IRVINE, Calif. -

Kia Motors America has now gone 16 straight months of certified pre-owned sales records, the company said Wednesday.

Kia moved 7,008 CPO units last month, which beat year-ago figures by 10.2 percent and was its best May ever, according to Autodata Corp. 

Through five months of the year, there have been 33,414 Kia certified sales, good for a 13.2-percent increase.

“Certified pre-owned programs offer new-car like peace of mind to a wider spectrum of vehicle shoppers,” Karl Brauer — who is executive publisher of Autotrader, Dealer.com and Kelley Blue Book — said in a news release.

“While nearly every manufacturer has increased its CPO coverage in recent years, Kia’s program is clearly resonating with buyers who recognize the brand’s superb value equation,” he said.

Kia sold 76,224 certified vehicles in 2016, its best-ever sum, according to Autodata.

Maria Williams, Kia's senior CPO retail support manager, said earlier this year that Kia's certified sales have climbed each year since the program was launched in 2008, and the program is targeting another growth year in 2017.

As for May, the Kia models generating the most CPO sales were the Optima and (1,657) and Sorento (1,486), according to the automaker.