Add-on products at the dealership are optional extras sold in the finance office after you agree on a used car: service contracts, GAP, tire coverage, paint protection and more. You can decline them, and you should agree the car's out-the-door price before you talk about any product.
How add-ons change the payment
Packing products into a longer loan can keep the monthly number flat while you pay more overall. Our payment packing guide and GAP insurance guide cover two of the most common items. The CFPB auto loan tools help you compare APR and total cost.
Get every line itemized
Ask for a written buyer's order that lists the car price, doc fee, tax, title and each add-on on its own line. Our dealer doc fees guide covers fees that are not products. If a product appears that you never asked for, cross it out before you sign.
Spot-delivery pressure
If you drive away before financing is final, the dealer may call you back to rework the deal and push products again. Our yo-yo financing guide covers that pattern. Keep copies of every unsigned menu and every signed page.
Common products and what they do
Extended service contracts, GAP, tire and wheel coverage, paint or fabric protection, key replacement and nitrogen fill show up often on used-car menus. Some can be useful on the right car and loan; many are priced with large dealer markups. Our dealer add-ons guide and payment packing guide cover how these items get bundled into a monthly payment.
Keep the car price and the products apart
Agree the out-the-door price of the car first, then decide on each product on its own. A dealer who will only quote a payment is mixing the car, the term and the add-ons. The CFPB auto loan page explains how to compare offers by APR and total cost.
Questions to ask before you initial anything
- What does this product cover, and what does it exclude?
- Who is the administrator, and how do I file a claim?
- Can I buy this later from the administrator or decline it today?
- How much of the price is dealer markup?
- What is the refund rule if I pay off the loan early?
Buyers Guide and as-is sales
On a dealer lot, the window Buyers Guide still controls whether the car is sold as is or with a warranty under 16 CFR 455.2. An add-on service contract is separate from that sticker. Our Buyers Guide explainer covers the boxes on the form.
Keep one paper file for the deal
Put the ad screenshot, texts, the buyer's order, the Buyers Guide photo, the title copy, the bill of sale and every receipt in one folder or one phone album the day you buy. If something goes wrong a month later, that file is what a DMV clerk, a lender or a consumer office will ask to see first. Dates and names on each page matter more than your memory of who said what.
History report and title still come first
Paperwork tricks and add-on menus do not replace a clean title check. Pull a history report for brands and odometer readings, run an approved NMVTIS check when the car crosses state lines and match the VIN on the dash to the paperwork before money moves. Our NMVTIS vs CARFAX guide and private-party CARFAX guide cover that order of operations on a used car deal. Our lien release guide covers payoff paperwork when a lender is still on the title.
What the report costs
As of early November 2026 a CARFAX bought direct usually costs around $44.99, and AutoCheck sits a little lower. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck or Experian. Our guest price has been about $5.50 a report, about $4.50 for members, and about $6.75 for a CARFAX and AutoCheck bundle. Confirm the price at checkout, since it can change.
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