Don’t Be Duped by Misleading Advertising

A fellow About.com Guide was excited to find a four-wheel drive 2007 Kia Sportage for $13,995 at a Mazda dealership. It has 27,653 miles on it; is certified pre-owned, and, Kia has that great 10-year/100,000 mile warranty. She asked me what I thought about the offer.

Care to guess what my two problems with the Sportage were? Nothing was wrong with the price, which was right on the mark according to Edmunds.com. Nor do I have a problem recommending a recent vintage Kia Sportage (and neither does Consumer Reports).

The warning bells in my brain started blaring when I saw a Mazda dealer offering to sell a Kia as certified pre-owned. It can’t happen. Only a Kia dealer can sell a certified pre-owned Kia, as I explain in my piece on certified pre-owned.

Plus, Kia’s 10-year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty isn’t transferable from the original owner. That could leave people susceptible to buying extended warranties that aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. A 2007 Kia Sportage purchased from a Kia dealer as certified pre-owned would have the necessary coverage.