DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler plans to begin offering certified used Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep vehicles with eight-year, 80,000-mile warranties to attract customers who can't afford new cars and trucks, according to a Bloomberg News story by Jeff Green.

The used vehicles will be added to existing marketing, warranty and service programs, giving buyers most of the same benefits as new-vehicle customers, said Keith E. Helfrich, the third-largest U.S. automaker's director of used-vehicle sales. The certified vehicles are being introduced now in the northeastern U.S. and will expand nationally by early 2002, according to Helfrich.

Many automakers, including larger U.S. rivals General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., already offer certified used car programs. Chrysler's warranty for used vehicles is longer than General Motors' three-month, 3,000-mile extension and Ford's six-year, 75,000-mile coverage. Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have six-year, 100,000-mile warranties on certified used vehicles.

Certified used vehicles are inspected by dealers and warranted by the automakers to increase the value of the vehicle and attract new customers, according to industry analysts.

For Chrysler, only the 2,500 dealers who are in the group's Five Star program will participate. Dealers will pay $395 to have a vehicle certified, which covers the increased warranty costs, according to Helfrich.

As more vehicles are leased and returned with lower mileage, more people are considering used cars and trucks, Helfrich said.