no shared definition.
In practice
Where you meet it
In listings, on the dealership window sticker, and in franchised-dealer advertising, normally next to the brand name.
Two things that look alike
Not the same as
A vehicle service contract is bought separately; CPO coverage comes with the car.
Read next
Related terms
Powertrain warranty
Warranty coverage limited to the parts that make power and deliver it to the wheels.
Vehicle service contract
An optional contract bought separately that promises to cover certain repairs — commonly sold as an 'extended warranty'.
Buyers Guide / "As Is — No Dealer Warranty"
The window form dealers must display on every used car, showing whether it comes with a warranty or none.
Where this comes from
Sources
160 points is Toyota's figure for its own program and must stay attributed to Toyota. It says nothing about CPO programs generally.