Cars.com Expands Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle Program With Nissan Partnership

CHICAGO, June 23 -- Cars.com announced today a partnership with Nissan North America Inc. to advertise the manufacturer's certified pre-owned vehicles. All Nissan factory-certified cars available at Nissan dealers nationwide are now accessible on the automotive shopping site.

"Working with Cars.com raises the visibility of our dealers' inventory and connects them with serious, ready-to-buy shoppers," said Neal Zirkle, Nissan senior manager of CPO and pre-owned vehicles. "Promoting these listings online also allows us to demonstrate the quality of our vehicles and the benefits of our certified program."

"Innovative automakers such as Nissan understand the value of collaborating with their dealers to reach in-market customers," said Dennis Galbraith, Cars.com vice president of advertising products and dealer training. "Through this initiative, Nissan can leverage the objective reviews and comprehensive shopping tools Cars.com offers to help buyers make informed purchase decisions."

With the addition of Nissan, Cars.com's certified pre-owned partnership network includes 25 brands. The program's growth coincides with increasing consumer awareness of factory-certified vehicles and interest in them. A recent Cars.com survey of site visitors found that consideration of CPO vehicles has grown more than 50 percent from 2008. Among in-market CPO shoppers, 40 percent attributed their interest to economic conditions.

"Amid the current uncertainty, consumers want to make the most responsible choice," Galbraith said. "Buying certified allows them to get the lower price and warranty protection they need without compromising on the vehicle and the features they want."

By partnering with Cars.com, automakers receive additional prominence for their certified inventory. Nissan's CPO vehicles will be distinguished by a manufacturer-certified logo to help in-market shoppers identify them on search results pages. Consumers researching these cars on Cars.com can learn about purchasing a certified vehicle, access more details about specific certification programs and contact local dealers.