On the Dash:
- Ease of Purchase fell to 79% in September, the first reading below 80% since December.
- Only 45% of buyers selected a vehicle from the lot, and 13% chose an alternate.
- Credit ease fell from 70% to 56%, while 39% of buyers said deals ran long.
Car buying got harder in September, with the Ease of Purchase score falling to 79%, according to CDK Global. That is the first reading below 80% since December 2025, after scores held at 81% in July and August.
The score still sits above the record lows of 66% in November and 69% in December of last year. Buyers reported problems at nearly every step, from finding a vehicle to negotiating and signing paperwork. They also spent longer at the dealership than they expected.
Fewer buyers find the car they want
Fewer than half of buyers (45%) selected a vehicle from the lot in September. That is the lowest share since April’s 44% and below the 2025 average of 50%. Only 68% of buyers said it was easy to find the vehicle they hoped to buy. That counts vehicles in stock, in transit or coming from the factory. Another 13% had to choose an alternate vehicle, compared with a 10% average in 2025.
More buyers also had to shop around. Nearly half (49%) visited two stores, up from 37% in August.
Financing hurdles and long waits
Applying for credit fell the sharpest, with 56% of buyers calling it easy. That is down from 70% in August and below the 2025 average of 63%. CDK pointed to relatively high interest rates and automakers pulling back on incentives, including incentivized rates.
Filling out forms also got harder. Just 64% of buyers called that step easy, down from 68% in August. The three-year average hovered around 70%.
Agreeing to the value of a trade-in was the only step that improved. It rose to 58% from 53% in August and topped the three-year average. CDK said the gain likely reflects dealers aggressively acquiring used inventory through trades.
A near-record 39% of buyers said the process took longer than they expected. That is up from 33% in August and just under April’s 40%. The 2025 average was 31%.
Respondents cited the time spent negotiating and finalizing paperwork as major sore spots. A few also mentioned crowded dealerships and waits between steps. CDK’s annual Friction Points Study found Net Promoter Score falls significantly if a deal takes two hours or more.
What buyers are saying
Some buyers who had a good experience pointed to a patient, low-pressure salesperson. In CDK’s survey, a buyer said, “The staff listened patiently and never rushed me to make a quick decision.”
However, negative comments centered on time and feeling intimidated or overwhelmed, especially with paperwork. “The biggest thing that made the process difficult was the amount of paperwork involved,” another buyer said.Â
Dealers heading into the fourth quarter can start with the steps buyers flagged most. Sending financing options before the visit could shorten the financing wait, as one buyer suggested. Keeping deals under two hours protects Net Promoter Score, and patient, low-pressure selling drew praise.
