Car Buyers Hit More Dealers Amid Tariff Turbulence

If there’s any question about tariffs impacting car buyer behavior it seemed to prove out in April. While 90% of buyers said the process was easy last month, they completed more of the process at the dealership and had to visit more dealers to find what they wanted. 

The ideal shopping process is generally one where car buyers can complete some of the steps online before coming to the dealer to cut down on wait times. But nearly three-quarters of buyers (74%) completed the entire transaction at the dealership. This is the second highest number we’ve recorded since starting the Ease of Purchase Scorecard nearly three years ago. The highest was 77% in November 2024.

While we didn’t ask the “why” behind these numbers it’s likely the inescapable buzz around tariffs that has car buyers heading straight into dealerships to secure the vehicle they wanted. Four out of five (80%) said it was easy to find the vehicle they wanted, which is also on the high side and considerably higher than the 73% from last April. 

To get the right car, most buyers still found what they wanted in stock (53%), down slightly from March (56%). A few more had to choose a vehicle in transit — up from 18% in March to 20% in April — or an alternate car in stock. 

Unfortunately, while so much happened at the dealership, shoppers had to visit more stores to complete the process. The number of people who said they only had to visit one store fell from 45% in March to 38% in April. More shoppers (38%) had to visit two stores compared to 31% last month, and the number who had to go to three or more stores rose marginally as well to 25% from 24%.

Other steps in the purchase process, from negotiating price and trade-in value to applying for credit, saw small dips compared to March and didn’t seem to move the needle when it came to the overall experience. 

The time it took to complete the deal didn’t seem to move much in the car buyer’s mind either, with over half (52%) saying it took about the time they expected. There was a noticeable decline in how people rated the salesperson, however. While still quite high, the number of respondents who said the salesperson showed clear product expertise fell from 86% in March to 80% in April. There was a similar drop — from 90 to 84% — when asked if the salesperson was professional. But there was little to no change when asked if the salesperson made efficient use of their time, delivered clear explanations as well as earning the shopper’s trust.  

As sales volume spikes during these demanding times for the broader industry, it’s understandable how some areas could see performance drop. The very strong 90% Ease of Purchase score shows that, as a whole, dealerships are still delivering regardless of turbulence.