Lemon – it’s a word that strikes fear in the very heart of every potential buyer of a used car. No one wants to get stuck with a lemon – a car that breaks down and costs more money to run that it should and is just generally a very bad deal. Unfortunately, cars don’t come with convenient labels that say, “I’m a lemon and you’ll be sorry if you buy me.”

However, realizing the potential profit to be made in selling used cars, many car dealerships have begun offering incentives designed to make the purchase of used cars more attractive, called certified used car programs. These programs attempt to marry the attractiveness of the lower cost of a used car with the warranties and guarantees that have been traditionally available only with the purchase of a new car. What’s more, the car dealerships bring their reputation to these programs, hoping that will encourage you to spend your money with them rather than with the independent used car dealer down the street.

The biggest caveat for the potential buyer is that there’s no standardization among certified used car programs, so you must always carefully read the terms of the program to know what you’re getting. For example, some certified used car programs might include a 70+ point inspection process, while others may only include a general sign off by a dealership mechanic.

The larger and more established a dealership or manufacturer is, the more faith you can generally have in their certified used car programs, simply because they’ll be more likely to stand behind the program. If you have any doubts about a program, ask for references from their previous customers. If previous customers weren’t happy with the program, they’ll be more than happy to tell you about it.

In addition, certain dealers – most notably Audi – only accept certain cars for their certified used car program. Other dealerships have certifying criteria they employ to evaluate used cars, but few are as well documented as the program offered by Audi. But as with all certified used car programs, nothing can take the place of carefully reading the program documentation.

To know if the certification is really meaningful, you must consider whether it provides any type of guaranty or warranty or if it’s merely limited to a checklist of the car parts that were inspected. If being a certified used car carries with it some type of warranty or protection against failure of car systems or parts, then it can be a valuable thing to have. If all you’re offered is a checklist of the car parts that were inspected, you’re better off having your own mechanic inspect the car.

So should a certified used car program add to the cost of a car? Not in and of itself. However, if the program provides you with any guarantees or warranties, you may wind up paying more for that – and the cost may be well worth it if you wind up needing repairs.

A certified used car program can make you more confident in your purchase decision. Just be sure to read the details of the program carefully to determine if the program in question actually provides real value.