Dealers, of all sorts, seem to get virtually all their cars from BCA auctions or it's few competitors. BCA use a grading system from 1 to 5 depending on the amount of preparation needed - that grade plays a major part in the price bidders are prepared to pay.

Manufacturers' Approved Schemes generally only use grade 1/2 cars with the rest going to non-franchised dealers and car supermarkets. Manufacturers' Approved Schemes also have access to the warranty repair history of each vehicle, something that non-franchised dealers and car supermarkets don't.

I recently traded a 4+ year old Hyundai through WBAC/BCA, so still under original warranty - to me it looked visually perfect but the buyer found a dent so minor it was only visible with the special inspection lights they use, so was downgraded to BCA grade 2 - but it didn't become a Hyundai Approved car because they alone would know of it's extensive mechanical warranty work including an engine/transmission rebuild! It was sold on through a non-franchised dealer so someone saved a few quid over a Hyundai Approved car but got a car with a problematic history.

I've only ever bought Approved cars when buying secondhand apart from a couple of private purchases - although I now buy new, the family get me to source Approved cars when they need to change.

Having seen some of the cars at a car supermarket, models that I was familiar with, they can be in very poor condition but look fine from the outside!

Edited by RT on 12/08/2016 at 10:58

I would be suspicious if a nearly new car was not being sold by a main dealer under an approved use car scheme. Normally these cars are prime stock for main dealers - unless they are Friday specials rejected by clients and passed on auction.

I' sure this is not true in all cases, but I would be extra careful. May be less of concern for car supermarkets if they source their stock from car rental or car fleets.

The word Approved is a marketing term, like "New" or "Fresh" or the increasingly used "Solutions" when referring to PC services.

What I would like to know is how a dealer deals with a used car that is Un-approved. I assume it goes to auction before the mileage and paperwork is magic-ed up-then put on Arthur Daleys site with a "Car of the Week" sign on the windscreen?

There's some excellent advice on this thread, which I hope you find helpful, Too Far. The crucial points from this for used car buyers are:

1 Unless you're into bangernomics (and nothing wrong with that, but it's a different ball-game), insist in a full service history with some evidence that it's genuine, and not just some joker rubber-stamping a book.

2 If you take out a used car warranty, check the small print carefully - are the exclusions only for wear-and-tear items, and what's the upper limit for a claim?

In the past we've had tales of woe on here from people with rejected claims, at least some of whom had found to their surprise, and cost, that the warranty company stuck very rigidly to their Ts and Cs.

Thank you for your story, Miniman: it's as well that the Mini Approvced warranty is one of the more generous ones, as buying a used Mini tends to be more of a gamble as it's more likely to have been driven hard by a previous owner than, say, a Honda Jazz.

I'd say getting an approved used car is worth the extra cost. Places like xxxx are probably your best bet.

(LInk deleted - looks like a feeble attempt at a free advert.)

Edited by Avant on 18/05/2018 at 01:18

However, if the car still has 12 months or more manufacturers’ warranty, do I really still need to buy an approved car?

Don't take the warranty for granted based purely on the age.

It would be pretty hard for a franchised dealer to wriggle out of, but buying 'non-approved' it is important to check that all services have been done, one time/mileage, by a franchised dealer or service agent.

Legally it would sufficient to have had it serviced elsewhere to retain the warranty, but you may be put to proof that it was done to manufacturer requirments and using only genuine parts.

The full manufacturer service record also greatly improves your chance of a goodwill repair if if breaks down just out of warranty.