New & Used Car Buying Checklists: From a Former Car Dealer

The car buying checklists we’ve created below are meant to help guide you during your car buying journey. If only buying a car was a simple and easy task … We all know it isn’t. Use the car buying checklist below to make sure you do your due diligence before spending tens of thousands of dollars.

We plan to add more checklists to this page over time. If you have a suggestion for a checklist, please let us know in the comments below. Since you are here, we think you may also be interested in these other free car buying resources:

• Deal School
• Email templates you can use when buying a car online
• Our Out-the-Door Price Calculator

Without further ado, let’s get into the car buying checklists.

Car buying checklist for a used car

Research

• Confirm that the seller is the owner of the vehicle. Make sure the vehicle is titled in their name.
• What is the status of the title? Make sure it isn’t salvaged.
• Ask to review any service records or reconditioning work the vehicle has undergone.
• Get your hands on the CarFax.
• Call your insurance company and ask them to run the VIN to see what history they can pull on the vehicle.
• Get a pre-purchase inspection completed.
• Research the seller’s Better Business Bureau ratings.

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Negotiate

• Understand how car dealerships make money selling used cars.
• Know how car salespeople have been trained to sell you a used car.
• View market conditions for the same year, make, model, and trim.
• Know how long the seller has been trying to sell that vehicle.
• Engage in negotiations towards the end of the month if possible.
• Make sure you are negotiating on the out-the-door price of the vehicle.
• Apply any manufacturer incentives after you have agreed to the selling price of the vehicle.
• Be prepared to walk away if you cannot agree to a price.

Purchase

• Know before you go to the dealership if you plan to finance, lease, or pay cash.
• If financing, secure loan options before going to the dealership.
• Negotiate on products in the Finance & Insurance office (extended warranties, GAP insurance, etc.).
• Review the buyer’s order, and make sure nothing is wrong.
• Enjoy your new car!

Car buying checklist for a new car

Research

• Configure the car you want to purchase on the manufacturer’s website to find similar inventory in your area.
• Go on many test drives.
• Research the dealer’s Better Business Bureau ratings.

Negotiate

• Understand how car dealerships make money selling new cars.
• Know how car salespeople have been trained to sell you a new car.
• View market conditions for the same year, make, model, and trim.
• Know how long the seller has been trying to sell that vehicle.
• Confirm how long the vehicle has been on the dealer’s lot by looking at the VIN plate which contains the vehicle’s date of manufacture.
• Engage in negotiations towards the end of the month if possible.
• Make sure you are negotiating on the out-the-door price of the vehicle.
• Apply any manufacturer incentives after you have agreed to the selling price of the vehicle.
• Ask the dealer how close they are to their manufacturer incentives. Use this as leverage during your negotiations.
• Be prepared to walk away if you cannot agree to a price.

Purchase

• Know before you go to the dealership if you plan to finance, lease, or pay cash.
• If financing, secure loan options before going to the dealership.
• Know and understand the manufacturer’s warranty on the vehicle before contemplating any other extended warranty products.
• Negotiate on products in the Finance & Insurance office (extended warranties, GAP insurance, etc.).
• Review the buyer’s order, and make sure nothing is wrong.
• Enjoy your new car!

Please let us know what other car buying checklists you would like to see in the comments below. We’ll frequently update this page. Thank you!