Big Valley Auto Auction Blog

What Does A Green Light Mean At An Auto Auction?

Written by Victor H. | Dec 29, 2023 3:25:31 PM

Have you ever had a Hot-N-Ready pizza from Little Caesars? It’s a pizza that is freshly made and kept warm for customers to buy on the spot. This is similar to green light vehicles being sold at an auto auction.

 

While Big Valley Auto Auction doesn’t sell Hot-N-Ready pizzas to dealers, we do auction off vehicles that are ready to drive off the lot. These vehicles are labeled “green light” and have been sold under Big Valley’s light system since 2008.

 

In this article, you’re going to learn what a green light vehicle is, what services they qualify for, the benefits they bring to buyers and sellers, and what disqualifies a vehicle from being a green light.

 

After reading this article, you’ll have the information needed to understand what a green light vehicle is at Big Valley Auto Auction.

 

What Does A Green Light Mean?

A green light signifies that a vehicle has a “Ride and Drive” guarantee. This means that a vehicle is being sold free of any known mechanical defects to components, such as the drivetrain, engine, transmission, and rear end.

 

What is An Example of A Green Light Vehicle?

There are 2 factors that determine whether a vehicle is a green light:

  • Less than 100k miles
  • Less than 10 years old

An example of a green light vehicle is a 2022 GMC Yukon Denali. At this time (2024) the vehicle is less than 10 years old.

 

What Services Do Green Light Vehicles Qualify For?

  • Frame check 
  • Pre sale inspection 
  • Post sale inspection

Buyers can request or verify the green light status of a vehicle before making a purchase if the vehicle meets the age and mileage criteria. 

 

However, this doesn’t mean the whole car is covered by an inspection. Big Valley Auto Auction can’t properly diagnose Advanced Driver Assistance systems (ADAS) so there is no way to know it works properly unless there is a warning light on, telling us it’s not working.

 

Can  You File an Arbitration For a Green Light Vehicle?

Yes, green light vehicles are eligible for arbitration.

 

What Are the Benefits of a Green Light Vehicle?

Green light vehicles offer benefits to both buyers and sellers.

 

Buyers

For buyers, green light vehicles have less issues to worry about.

 

Sellers

For sellers, green light vehicles generally bring more money because the buyer is more confident in the vehicle they are buying.

 

What Disqualifies a Vehicle From Being Green Light?

The following factors prevent a vehicle from running under a green light:

  • Deployed airbags
  • Bad transmission 
  • Engine noise

 

Do I Understand What a Green Light Vehicle Is?

The light system at an auto auction can be confusing if you’re new to auto auctions. However, using this article as a guide can help you prepare for your next visit to Big Valley Auto Auction.

 

Whether this is your first auto auction or you’ve been to an auction but never knew what the light system was, you can use this article to guide you through your next auction day.

 

Now that you know what a green light vehicle is, you can learn what the other lights mean at an auto auction.