What is a "program car"?

What is a "program car"?

James Bell (Publisher, Auto Reviewer) gives expert video advice on: What does the term "certified" used car mean?; What are the advantages of buying a certified used car?; What is a "pre-owned vehicle"? and more...

A program car is a vehicle that's been either used by staff at the dealership, or maybe a rental car, or a car used by insurance companies. It's basically a vehicle that has never really been owned and registered by a private owner. It's been owned or used by a company, maybe in a fleet environment, and therefore can be sometimes seen as a good buy when it comes out of the program as a used vehicle. My personal view is that it's probably something to avoid because it's been driven by somebody who's only seen the car as an appliance, a way to get from point A to point B and they haven't probably taken the best care or applied the best maintance schedule to the vehicle. You could possibly have a much bigger risk of running into wear and tear issues down the road with a "program car".