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Dealers
40,276 dealers109 metros

Car Dealer Buyer's Guide

Every new and used car dealer in the metros we cover, graded A, B, C or F from what past buyers said. Find a good lot before you find the car.

20,253 of 40,276 dealers have enough public reviews to grade. 22 percent earn an A and 16 percent an F.

At a glance

  • A dealers average 4.8 stars with 4 percent complaints
  • F dealers average 3.4 stars with 37 percent complaints
  • Brand dealers earn an F 2 percent of the time, used lots 19 percent
  • How the grade works
22%Grade A
40%Grade B
22%Grade C
16%Grade F

Pick Your Metro

MetroDealersGradedAF
Akron, OH27215722%17%Albany, NY20111125%15%Albuquerque, NM36015217%12%Allentown, PA21214626%10%Anchorage, AK815621%11%Atlanta, GA58317417%28%Austin, TX31016422%15%Bakersfield, CA1667924%11%Baltimore, MD41321820%11%Baton Rouge, LA2298123%22%Billings, MT965828%12%Birmingham, AL30714327%12%Boise, ID15510539%6%Boston, MA35819822%16%Buffalo, NY24512825%16%Burlington, VT563633%8%Charleston, SC996831%10%Charleston, WV723928%15%Charlotte, NC41724332%13%Chattanooga, TN1708724%17%Cheyenne, WY402512%32%Chicago, IL47325317%19%Cincinnati, OH28316116%24%Cleveland, OH46623019%17%Colorado Springs, CO15211321%14%Columbia, SC27515015%21%Columbus, OH62229822%17%Corpus Christi, TX1306724%21%Dallas, TX1,43858320%17%Dayton, OH25013123%19%Denver, CO74844026%13%Des Moines, IA18811615%16%Detroit, MI53431517%21%Diamond Bar, CA1436020%18%El Paso, TX41817918%19%Fargo, ND111546%17%Fort Lauderdale, FL1,14352023%16%Fort Myers, FL23913530%16%Fort Worth, TX63828425%15%Fresno, CA26512925%13%Grand Rapids, MI19714221%13%Greeley, CO54326%16%Greensboro, NC20712229%15%Greenville, SC29617922%21%Hartford, CT26518821%12%Hemet, CA392223%9%Honolulu, HI1378327%16%Houston, TX1,52565418%21%Indianapolis, IN55234122%21%Jackson, MS1647817%15%Jacksonville, FL53525726%16%Kansas City, MO55026719%16%Knoxville, TN24114331%9%Las Vegas, NV56928424%14%Lexington, KY1489526%19%Little Rock, AR3198420%18%Los Angeles, CA1,10339515%22%Louisville, KY32620117%20%Madison, WI1207729%5%Manchester, NH1439217%13%McAllen, TX53414716%17%Memphis, TN30615014%27%Miami, FL1,03642927%13%Milwaukee, WI29815619%17%Minneapolis, MN34722823%10%Nashville, TN37223421%15%New Orleans, LA29211921%21%New York, NY82436921%15%Newark, NJ91450325%14%Norco, CA1707520%13%Oklahoma City, OK51927919%23%Omaha, NE26615631%13%Orlando, FL1,20455620%16%Palmdale, CA61280%11%Philadelphia, PA61431819%19%Phoenix, AZ98944728%12%Pittsburgh, PA26016018%18%Pomona, CA23810621%10%Portland, ME785639%4%Portland, OR60536926%11%Providence, RI33521022%20%Raleigh, NC32223027%10%Reno, NV1157024%19%Richmond, VA32117930%13%Riverside, CA44915823%13%Rochester, NY25413528%13%Sacramento, CA66629214%18%Salt Lake City, UT61733924%14%San Antonio, TX84242420%19%San Diego, CA60725723%12%San Francisco, CA1989322%12%San Jose, CA35417319%15%Sarasota, FL26813621%9%Seattle, WA30617423%8%Sioux Falls, SD1387434%18%Spokane, WA18110715%19%St. Louis, MO40221019%20%Stockton, CA1426816%13%Syracuse, NY1708527%7%Tampa, FL75237125%14%Temecula, CA884025%5%Toledo, OH19311924%13%Tucson, AZ23314330%13%Tulsa, OK33615317%22%Virginia Beach, VA14510233%13%Washington, D.C.36123422%15%Wichita, KS26713722%17%Wilmington, DE21512121%13%Worcester, MA22411232%11%

What the Grades Show

Dealers

What Makes a Good Car Dealer, According to Past Buyers

We graded 20,253 car dealers in 109 metros from public reviews. See how A dealers differ from F dealers and what it means when you buy.

Read the guide
Dealers

Franchise vs Independent Used Car Dealers Compared

Franchise dealers get an F 2 percent of the time. Independent used lots get one 19 percent of the time. Here is how to shop each kind.

Read the guide
Dealers

The Review Words That Separate Good and Bad Car Dealers

Lemon, scam and check engine light show up in F dealer reviews. No pressure and no hidden fees show up for A dealers. Here is what the words tell you.

Read the guide
Dealers

Why Review Count Matters More Than Star Ratings

A 4.7 from thousands of buyers beats a 5.0 from a dozen. See how F grades fall from 23 to 1 percent as dealer review counts rise.

Read the guide
Dealers

The One Star Share Is the Review Number to Check First

Car dealer reviews are mostly five stars or one star. Only 3.5 percent fall in the middle. Here is why the one star share tells you more.

Read the guide
Dealers

Split Reviews and the Car Dealers Buyers Love and Hate

17 percent of graded dealers have lots of five star reviews and lots of one star reviews too. Here is what a split record means for you.

Read the guide
Dealers

Buy Here Pay Here Dealers and What Their Grades Show

Buy here pay here lots lend you the money themselves. See how 324 graded lots compare to other used lots, and what to check first.

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Dealers

The Best and Worst Cities for Car Dealers

We ranked 98 metros by how their car dealers grade. See the five best and five worst cities, and what a low rank means for you.

Read the guide
Dealers

Car Brands With the Best Rated Dealers

Which brands have the best rated dealerships? We graded franchise stores for 29 brands. See the top five and the lowest five.

Read the guide
Dealers

Luxury vs Mainstream Car Dealers Compared

Luxury car dealers earn an A far more often than mainstream brand stores. See the numbers and what they mean for a used luxury buyer.

Read the guide
Dealers

Signs of a Bad Car Dealer to Watch For

The warning signs of a bad car dealer, from review words to how a lot treats you in person. The biggest one is refusing an inspection.

Read the guide
Dealers

How to Check Out a Car Dealer in Ten Minutes

A quick ten minute routine to check out a car dealer before you visit. Grade, reviews, listing, photos and two questions to ask on the phone.

Read the guide

Every Buyer's Guide article

Found a dealer you trust? Now check the car.

Common questions
What does the grade mean?
It sums up what past buyers said about a dealer in public reviews. A means a long record of happy buyers and very few complaints. F means a heavy share of one and two star reviews. It rates the dealer, not any one car.
Why is there no D?
The numbers behind a D and an F read the same to a buyer. Either way, a large share of past buyers were unhappy enough to leave one or two stars.
Can a dealer pay for a better grade?
No. The grade is worked out the same way for every dealer from its public reviews. Nobody can buy one, and dealers are not charged to be listed.
How often do grades change?
The current grades use public reviews as of September 2026. They move when the reviews do.

Found the car? We check it before you sign.

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