By Shawn Henry 
General Motors is restructuring how its U.S. dealerships sell used vehicles, moving away from a long-standing certified pre-owned program and pushing dealers onto its newer CarBravo online platform. Beginning in June, Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC dealers will be required to sell used GM vehicles through CarBravo if they want those vehicles to carry factory-backed warranties. The change marks a major shift in how the automaker manages the massive used vehicle market as competition from online sellers continues to grow.
The Detroit-based automaker confirmed it will dissolve its traditional dealer-focused program that allowed retailers to certify and sell used vehicles under GM-backed warranties. Under the new approach, dealers must route those sales through CarBravo, a national online marketplace launched by GM in 2023. The move effectively consolidates GM’s used vehicle ecosystem under a single digital platform designed to compete more directly with online car retailers.
Cadillac dealerships will not be included in the change. GM’s luxury brand will continue operating under the existing certified pre-owned program, maintaining its traditional structure for selling factory-backed used vehicles. For the rest of the company’s brands, however, CarBravo will become the primary system used to list and sell eligible pre-owned vehicles with manufacturer support.
GM executives say the restructuring is intended to increase the number of used vehicles moving through the company’s dealer network. CarBravo allows dealers to list not only GM vehicles but also other brands and older models, expanding the inventory pool well beyond the limitations of traditional certified pre-owned programs. Vehicles as old as 15 years could qualify for warranty-backed sales through the system, significantly expanding the types of vehicles dealerships can sell with factory support.
That represents a major change from GM’s previous structure, which typically limited certified pre-owned coverage to GM vehicles that were no more than five years old. Under the new model, dealers will have the ability to move a much broader mix of inventory through the platform, potentially increasing both used vehicle sales volume and dealership traffic.
The shift comes as the U.S. vehicle market faces a sustained affordability crunch. Vehicle prices have climbed faster than inflation throughout the decade, pushing more buyers toward the used car market. Industry figures show roughly 40 million used vehicles are sold each year in the United States, compared with about 16 million new vehicles sold annually in recent years.
That massive difference in volume makes the used market one of the most important battlegrounds for automakers and dealerships. Used vehicles generate traffic for dealerships and often lead to future new vehicle purchases when buyers return to trade in their cars.
GM’s strategy aims to capture more of that activity inside its dealership network while expanding its digital reach. The CarBravo platform allows shoppers to browse vehicles online, compare options across dealerships, and complete more of the purchase process digitally before visiting a store or arranging delivery.
Industry analysts say the rise of companies such as Carvana has forced traditional automakers and dealerships to rethink how they approach used vehicle sales. Carvana built its business around fully online car purchases and home delivery, bypassing the traditional dealership experience.
Since launching in 2013, Carvana has grown into one of the largest used vehicle sellers in the country. The company reported sales of nearly 597,000 vehicles last year, demonstrating the scale of demand for online vehicle buying. That growth has intensified competition across the industry, forcing established automakers to expand their digital retail strategies.
GM launched CarBravo in 2023 as its answer to that shift. The platform combines dealership inventory from across the company’s retail network into a single national marketplace where buyers can search for vehicles, compare pricing, and complete purchases online.
Although the platform is relatively new, GM reports that CarBravo has already sold approximately 216,000 vehicles since its launch. The company says the service is currently selling vehicles faster than its traditional certified pre-owned programs, even though fewer than one-quarter of GM’s roughly 3,500 U.S. dealerships currently use the platform.
That limited participation is one reason the automaker is now mandating broader adoption. By requiring dealers to use CarBravo for warranty-backed used vehicle sales, GM is effectively ensuring that a much larger portion of its dealer inventory flows through the system.
Dealership operators who have already adopted the platform say it has expanded their reach to buyers outside their traditional markets. Retailers report that listing inventory online through CarBravo allows them to connect with customers who may never have visited their physical showroom.
One dealership owner in upstate New York reported a sharp increase in used vehicle sales after adopting the platform. Over the past two years, the dealership’s pre-owned sales climbed by more than 50 percent after integrating the online marketplace into its operations.
The shift highlights how quickly the used vehicle business is evolving. Dealerships that once relied primarily on local walk-in traffic now operate in a national digital marketplace where buyers can search thousands of vehicles across multiple states within minutes.
For GM, consolidating its used vehicle strategy under CarBravo allows the company to compete directly with online-first retailers while still using its dealership network as the backbone of the system. Dealers remain responsible for vehicle preparation, inventory management, and customer delivery, but the digital storefront increasingly drives the sales process.
The move also positions GM to handle a wider range of vehicles flowing through its stores. By allowing older vehicles and non-GM models to qualify for warranty-backed sales under the platform, dealerships gain new ways to market inventory that previously fell outside certified programs.
The restructuring is scheduled to take effect in June, when Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC dealers must begin using CarBravo to offer factory-backed warranties on used GM vehicles. Cadillac dealers will continue operating under the existing certified pre-owned structure.
As the transition unfolds, GM dealerships across the country are preparing to shift their used vehicle operations onto the platform. The broader rollout will determine how effectively the automaker can scale the system and compete in a used car market that continues to grow larger and more competitive each year.
Source
Eve Nowell