End of Year Woes Drag Down Ease of Purchase Scores

December saw more car buyers traveling to more dealers to find the vehicle they wanted only to end up having to wait or pick a second choice. That’s what this month’s Ease of Purchase Scorecard uncovered as just 69% of respondents said that buying a car was easy. That’s up from November’s 66% score but far off 2025’s overall average of 84%. The final two months of the year dramatically impacted what had been a terrific year up to that point and in the end didn’t compare to 2024’s average of 88%.

Two key factors are leading to lower scores: a lack of inventory that matches customer demands and price negotiations.

The industry average for inventory shows that it’s building up but shoppers are clearly looking for models that aren’t piling up and many are looking for luxury makes. That led to a huge drop in the number of buyers finding what they wanted in stock, falling a massive amount, from 49% in November to 31% in December. That’s the lowest we’ve tracked in the over three years of the Ease of Purchase Scorecard, which began during supply chain inventory droughts. The average was 50%.

Instead, nearly a third of buyers (31%) bought their vehicle in transit and twice the number of people had to settle on an alternative in stock, 18%, compared to November and far above the 2025 average of 7%. As we often note, buyers are unlikely to give a top score if they’re driving home in something they weren’t originally planning on.

The reasons for alternative choices aren’t just influenced by inventory. Buyers may come in thinking that the price is lower than they imagined or they run into issues with their credit, leading to them having to choose a more affordable car than they’d planned.

Only 52% of buyers said agreeing on the final price was easy, the lowest that number was the entire year, which averaged 62% and below November’s 57%. Those who did respond positively to the survey overall pointed to pricing as a main reason. “When I came in, the numbers were already printed, the trade-in value was firm, and no one tried to change anything last minute,” said one respondent. “Having everything consistent really took the stress out of it.”

Another buyer said that seeing an “All-In Price” that included taxes, registration and other fees led to a positive experience.

Applying for credit also experienced its worst score of the year with just over half of buyers (54%) saying it was easy. That’s down from 63% in November and 2025’s average, also 63%.

And while these reasons rise to the top, six out of nine of the steps in the process we track saw lows for the year in December.

To complete the deal, shoppers had to visit more dealerships too. More than a quarter (27%) said they had to visit two or more stores to buy their car up from 21% in November and above the 2025 average of 25%. We did see similar or higher numbers this summer. The 36% of car buyers who visited just one store was down from a high of 48% in November but also from the 2025 average of 41%.

And only 1% said they bought their car entirely online. That number has averaged just 2% all year.

There were a few, a very few, bright spots in December’s findings. A quarter (25%) said it took less time than they expected at the dealership to complete their purchase. That was up from 31% in November and is the highest for 2025. The average for the year was 21%.

This year predictions are for slightly lower sales overall but conditions around pricing, credit and inventory could continue to lead to harder times for car buyers. Dealers should ensure customers understand their purchasing power and how it aligns with what’s on dealer lots.