About half of Ford Motor Co.’s 3,000 U.S. dealers have already signed up for its new certified used-vehicle platform, and officials say the early adopters are experiencing noticeable sales bumps.
The online marketplace, called Ford Blue Advantage, formally launched Thursday. The site is powered by AutoTrader and brings together certified used-vehicle inventory from dealers around the country for what’s billed as a seamless shopping experience.
It’s meant to give dealers a larger slice of the used-vehicle sales pie. Ford, citing internal data, says its dealers accounted for only one-third of the 3 million used Fords sold in 2019. So far, those numbers already are inching up.
At San Tan Ford in Gilbert, Ariz., certified used-vehicle sales jumped 50 percent in January after the store signed up, while Andy Mohr Ford in Plainfield, Ind., sold 170 certified used vehicles, up more than 60 percent over the same period a year earlier, according to Andrew Ashman, Ford’s U.S. used-vehicle manager.
Ashman told Automotive News the company didn’t have a target for how many dealers it wants to join the voluntary platform but expects the number to grow.
The site features guaranteed pricing and Kelley Blue Book’s Price Advisor tool. Roughly 90 percent of inventory will be certified as “gold” or “blue.” Gold covers Ford vehicles up to 6 years old with fewer than 80,000 miles, and blue covers Ford and non-Ford vehicles no more than 10 years old with fewer than 120,000 miles.
Each certification comes with different warranty levels. Shoppers will earn FordPass Rewards points for each purchase: 11,000 for blue and 22,000 for gold. Both levels come with 24-7 roadside assistance.