What Does Ford Certified Pre-Owned Warranty Cover?

Ford’s certified pre-owned warranty coverage comes in three tiers under the Ford Blue Advantage program, and what you get depends entirely on which tier the vehicle qualifies for. Gold Certified vehicles get a 12-month/12,000-mile comprehensive warranty plus a 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Blue Certified vehicles get a 90-day/4,000-mile comprehensive warranty and nothing more. EV Certified vehicles get a 12-month/12,000-mile comprehensive warranty, an 8-year/100,000-mile BaseCARE EV warranty, and separate high-voltage battery coverage. Every tier carries a $100 deductible per visit, requires repairs at a Ford or Lincoln dealer, and is transferable to a future owner.¹

Gold Certified is limited to Ford models under six years old with fewer than 80,000 miles. Blue Certified accepts any brand up to ten years old with fewer than 150,000 miles. EV Certified is for fully electric Ford models under six years old and 80,000 miles.²

Gold Certified Coverage

The Gold tier gives you two warranties stacked on top of each other.

The first is a 12-month or 12,000-mile comprehensive limited warranty, whichever comes first. It starts when the original new-vehicle warranty expires or on the CPO purchase date, whichever is later. This coverage works on an exclusion basis: everything is covered unless the warranty specifically excludes it.³

In practice, that comprehensive coverage reaches well beyond the drivetrain. Ford’s warranty documentation lists the power steering pump, gear housing, and linkage; brake master cylinder, calipers, the anti-lock module, and parking brake cables; front and rear suspension components including ball joints, control arms, MacPherson struts, the stabilizer bar, and tie rods; alternator, starter motor, wiper motors, and wiring harnesses; air conditioning compressor, condenser, heater core, and blower motor; in-dash navigation; emissions sensors and valves; the factory-installed audio system; and safety components such as airbag modules and seat belt retractors.⁴

The second warranty is powertrain-only and runs 7 years or 100,000 miles from the original new-vehicle warranty start date. It covers:

Engine internals: cylinder block and all internal lubricated parts, cylinder heads, intake and exhaust manifolds, a factory-installed turbocharger or supercharger, timing chain, flywheel, valve covers, oil pan, oil pump, water pump, thermostat, and related seals and gaskets.
Transmission: the case and all internal parts, torque converter, transfer case and its internal parts, the transmission control module, and seals and gaskets.
Front-wheel drive: the front drive housing with all internal parts, universal and constant velocity joints, axle shafts, locking rings on four-wheel-drive models, and seals and gaskets.
Rear-wheel drive: drive axle housings and all internal parts, universal and constant velocity joints, axle shafts, driveshafts, and seals and gaskets.

Fuel-injection components are not included in the powertrain warranty.³

Blue Certified Coverage

Blue Certified is the far shorter warranty. It runs 90 days or 4,000 miles, whichever comes first. For a Ford vehicle, it starts when the original new-vehicle warranty expires or on the purchase date, whichever is later. For a non-Ford vehicle sold through this program, it starts on the purchase date.⁵

Within those 90 days the coverage is broad. Ford lists the engine, transmission, rear- and front-wheel drive, steering, brakes, front and rear suspension, electrical system, air conditioning and heating, technology components, emissions components, factory-installed audio, and safety systems. Repair or replacement is available for parts found defective in factory-supplied materials or workmanship, unless specifically excluded.¹

There is no separate powertrain warranty at this tier. The 90-day comprehensive warranty is the entire coverage.⁵

EV Certified Coverage

Fully electric Fords that qualify for EV Certified get the deepest coverage of the three tiers.

The comprehensive portion runs 12 months or 12,000 miles and covers more than 1,000 components, including the battery, transmission, steering, brakes, suspension, electrical, air conditioning, heating, technology, audio, and safety systems.⁶

Layered on top is the BaseCARE EV limited warranty, running 8 years or 100,000 miles from the original new-vehicle warranty start date. BaseCARE EV covers traction motors and all internal parts, drivetrain components (axle housings, CV joints, axle shafts, driveshafts), power steering, suspension, brakes, air conditioning, and basic electrical items like switches, wiper motors, and wiring harnesses.⁷

BaseCARE EV specifically excludes batteries and cables. The high-voltage battery is handled instead under Ford’s hybrid and electric vehicle unique components warranty, which covers the high-voltage battery, battery energy control module, onboard charger, inverter system controller, DC/DC converter, and electric driveline motor for 8 years or 100,000 miles from the original warranty start date. Gradual loss of battery capacity from normal use is not covered, and neither is damage from improper storage.⁸⁹

What’s Not Covered

Every Ford CPO warranty has the same exclusions, and they are extensive.

Wear-and-tear items are out across the board: brake pads, rotors, shoes, and drums; batteries and cables; belts, hoses, and hose clamps; fluids and filters; spark plugs and wires; exhaust systems including catalytic converters; tires, wheel balancing, and alignment; shock absorbers; and clutch discs on manual transmissions.⁴

Cosmetic and trim items are excluded as well: paint, rust, glass, upholstery, carpets, dash pads, door handles, knobs, mirrors, moldings, weatherstrips, and convertible top components. Light bulbs of every type (incandescent, halogen, HID, and LED) are excluded.⁵

Modifications void the warranty on any affected parts. That includes aftermarket turbochargers and superchargers, Ford Racing parts, lift kits, oversized tires, aftermarket wheels, and non-factory engine computer reprogramming. Damage from accidents, environmental events like salt, hail, or flooding, theft, vandalism, and failure to maintain the vehicle are also excluded.⁴

Some vehicles cannot be certified at all. Racing or competitive-driving use, taxi or limousine service, police or fire duty, and rental or towing use all disqualify a vehicle. So do altered or replaced odometers, salvage or branded titles, and models originally manufactured for sale outside the United States, D.C., or Canada.⁴

Deductible, Where Repairs Happen, and What You Owe

Every covered repair visit under a Ford CPO warranty carries a $100 deductible. If the repair falls under the original new-vehicle limited warranty rather than the CPO portion, there is no deductible on that work.⁵

Warranty repairs have to be done at a Ford or Lincoln franchised dealership. The only carve-out is an emergency where the vehicle is inoperable and every dealership service department within 25 miles is closed. All repairs use new or remanufactured parts authorized by Ford Motor Company, and Ford reserves the right to inspect the vehicle before authorizing work.⁵

Keep your maintenance records. Ford can ask for proof that scheduled maintenance was performed, and if a failure is tied to skipped maintenance, coverage on the affected parts can be denied. If you paid out of pocket for a covered repair, you have one year from the repair date to file for reimbursement.⁵

If the vehicle is inoperable and kept overnight for a covered repair, the warranty reimburses rental car costs up to $40 per day including tax, for a maximum of five days or until the repair is completed.³

There is also a cap on Ford’s total liability for any single repair visit: it cannot exceed the vehicle’s current retail value as listed in the NADA Guide or a similar nationally published valuation guide.⁵

Roadside Assistance

All three tiers include 24/7 roadside assistance, but the length varies sharply. Gold Certified vehicles get seven years, EV Certified vehicles get eight years, and Blue Certified vehicles get 90 days.¹⁰

The services are the same regardless of tier: flat tire changes, battery jump-starts, lockout assistance up to $50, fuel delivery of up to two gallons, and towing up to $100 for warranty and non-warranty issues alike. If you break down more than 100 miles from home, Ford will reimburse up to $1,000 for lodging, meals, and a rental vehicle across five days. Up to $75 is also available for emergency transportation to your immediate destination.¹⁰

Money-Back Guarantee and Transferability

Gold and Blue Certified vehicles come with a 14-day or 1,000-mile money-back guarantee, whichever comes first, at participating dealers. The vehicle has to come back in the same condition it was sold, with no accidents and no liens other than the original financing. Your trade-in is not returned, and only one return is allowed within a six-month period across all Ford dealerships.²¹¹

All Ford CPO warranties transfer to future owners at no cost, which can help resale value if you sell while coverage is still active.¹²

Check the Powertrain Clock Before You Buy

One detail trips up a lot of Gold and EV Certified buyers. The powertrain warranty, 7 years and 100,000 miles for Gold or 8 years and 100,000 miles on the BaseCARE EV coverage, is measured from the date the vehicle was originally sold new, not from the day you buy the certified vehicle. On a Gold Certified truck first sold four years ago, you have about three years of powertrain coverage left, not seven. Ask the dealer for the original warranty start date and the current odometer reading before you assume you’re getting the full stated term.¹³

1
Ford Motor Company. Ford Blue Advantage Warranties
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Ford Motor Company. Ford Blue Advantage
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Ford Motor Company. Gold Certified Limited Warranty
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Ford Motor Company. Ford CPO Limited Warranty Component List
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Ford Motor Company. Blue Certified Limited Warranty
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Ford Motor Company. Ford Blue Advantage Warranties
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Ford Motor Company. EV Certified Limited Warranty
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Ford Motor Company. What Is the Warranty on Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
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Ford Motor Company. Ford Car and Truck Hybrid Warranty Guide
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Ford Motor Company. Ford Blue Advantage Roadside Assistance
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Ford Motor Company. Ford Blue Advantage Money Back Guarantee
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Ford Motor Company. Ford Blue Advantage Warranties
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Consumer Reports. What Do Certified Pre-Owned Car Programs Cover