Certified Pre-Owned Fords in Ruston, LA

A certified pre-owned Ford is a used Ford that has passed a Ford-specified inspection at a Ford dealership and left with a Ford-backed warranty. That is the whole idea. Everything else on this page is the detail behind those two things, because the detail is where certified programs are either worth the money or not.

Ford runs its program under the name Ford Blue Advantage, and it has three tiers: Gold Certified, Blue Certified and EV Certified. They are not three levels of the same thing. Gold carries a separate seven-year powertrain warranty. Blue does not. Buyers around Lincoln Parish who assume “certified is certified” sometimes find that out after the sale, and I would rather you find it out here.

This page explains each tier in plain terms, how certification is done at our store on N Service Rd E in Ruston, and how a certified Ford compares with a regular used vehicle backed by our own Jim Taylor Assurance Warranty.

Ford Blue Advantage at a glance

Here are the three tiers side by side. Every figure below comes from Ford’s published program terms, and the two that trip people up most are in the powertrain row.

Certified inventory changes weekly, and some weeks a Gold or Blue Certified Ford is not on the lot at all. When one is, it is listed with the certified badge in our certified pre-owned inventory. When one is not, tell us what you are looking for and we will watch trade-ins and auction purchases for a truck that qualifies. The full program description is on our Ford Blue Advantage page.

What does “certified pre-owned Ford” actually mean?

It means the vehicle met Ford’s age and mileage limits, passed Ford’s inspection at a Ford dealership, and is sold with a Ford Motor Company limited warranty that any Ford dealer in the country will honor. A used Ford that has simply been “inspected” by a lot or a website is not certified, no matter how thorough the inspection was.

The distinction matters because of who stands behind the promise. If you buy a Gold Certified Explorer from us in Ruston and the transmission acts up two years later while you are visiting family in Texas, the Ford dealer there fixes it under the same powertrain warranty, and you pay the $100 deductible, not the repair bill. A dealer-only or third-party warranty may or may not work that way, and the fine print decides.

Certification also sets a floor on condition. A truck cannot pass the Gold inspection with a bent frame, a slipping transmission, a check-engine light, worn-out tires or a title problem. Whatever it needed to pass, the selling dealer had to fix before the badge went on, and that reconditioning is a big part of why a certified Ford costs more than the same truck sold as-is.

How does certification work at Jim Taylor Ford in Ruston?

A vehicle becomes certified in our own service department on N Service Rd E, not somewhere else. It starts with a trade-in or a purchased vehicle that fits the age and mileage window, and it ends with a Ford-trained technician signing off on the inspection sheet.

The order is roughly this. First, we pull the CARFAX and the vehicle’s warranty and recall history. A vehicle with a branded title or reported frame damage does not go further. Second, the truck goes on a lift for the tier-appropriate inspection: 172 points for Gold, 139 for Blue, 127 for EV Certified. That covers the frame and underbody, engine and transmission, four-wheel-drive engagement where fitted, brakes, tires, suspension, steering, electrical, every interior control, body and paint, and a road test. Third, anything that fails is repaired or replaced with the right parts. Only then does the vehicle get its Ford Blue Advantage paperwork and its spot in the certified inventory.

Not every good used Ford on our lot goes through this. A well-kept truck that is seven years old or has 90,000 miles on it can be an excellent buy, but it is outside the Gold window, so it is sold either as Blue Certified if it qualifies or as a regular used vehicle with our Jim Taylor Assurance Warranty. For the step-by-step version of what our technicians look at, the certification process page walks through it.

What is the difference between Gold Certified and Blue Certified?

Gold Certified is the full program: Ford vehicles only, a 172-point inspection, a 12-month/12,000-mile comprehensive warranty and a separate 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Blue Certified is a lighter program for older or higher-mileage vehicles, including non-Ford makes: a 139-point inspection and a 90-day/4,000-mile comprehensive warranty, with no separate powertrain warranty behind it.

That last sentence is the one to remember. On a Blue Certified vehicle, the engine and transmission are covered for the same 90 days and 4,000 miles as the power windows. When that window closes, Ford’s coverage is done. On a Gold Certified vehicle, the powertrain coverage runs to seven years from the date the truck was first put into service or 100,000 miles on the odometer, whichever comes first. For a 2022 F-150 you buy in 2026 with 45,000 miles, that is roughly three more years or 55,000 more miles of engine, transmission and drive axle coverage, all for a $100 deductible per visit.

The two tiers also start their comprehensive coverage differently. Gold’s 12-month/12,000-mile coverage does not begin until the factory 3-year/36,000-mile warranty runs out, so a two-year-old truck with 20,000 miles still has a year of factory coverage before the certified year even starts. Blue’s 90-day coverage starts the day you buy.

Neither tier is a bad deal. Blue Certified exists so that a nine-year-old Escape with 130,000 miles can still be inspected to a Ford standard and sold with something behind it. Just price the two honestly. The warranty deep dive goes through coverage start dates, the deductible and roadside terms line by line.

What does EV Certified cover?

EV Certified is Ford Blue Advantage for fully electric Fords such as the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. It uses the same six-year, 80,000-mile eligibility window as Gold, a 127-point inspection written for electric vehicles, a 12-month/12,000-mile comprehensive warranty, and an 8-year/100,000-mile BaseCARE EV Limited Warranty in place of the gas powertrain warranty.

The inspection count is lower than Gold’s because there is less to inspect. An electric Ford has no engine oil, exhaust or belts, so those checks disappear and battery health checks take their place. The BaseCARE coverage is the part that matters most to a used-EV buyer, because the high-voltage battery and electric drive unit are the expensive components on the vehicle.

Electric Fords are still uncommon on used lots in North Louisiana, and an EV Certified vehicle on ours will be the exception rather than the rule. If you are interested in one, tell us and we will let you know when one that qualifies comes in. EV Certified vehicles earn the same 22,000 Ford Rewards points as Gold and are transferable to the next owner, just like Gold and Blue.

Certified Ford or regular used vehicle: which is right for you?

A certified Ford gives you Ford’s inspection standard and Ford’s warranty. A regular used vehicle at Jim Taylor Ford gives you our own inspection and, on eligible vehicles, the Jim Taylor Assurance Warranty, a dealer-backed 3-month/3,000-mile limited powertrain warranty. Certified is broader and longer. Regular used is less expensive and includes vehicles that could never be certified, such as a well-loved truck with 150,000 miles or a make we do not sell new.

One thing we will not do is tell you the Assurance Warranty adds to or extends Ford’s coverage. It does not work that way. Each used vehicle comes with the coverage that applies to it, and the honest question on any specific truck is “which warranty comes with this one?” The Jim Taylor Assurance Warranty page has the full terms, and the used-vehicle warranty guide lays out every layer of coverage you might see on our lot.

Is a certified pre-owned Ford worth the extra cost?

For most buyers keeping the vehicle more than a couple of years, a Gold Certified Ford is worth the premium, because the 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty covers exactly the repairs that would otherwise cost the most. For a buyer who trades every two years or who is comfortable self-insuring against a big repair, a regular used vehicle at a lower price can be the smarter money.

Think about how you actually use a vehicle here. A Choudrant family running to Monroe and back several times a week, a timber contractor working the parish roads out toward Dubach, a couple who tows a boat to Lake D’Arbonne most weekends in summer heat. Those are a lot of miles in a lot of heat, and a transmission or turbocharger repair on a modern truck is not a small bill. Knowing that repair is a $100 deductible for the next several years changes the math.

Where certified is not worth it: paying a Gold premium for a truck that only has a few months of powertrain coverage left because it is already close to seven years old or 100,000 miles. The warranty runs from the original in-service date, not from your purchase, so always ask how much coverage is actually left on the specific vehicle. The certified pre-owned FAQ page covers more of the questions we hear at the desk.

Go deeper: certified pre-owned guides

Deep Dive

Ford Blue Advantage Warranty Explained: Gold Certified vs. Blue Certified

When coverage starts, what “from the original in-service date” means for a 2022 truck bought in 2026, the $100 deductible, roadside terms and Ford Rewards points.

Read the Full Guide

Deep Dive

Buying a Certified Used Ford in Ruston vs. Carvana or CarMax

A fair look at test drives versus return windows, warranties and inspections, and what it means when the nearest store that must honor your warranty is 70 miles away instead of ten minutes.

Read the Full Guide

Deep Dive

Certified Pre-Owned F-150: What to Look For Before You Buy

Which model years fit the Gold window, what the 172-point inspection means on a truck, a used-buyer trim and engine guide, and the questions to ask before you sign.

Read the Full Guide

Deep Dive

Which Warranty Comes With a Used Vehicle at Jim Taylor Ford?

Remaining factory warranty, Gold and Blue Certified coverage, the Jim Taylor Assurance Warranty and optional Ford Protect plans, explained layer by layer.

Read the Full Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Ford Blue Advantage terms are set by Ford Motor Company and summarized here from Ford’s published program details; coverage applies as written in the vehicle’s warranty documents. Ask which coverage applies to the specific vehicle you are considering.