How to read reports, spot fraud, negotiate with leverage, and avoid the lemons. Written by dealers, investigators, and lawyers — not marketers.
Sales tax on a used car depends on who sold it, where you register it, and whether you traded something in. Here's how dealer vs private-party tax works, which states shrink the trade-in credit, what no-sales-tax states still charge, and how Texas, Virginia, Delaware, and North Carolina check a lowball bill of sale.
Read the article →
A repaired car still loses resale value once the accident shows up on its history report. Here's how diminished value claims work, how the 17c formula lowballs them, which states allow them, and how to build a claim with real evidence.
GAP can cover what you still owe if a financed used car is totaled, but insurers often won't sell it on older cars and dealer prices run $500 to $700. Here's when it's worth it, what the CFPB and state law say, and how to get a refund.
Most auto loans let you pay early for free, but some charge a fee or use precomputed interest and the Rule of 78s. Here's what the CFPB, 15 U.S.C. 1615, and state law say, and how to check your contract.
A pre-purchase inspection usually runs $150 to $300 at an independent shop. Here's what Consumer Reports, RepairPal, and the FTC say it should cover, why a dealer's own inspection isn't enough, and how to set one up.
That "extended warranty" in the finance office is a vehicle service contract, not a warranty. Here's what the FTC, CFPB, and Consumer Reports data say about cost, claims, refunds, and the "your warranty is expiring" scams.
Nearly 3 in 10 new-car trade-ins were underwater in mid-2026, averaging $6,884. Here's how negative equity works, what rolling it into a new loan costs, the "we'll pay off your trade" trap, and what to do if a dealer never pays off your old loan.
Payment packing is when a dealer stuffs service contracts, GAP, VIN etching, or protection packages into your monthly payment. Here's what the FTC, CFPB, New York AG and California's new CARS Act say about add-ons, what they're worth, and how to cancel them.
Yo-yo financing happens when a dealer lets you drive off before the loan is final, then calls you back to sign worse terms. Here's how spot delivery works, what the CFPB, FTC, California and Illinois law say about your down payment and trade-in, the 2026 Anaheim arrest case, and what to do if the dealer calls.
A dealer doc fee is the dealer's own paperwork charge, not a tax or DMV fee. State caps range from $85 in California to $800 in Maryland, and Florida has none. Here are the 2026 caps we could verify (CA, NY, TX, IL, MD, MI, PA, WA), how they differ from tax, title, and registration, and how to negotiate the out-the-door price.
