• Ford, in collaboration with its dealers, launches a used-vehicle digital marketplace that gives customers the best and widest selection of certified pre-owned Ford vehicles and the choice to shop online or in person
• Ford Blue Advantage, powered by industry leader Autotrader, ensures a personalized shopping experience that helps customers find their ideal vehicle faster through filtered search-by-feature level and preference for home delivery, at-home test drive and video walkaround
  
• To increase peace of mind, all vehicles listed on Ford Blue Advantage are inspected by a factory-trained technician and certified by Ford Motor Company under two different levels – Gold Certified or Blue Certified

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 11, 2021 – Ford today officially launches Ford Blue Advantage in collaboration with its dealer network at the NADA Show 2021, which is being conducted virtually this week. The new digital marketplace allows Ford dealers to list and sell certified used vehicles on a single platform, while giving customers greater peace of mind in terms of quality and price, and the choice to shop on their terms – online or in person.

The easy-to-use online website meets customer demand for a seamless shopping experience by providing our best and widest selection of used Ford vehicles available anytime, anywhere, all backed by a Ford warranty. Ford Blue Advantage offers advanced search capabilities that allow users to filter by feature level as well as desire for home delivery, at-home test drive or video walkaround. Research shows that customers spend an average of 10 to 12 hours online shopping for a used vehicle.

“We can now connect the right shopper to the right pre-owned Ford vehicle faster than ever,” said Andrew Frick, vice president, U.S. marketing. “Providing a great digital experience is paramount today, but we know customers still want to touch, smell and feel a vehicle before they buy it. Ford Blue Advantage offers the best of both worlds, enabling customers to shop online or come into a dealership, or a combination of both.”

On FordBlueAdvantage.com, all vehicles are listed with a dealer guaranteed selling price to take the guesswork out of car buying. The site features Kelley Blue Book^® Price Advisor to signify if a vehicle has a Good or Great price. Visitors also have access to the original window sticker.

Ford is teaming up with Cox Automotive’s Autotrader to power its digital platform, leveraging the company’s proprietary relevance algorithm and search technology to provide an intuitive experience for consumers. Autotrader is the most recognized third-party car listings brand, with the most engaged audience of in-market car shoppers, averaging 35 million visits per month.

“At Cox Automotive, we believe that the automotive industry thrives when dealers, consumers and manufacturers are completely connected,” said Jessica Stafford, senior vice president, Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book. “This philosophy drove us to engineer a uniquely integrated platform for Ford dealers to help simplify, streamline and personalize the car-buying experience for consumers and drive more value.”

Ford-backed certification and benefits

All vehicles listed on Ford Blue Advantage come with the peace of mind of inspections from factory-trained technicians as well as additional coverage backed by Ford Motor Company. Participating dealers are now able to certify vehicles under two different levels, Gold Certified and Blue Certified, covering up to 90 percent of their used-vehicle inventory.

Gold Certified vehicles have passed a 172-point inspection and come with a 12-month/12,000-mile (whichever comes first) Comprehensive Limited Warranty[i] and a seven-year/100,000-mile (whichever comes first) Powertrain Limited Warranty. Dealers can certify Ford vehicles up to six years and less than 80,000 miles as Gold Certified.

Blue Certified vehicles – those 10 years or newer with 120,000 miles or less – pass a 139-point inspection and come with 90-day/4,000-mile (whichever comes first) Comprehensive Limited Warrantyi coverage. This all-new certification level allows dealers to certify both Ford and non-Ford vehicles.

Both levels come with 24/7 Roadside Assistance[ii] and complimentary FordPass Rewards Points[iii] customers can use for future service visits at dealerships – 11,000 points for Blue Certified and 22,000 for Gold Certified. 

Additionally, Ford runs a CARFAX^® Vehicle History Report on every Gold and Blue Certified used vehicle to identify any issues that don’t meet the rigorous Ford Blue Advantage standards.

Giving dealers a powerful advantage

Internal data shows from Ford shows that in 2019 there were 3 million used Ford vehicles sold in the U.S., yet Ford dealers sold only slightly more than one-third of them. Ford Blue Advantage aims to give dealers the technology, insights and data to better serve customers while driving more traffic to their used-car listings.  

In developing the new platform, the Ford customer experience team conducted extensive research into the used-vehicle shopping journey, finding areas in which customers were dissatisfied or seeking change. Ford Blue Advantage is designed to address pain points and provide a great value proposition for dealers and customers.

Already, more than half of Ford’s U.S. dealers are signed up, and early results are showing that sales volumes of used cars are growing.

“With Ford Blue Advantage, we have a powerful way to convert clicks into sales and provide customers with the high level of trust and care they expect from the Blue Oval,” said Tim Hovik, owner of San Tan Ford in Gilbert, Arizona. “This has been a true partnership between Ford and dealers from the beginning, all while putting the interests and safety of our customers first.”

[i] See your dealer for warranty coverage details.

[ii] Ford Roadside Assistance is included for certain owners and available to everyone for a per service fee. Ford reserves the right to change program details without obligations.

[iii] Buyers of Ford Blue Advantage vehicles will receive 22,000 Points (Gold Certified) or 11,000 Points (Blue Certified) after enrollment within 60 days of vehicle sale. Modem not required. Visit a participating dealer for details.