As Is Used Car Sales and What They Mean for You

When a used car is sold as is, the dealer offers no warranty, so repairs after the sale are generally yours to pay, and the Buyers Guide sticker on the window tells you which kind of sale it is.

What As Is Means

An as is sale means the dealer is not promising anything about the car's condition after you buy it. If something breaks on the drive home, the repair is generally your cost.

As is does not mean the car is bad. Many good used cars are sold this way. It means the risk moves to you. That makes what you know before you sign much more important.

The Buyers Guide Sticker

Under the Federal Trade Commission's Used Car Rule, dealers must post a Buyers Guide on the window of each used car they offer for sale. It tells you whether the car is sold as is or with a dealer warranty. If there is a warranty, it tells you what it covers.

The Buyers Guide becomes part of your sales contract. If the contract says something different, the Buyers Guide wins. Ask for a copy and keep it with your papers.

The Buyers Guide also suggests asking to have the car inspected by your own mechanic. That is good advice. The rule applies to dealers. A private seller does not have to post one.

Implied Warranties

Even without a written warranty, state law often gives buyers some basic protection called implied warranties. The main one is that the car should do what a car is supposed to do, which is run and drive.

In many states, a dealer can drop implied warranties by selling the car as is and marking the Buyers Guide that way. In other states, that is limited or not allowed.

There is one federal twist to know. If a dealer sells you a service contract within 90 days of the sale, the dealer generally cannot drop implied warranties. Ask about it if that applies to you.

State Rules Differ

Some states limit or ban as is sales on used cars from dealers, or add protections for certain cars. Some have used car lemon laws. The rules vary a lot, so check your state attorney general or consumer protection office before you buy.

Also know that there is generally no federal right to return a car after you buy it. The three day cooling off rule people talk about does not cover car purchases at a dealer. A few states have their own limited options. Unless a return policy is written into your deal, assume the sale is final.

What As Is Means for Your Inspection

In an as is sale, the time to find problems is before you sign. After that, you have little leverage and may have no remedy at all.

Do your own check first using our guide on how to inspect a used car. Take a real drive using our guide on how to test drive a used car. Ask the questions in our list of questions to ask a used car dealer.

Whatever you find, use it. A problem found before the sale can be fixed by the seller, taken off the price, or be the reason you walk away. The same problem found after an as is sale is usually yours.

Choose the Seller Carefully

When the car carries no warranty, the seller's habits matter more. Look for dealers who allow outside inspections, answer questions plainly, and put promises in writing. You can see how past buyers rated a lot in our dealer directory.

If a salesperson makes a promise about the car, such as a repair they will do after the sale, get it in writing on the Buyers Guide or the contract. A spoken promise is hard to enforce.

Read the Buyers Guide on the car you are buying, not one on a car next to it. Check that the make, model and VIN match. Then make sure the box checked on the sticker matches what you were told. If you were told there is a warranty but the as is box is checked, stop and sort it out before you sign.

Check the Car Before It Becomes Yours

An as is sale is exactly when an independent look pays off. Our used car inspection covers 122 points, a full OBD-II scan with readiness monitors, a road test, and tire and brake measurements, with photos of anything we find. We go to the car, you do not need to be there, and the report comes the same day.

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