Tesla launches certified pre-owned vehicle program across the US and Puerto Rico

Tesla has opened a new chapter in its used-car business. The company is now selling Certified Pre-Owned vehicles directly through its online inventory, and the program covers the entire United States and Puerto Rico. For years Tesla sold used cars with a basic inspection and a modest warranty, and it stopped short of calling that setup a real certified program. This launch changes that, and it puts Tesla on more familiar ground with luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, all of which have run structured CPO operations for decades.

What buyers get with a certified Tesla

Every certified pre-owned Tesla now goes through a 115-plus point inspection, carried out by technicians trained inside the company’s own service network. That number is a jump from the roughly 100 to 102 points Tesla used to check under its older process, and it points to a tighter standard for what counts as sale-ready.

Cars that need work get it, and Tesla says the repairs run through its own parts and procedures, the same ones used on new-vehicle builds. Buyers also get a month of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) at no cost, a way to try the system before deciding whether to pay for it later.

On the warranty side, certified vehicles carry a 1-year, 10,000-mile Pre-Owned Vehicle Limited Warranty, and this sits on top of anything left over from the car’s original coverage. The eight-year Battery and Drive Unit Limited Warranty carries over too, with whatever time or mileage remains passed along to the new owner. Each listing includes a battery range estimate, a detail that used-EV shoppers have long asked for, and a full vehicle history report comes standard as well.

Buyers order these cars the same way they’d order a new one, through Tesla’s website, without a dealership lot or a salesperson walking them around a car.

Why Tesla is doing this now

Tesla has a growing pile of used inventory on its hands. Leases signed several years back are ending in batches, and trade-ins have picked up as owners move into newer models. The company has already tried other ways to clear that inventory, including zero-down leasing on certified pre-owned Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in California and Texas earlier this year.

A formal CPO program gives Tesla a cleaner pitch for buyers who want a Tesla but don’t want to pay new-car pricing, and the inspection and warranty terms give those buyers something concrete to point to when they’re deciding. Battery health has always been the biggest question mark for used EV shoppers, and the new range estimate, paired with the wider inspection list, is Tesla’s answer to that concern.

Tesla sells directly, not through franchised dealers, so pricing on certified vehicles has stayed fixed rather than negotiable, and that isn’t expected to change under the new program. Buyers should expect to pay somewhat more than they would for a non-certified used listing, in exchange for the inspection work, the parts, and the warranty backing it.

The free month of FSD (Supervised) works much like trial periods Tesla has offered new-car buyers before, giving certified buyers a no-cost look at the feature with the option to subscribe or buy it outright once the trial ends.

This isn’t the first time Tesla has used certified pre-owned language. Around 2015 to 2017 the company ran something similar, then quietly dropped the branding and sold used cars without calling them “CPO.” What’s different this time is the scope, an expanded 115-point checklist, warranty terms that are spelled out up front, and coverage that now reaches Puerto Rico alongside the mainland US.

Tesla’s used-vehicle supply keeps growing as its overall fleet ages, and this relaunch looks built to last, with a set structure instead of the informal approach the company leaned on before.

Vehicle availability and specific terms can vary by location and model. Buyers should check current warranty details and inventory directly on Tesla’s website before placing an order.