How to Check Out a Car Dealer in Ten Minutes

To check out a car dealer, look up its grade and review count, read its one star reviews, and call to ask for the out the door price and whether an inspection is allowed.

Why Ten Minutes Is Worth It

Most people spend hours picking a car and a few seconds picking the lot. That is backward. The lot decides the price you pay, how honest the ad is, and how the sale goes. Ten minutes of checking can save you a wasted trip or a bad deal.

Here is the routine, step by step. You can do it all from your phone.

Step One, Look Up the Grade

Find the dealer in our directory. Every dealer with 20 or more public reviews has a grade of A, B, C or F. Nationally, 22 percent grade A and 16 percent grade F.

Look at the review count next to the grade. A B with 800 reviews tells you more than an A would with 60. A dealer with no grade just has too few reviews to judge yet. That is not bad, but you will need to lean harder on the other steps. Our guide on why review count matters more than stars explains why.

Step Two, Read the One Star Reviews

Sort the reviews to show the lowest first. Read five or ten. You are looking for a pattern, not one angry buyer.

• Do several people say the car broke down soon after the sale?
• Do they mention a check engine light, a title delay or a bait and switch?
• Are the bad reviews recent, or from years ago?
• Does the dealer reply, and is the reply calm and helpful?

The dates matter. A string of bad reviews in the last few months may point to new owners or new staff. Old complaints with a clean recent record are less worrying.

Step Three, Check the Complaint Share

The complaint share is the part of all reviews that are one or two stars. Graded F dealers average 37 percent. Graded A dealers average 4 percent.

A dealer can have a good star average and still a high complaint share. That means buyers either love it or hate it. Our guide on the one star share shows how to read that number.

Step Four, Look at the Listing Itself

Check whether the listing is claimed. A claimed listing means the business manages its own public profile. In our directory, unclaimed listings grade F 42 percent of the time, versus 13 percent for claimed ones.

Next, see how long the business has used its current name. A lot that changed its name recently may be a fresh start, or it may be leaving old reviews behind. Look at the oldest reviews to get a sense of how long it has been around.

Step Five, Study the Car Photos

Open the actual ad for the car you want. Look for real photos of that car on that lot. Stock photos or only one or two pictures are a warning sign.

• Look at the tires. Mismatched or worn tires can point to skipped care.
• Look for uneven gaps between panels, a sign of past body work.
• Look at the dash photo. Any warning lights on?
• Check that the mileage in the photo matches the ad.

Our post on tires covers what worn tires can tell you.

Step Six, Call and Ask Two Questions

Before you drive over, call. Ask two things.

• What is the out the door price, in writing, by text or email?
• Can I have the car inspected by an outside mechanic before I buy?

While you are on the phone, also ask if the car is still there and if the title is on hand. A car that sold yesterday but is still in the ad is a common way to get you on the lot.

A good lot will answer both without trouble. If they dodge the price or say no to an inspection, you just saved yourself a trip. Our guide on signs of a bad car dealer lists other red flags to watch for.

When the Lot Passes Your Check

If the grade looks good, the reviews are fair, and the lot says yes to an inspection, you are ready to look at the car. Our used car inspection covers 122 points, a full OBD-II scan and a road test, with photos. We come to the lot, and the report comes the same day.

Common Questions

Get the Car Inspected