Following General Motors’ lead, Chrysler has inked a deal with internet auction site eBay to sell its certified pre-owned vehicles. GM signed with eBay back in February of this year and eBay announced last month that it was looking to expand its used car section to include more automakers.
The deal will see eBay marketing over 15,000 certified Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles per year.
Chrysler sold over 122,000 certified pre-owned vehicles in 2007, an increase of 5 percent from the year before. And, despite Chrysler’s new vehicle sales being down by about 20 percent, the Michigan-based automaker’s certified pre-owned sales are actually up 8 percent this year, according to Automotive News.
Chrysler ’s certified pre-owned vehicle program consists of vehicles built between 2003 and 2008 with fewer than 65,000 miles on the clock. Once a vehicle is brought up to Chrysler standards, it carries an eight-year, 80,000 mile powertrain warranty.
The used auto market is becoming increasingly important to automakers as the new car market continues to sag. Last year 43 million used vehicles were sold in the U.S., easily trumping the 16.2 million new car sales.
