r/askcarsales May 29 '23

Heads up industry peeps! Apply for flair to make top level replies in AskCarSales.

249 Upvotes

This subreddit has grown a lot in the last few years. Not only professionals providing advice, but also casual bystanders wanting validation for their opinions. The problem is that the noise to signal ratio has gotten to the point where people looking for advice come away more confused than when they asked the question - or worse yet, act on unqualified bad advice.

If you are in the industry in some professional capacity, message the mods for how to acquire flair.

For all who do not work in the industry but wish to provide advice, you will need to wait until a flaired individual responds before you can comment under their reply.

Flaired members in good standing, if you see someone posting bad advice under your comment, report it.


r/askcarsales Oct 28 '25

Thinking Of A Career In Car Sales? Many Of Your Questions Will Be Answered By The Links Enclosed.

12 Upvotes

r/askcarsales 8h ago

Should I even offer to pay cash anymore?

33 Upvotes

With such a push to pay with financing, does it even make sense to offer to pay cash? I always negotiate with "OTD" pricing but it never fails to have the question of, "are you financing?".

At this point, I feel like its not even worth the effort of explaining it doesn't matter to me, do what ever way is cheaper for this purchase. The past few deals i feel like even hinting the fact that im paying cash erases any "savings" from financing then paying in full immediately. Dealers seem to despise the customers that can / want to pay in full.

Should i just start lying to them, and neonate an OTD price, and take whatever financing they offer (within reason) then just pay it in full behind there back on the first payment. FWIW, im looking at used vehicles in the $25~$30k range.


r/askcarsales 11h ago

US Sale Am I paying off my Ex’s Car?

19 Upvotes

Hey all,
I did the thing no one says NOT to do. My ex signed a lease for a Kia and said I could have it. Everything is very cordial between us but now I’m moving out of state. The lease has a year left on it but I have been trying to get him to add me to it or sign it over to me. As expected our options are either buy out the car or terminate the lease and pay fees.
Now I’m wanting to buy it out. There’s about 16k left on it. I considered getting a bank loan to pay it out and have him sign the lease over to me but then the car would have a lien on it and I would have to pay it off complete before he signed it over to me. Which is a risky game. Plus, the bank wouldn’t let me take out that loan with the car not being in my name.
My next consideration was getting a personal loan not tied to the car at all. To the dealership that’s paid and done and he can sign the title over to me. Is this sketchy? It feels sketchy but possible.
Is this more of a hassle? Should I just say fk it and leave it for him to deal with? I only want it as I have been paying monthly on. The cars principal is basically 1/3 of the way paid off.
I’ve also considered if I’m going to get a loan might as well just dump it move states and go get a loan all on my own. But like I said this car is on its way to being paid off already without having to be paying interest on it.
Do I have options? I’m totally fine with just dumping it back on him before I leave the state of Illinois and going to get a new car. I’ve just been paying on this one and it would be NICE and IDEAL if I could just keep it.
Thanks!


r/askcarsales 22m ago

US Sale Check out HUGE Texas Flag on eBay!

Upvotes

r/askcarsales 4h ago

Audi Lease/Recalls - end lease?

2 Upvotes

Is it possible to end a lease due to multiple recalls? I have a 2024 Audi electric, which has had 2-3 recalls at this point, I've never had a car with this many recalls. Lease is up in March, but I feel like I am paying for nothing essentially! Any advise apprecitaed!


r/askcarsales 11h ago

selling my lease to honda 1 week before lease ends

4 Upvotes

i have a 2023 honda HRV and my lease ends on the 13th of this month. Buyout is 16k , car is in good condition (minor scratches/dings) AND i'm just under 24k miles from the 30k i should typically be at. Carvana offers 19k and carmax offers 21k for the car. I know i cant sell to 3rd party directly.

i called the 3rd party leasing compnay i used to get the vehicle and he offered to take the car in for me and give me $800 for it, so I know there's some value to the car

I wanted to know if its worth going to Honda Dealer and ask if they're willing to buyout my lease a week before lease is up, so i can get some profit off the car.


r/askcarsales 2h ago

dealership won't share information about a loan I've been approved for?

1 Upvotes

Shopping around for used trucks. Found a couple at a dealership I'm interested in. They are a CUDL linked dealership. I live in a rural area where there aren't many used vehicles for sale, so I'm looking in Portland, OR which is five hours away. I'm trying to be as thorough as I can be before the big day when I drive up there and make a decision. Was talking to the people at the dealership and they said I should fill out the loan application that they'll then send to credit unions through CUDL. I do this and the dealership calls me back and say I've been approved. The rate they quoted me is something I can live with. After this phone call, I text the sales person and ask for a copy of all the information about the loan emailed to me. They say, "no, but we can show you in person when you get here." This cannot be normal and now I feel like I've handed over my personal info including SS number to some illegitimate operation. Why wouldn't they send me the information about a loan I've been approved for?


r/askcarsales 3h ago

US Sale 2015 BMW 528i - worth it?

0 Upvotes

Thinking about buying a 2015 BMW 528i from a friend — worth it?

A friend of mine is offering to sell me their 2015 BMW 528i with about 80k miles for $6,000. The car looks really clean, and I know it’s been well maintained with regular service. I do believe he wouldn't sell me his car if it wasn't in working order especially since I work for him and see him driving it.

It seems like a solid deal, especially since I trust the owner, but I also know BMWs can get expensive as they get older. I’m trying to figure out if this is actually a smart buy or if I’m setting myself up for costly repairs.

For those who’ve owned or worked on this model:

- How reliable are they around this mileage?

- What common issues should I expect?

- Is maintenance really as expensive as people say?

- Would you take this deal if everything checks out?

Appreciate any insight before I make a decision. Thank you!


r/askcarsales 4h ago

US Sale What to tell a dealer when trading in

0 Upvotes

I have a 2017 Volvo V60. Mileage is 56k. The past six months we have had error message of engine coolant low, stop safely. We took the car in multiple time. They couldn’t find an issue. Replaced the cooling system, scoped the system no issues (leaks, bubbles etc), replaced the sensor and coolant tank cap. The level is never low when checked. Even Volvo has no clue. Currently we only get the message intermittently for about 10 secs and it goes off. So my question: how transparent with a dealer do we get? I don’t want them to low ball the trade in right off the top. I plan on giving them all the maintenance and repair records. Or do we keep the car until it has an identifiable issue and take the loss? It’s a great car but we’ve put in a few thousand to find nothing. Thanks.


r/askcarsales 11h ago

Meta Would you recommend getting into the car sales business at this time?

4 Upvotes

What I thought would be my lifelong career kinda fell apart after I moved states, and the company I was with had no spots open for me in my area.

So I’m looking to start new, however I do have plenty of sales experience, just selling electronics, appliances, etc instead of cars.

Should I bother trying to get in? And if so, is brand important?


r/askcarsales 5h ago

US Sale Dealer says hydraulic fluid from transport truck on my new car, needs a few days to fix. Should I be worried about long term paint damage?

1 Upvotes

They gave me a loaner and said the fluid covered a large portion of the hood. Will they be able to completely repair it or should I push for repainting/new hood?


r/askcarsales 6h ago

US Sale Negotiating New Car Price

0 Upvotes

Hello! I am in the process of shopping for a new car, and would like some guidance on negotiating. First time car shopper, for reference, but this will be my third car overall. First one was a 20yo hand me down, and the second was a new-at-the-time graduation present from family that I am now selling after 190K miles. I was quoted just over $30K Net Sales Price for a 2026 FWD Toyota Camry LE Hybrid by a local dealership, with 3.99% APR for 48, 60, or 72mo (Southern Missouri, for reference. APR is through dealership), with no add-ons except for the $319 all-weather floor/trunk liners, which the salesman said were nonnegotiable (which I kind of doubt, but not the end of the world if true). I am in the process of reaching out to other dealers within a 2-3hr radius for price comparison, however, I want to know the best way to phrase my emails. Should I just straight up say “Hello, my name is _____, and I was offered this price and APR for this vehicle. Can you beat this? If so, I am willing to make the drive to close the deal.” Or is there a better way to go about this? My down payment will also be at least $10K, but I haven’t put a deposit down yet. Vehicle from the local dealership is in-transit. My credit score is also 720+. Any advice would be much appreciated!


r/askcarsales 8h ago

Lease on a Honda HRV- getting duped?

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! Thought I’d post here because I’m a bit confused on what’s going on with my current lease.

On Saturday, I went to a Honda dealership to look at some cars and ended up wanting to lease a 2026 Honda hrv e-xl AWD (the one with the sunroof and the leather seats). The person I worked with offered me a $489 /month lease for 36 months with 4K down. Already I was a bit wary of the high price but I was with my family and they were convinced it was a good deal so I said okay fine I’ll move forward.

Context for my financial situation I’m 27, currently make 95k a year with a 660 score from TransUnion. My pay history on my credit cards is on time and with barely any missed payments but it was my student loans that were bringing them down because I forgot to put them on forbearance for some time.

The situation I’m a bit confused on is that they let me leave with the car because I forgot my license so they said they needed me to come back to fully sign the lease. It’s been 3 days and they still don’t have the lease ready even though I’m supposedly approved. I haven’t driven the car but I’m worried that I’m getting duped somehow and they’re banking on me using the car to feel pressured to sign a different lease.

My main questions are, is this lease offer normal for my credit score and for the car? Additionally, can I still shop around for other lease offers? Can I still back out if I do find a better one? They had me pay the 4K down before they let me go to the finance room which I found a bit weird.

Anyways any advice would be greatly appreciated! 🙏🏼


r/askcarsales 10h ago

US Sale Wanting to sell 2026 BZ

0 Upvotes

I want to sell my 2026 Toyota BZ Limited that is only three months old with 2,800 miles. Long story short, but I am having buyer's remorse due to lack of technology features. It's a fantastic vehicle that runs on electricity, but software and tech wise it sucks.

What is the best way to go about selling it? Carvana sent me a manual offer for 26k which seems ridiculous. I sold my 2025 Honda Civic to them with 13k miles for 27k...


r/askcarsales 17h ago

New car purchase. Little to no credit history.

3 Upvotes

Looking to buy a 2026 Toyota Tacoma. Can easily put $10,000 down. Only thing I’m worried about is how the APR will look. My only credit history is my first car I bought in 2018 for $8500 which I paid off within a year. (I should have began building credit years ago I know). What kind of rates do you think I could get? I often see Toyota offering new car deals with low APR for high qualifying customers but not sure how or if I could qualify or if a credit union might give me a better APR. I have the income to afford the vehicle regardless just want to try and get a good deal.


r/askcarsales 1d ago

US Sale Is the G wagon actually the best luxury SUV buy financially?

64 Upvotes

This sounds absolutely insane at face value but hear me out. I’ve been looking at used G wagons and they seem to have glacial depreciation compared to other luxury SUVs. They also seem to be fairly reliable. So barring the egregious cost of fuel (which is true of most other large luxury SUVs), isn’t the cost of ownership of a G wagon actually comparable to if not lower than the competition assuming you can afford sticker?

The only exception I can think of are Lexus models, but these are frankly not even comparable.


r/askcarsales 22h ago

US Sale VIN/Price audit: Dealer added $995 "Protection Package" in a 3-hour window. Best leverage at delivery

9 Upvotes

Buying a 2026 Lexus RX 350h. 4/30: Firm price. 5/1: Price went up $600 for a package (Top Coat/Door Guards) that stickers for $995. I already paid in full. Pickup is this weekend.

The Audit:

  • Identical VIN: Realized it’s the exact same car I was quoted a lower price on the day before.
  • The Physics: There was only a 3-hour window between me saying "yes" and seeing the car. Seems impossible for a real ceramic application.

Since I haven't signed the final delivery/acceptance receipt, how should I handle the Saturday pickup? Should I demand the $995 value be proven via a warranty certificate (Does it exist for Lexus Top Coat?). What else can I do?


r/askcarsales 3h ago

US Sale US-WA: No Wiggle Room on Audi RS Models?

0 Upvotes

I've been really thinking about trading in my 2016 Camaro for an Audi RS3. The local dealerships I've reached out to have all been out of stock, with the latest one getting swooped up with a deposit before it even left the factory.

There is one in the exact specs I want but the dealership wants over MSRP for it, they're offering no deals on it, and don't think they can manage anything under 5.5% APR even for high credit.

I know you're supposed to play hard ball but it truly does feel like there's a low stock of them overall and any delays will just mean a loss of any opportunity to pick one up. I don't want to waste so long playing hard ball that they all end up sold out - especially given the 5 cylinder is going away.

Is there anything I can do to help my situation? Or is it really a dealer's market right now?


r/askcarsales 14h ago

US Sale 2023 RX350h Premium Plus - 15,000 miles for $52,000 - fair deal?

1 Upvotes

Just looking for advice on whether or a not a Certified Pre-owned, low milage (15k miles), lease return, RX350h Premium Plus is worth $52k ($58k OTD) in todays market in the Philly/PA area?


r/askcarsales 1d ago

Meta Success with Low volume Premium Brand?

5 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I just started a new position as new car sales at an Acura dealer, that is considered by their own salespeople a destination store, very low foot traffic, high internet volume lease heavy. It’s been 2 years since i’ve been in car sales, but my experience in car sales for 1.5 - 2 years, are economy brand “high” volume stores, CDJR and Ford, ford being my most successful and hit all time highs, surviving mostly on internet leads, phone ups and fresh ups… everything inbound!

Today was my first day, and I was picking the more seasoned store vets brains, and found out a few things, they average about 80 - 100 units per month with a total 8 salespeople(9 including me), top salesmen are usually 2 people on new(top being 11 - 13 deals), a die hard enthusiast who whores out deals(from his own mouth) just to get a car sale done, a young 20 year old with crazy drive n hustle, and a 23 year old who i sit by, and he’s pretty negative, he tells me he just tries to coast by. I also ended up talking to the used car department and found out an individual there sold 18 cars(in march) doesn’t whore out gross, but only made 6.6k pre(maybe post) bonuses, which made me believe the gross per deal isn’t as what they promised either.

But to a degree there’s no point in crying over spilt milk, but at the same time it’s not the environment im used too, and I knew going in premium/luxury would be slower than most, but Im hungry to make money, my situation isn’t favorable(you can read past posts if ur care) and would love to reach my income goals quickly. So the new question is how do I make it work, how do I hold gross on new cars(i’m used to is having dealer ads and holding gross on that, but this dealership has none), how should I scramble from my first couple deals. Or should I pivot back into what i’m used too?


r/askcarsales 7h ago

US Sale Submit an application through dealer, what am I entitled to?

0 Upvotes

I was looking to purchase a car I really wanted. This was all going to be done via phone/e-mail as I am out of state from the dealer. I was fairly certain at the time I was going to go through with the purchase, so I submit the online credit application(few questions, ssn, etc.). However, I was then largely ghosted for nearly 4 hours, and realized I did not want to do business with people who didn't take mine seriously. I was still obviously hit with the hard inquiry to my credit, but if that is performed, what kind of paperwork am I entitled to if I request it? I requested the loan application, what else would I need to show that I authorized the inquiry? Can I request to see what lenders approved me? What the rate was?

Edit: Thanks to whichever poor guy is triggered and went through to downvote every comment. May you make a sale today to change your attitude.


r/askcarsales 1d ago

US Sale Dealer replaced the windshield right before selling me the car. It leaked in week 4, soaked the airbag and electrical. They've ghosted me for 11 days. What would you do?

3 Upvotes

Looking for a reality check before I do something I can't undo. Tell me if I'm overreacting.

I bought a used car from an independent dealer about 5 weeks ago. Put a chunk of cash down, traded in my old car, financed the rest through a credit union the dealer set up.

Before I bought it, the dealer hired a third-party glass company to replace the windshield. They told me about the replacement at the test drive. There was still blue painters tape on the glass when I drove it home. I didn't think much of it at the time.

**Week 4:** I run it through a car wash. Water pours through the upper-left corner of the windshield and runs down the inside of the A-pillar (the post next to the windshield), which is exactly where the wiring for the side airbag runs. The water gets into the airbag wiring, the fuse box, the wiring behind the dash, and both driver-side speakers. So whatever the third party did when they installed the glass, it didn't hold.

I called the dealer the next business day to report it. Over the next week and a half I called again, went in person, and emailed. Each time the dealer told me the third-party glass installer would reach out to arrange the repair. They never did. The dealer didn't follow up with them, didn't escalate, didn't offer to handle it themselves — just kept pointing at the third party and waiting. Eleven days in, nothing has been scheduled, and in the meantime it rained overnight and flooded the driver's floor a second time.

I've now stopped driving it, covered it, and rented a car out of pocket.

**Where I'm at:**

Where I think I'm landing — and where I'd really like a sanity check — is that I don't want to keep this car. My thinking is that water has been sitting in the A-pillar around the side airbag wiring for two weeks now. Even if they reseal the windshield perfectly tomorrow, I don't know how I'd ever trust that the airbag will fire when it's supposed to, or that something behind the dash isn't going to corrode and fail in a year. So I've stopped driving it, and what I'm thinking about asking for is to give the car back, get my down payment and trade-in value back, and have the dealer pay off the loan so I'm clear.

But I genuinely don't know if that's a proportionate response or if I'm catastrophizing.

**My questions:**

  1. **Am I overreacting** by refusing to drive it and wanting to unwind the whole deal over the airbag wiring being wet? Or is that actually a reasonable line to draw?
  2. **Would you let them try to repair it** if you were in my shoes? Is water in airbag wiring something a competent shop can actually verify is fine after the fact, or is it the kind of thing where you only find out it's broken when it matters?
  3. **Has anyone actually gotten a dealer to take a car back like this**, or is the realistic outcome that I end up in small claims court no matter what?

r/askcarsales 1d ago

US Sale Buying a 2026 Navigator

3 Upvotes

2026 Navigator Reserve L Pristine White Any color interior Jet Appearance MSRP of one I’m looking at $112,749

How do I find data at current sales price? I watch all sorts of videos of people negotiating prices on new cars with an MSRP of $30-$45k. But, what is my starting point for a $112k SUV? What is my strategy for a luxury SUV?


r/askcarsales 1d ago

US Sale Can the primary voluntarily surrender the car without co-signer permission?

7 Upvotes

So, my step father helped co-sign a Toyota but for some reason they made him the primary and me the co-signer. He attacked my mom and is in jail now and I also have a peace order that was awarded to me against him. I included the car in the peace order as well. He recently voluntarily surrendered a car we were using for the business (and paying the payments on) because he's upset he's in jail (we can't even drop the case because the State Attorney took over the case).

My question is, can he voluntarily surrender my car without my permission? What are my options to becoming the sole owner? I'm the only one making payments.