Financial Unease Hits Car Buyers in June

The automotive market is running headfirst into the most negative consumer sentiment ever recorded, and this collision seemed to ring true in June. The overall CDK Ease of Purchase score fell from 87% in May to 80% in June but that was higher than last June’s 77% figure. Some factors that lead to higher overall scores actually improved in June, but they were offset by struggles when it came time to talk numbers.

Availability

Even in today’s world of online retail, most people visit a car dealership at least for a portion of the deal. In June, three-quarters (77%) of car buyers completed the entire purchase at the dealership. That’s the highest percentage CDK has recorded in the history of the scorecard, and it’s in its fourth year.

More than half of buyers (55%) found their vehicle in stock. This, too, is a very high number, up from 48% last month, 51% last year, and the 2025 average of 50%. In general, the more consumers who buy their car in stock, the higher the Ease of Purchase score.

Purchase Process

Where did things seem to unravel? Once the car was located, there was the little issue of agreeing to the final price and the trade-in value. Both figures fell eight percentage points from last month. They were higher than last June but that month, the Ease of Purchase score was just 77%. One respondent ran into a wall when negotiating one number but not the other, “The dealership didn't want to give me what I wanted for my trade-in so we haggled on sticker price.”

Most other parts of the purchase process, dealing with finance including credit applications and finishing the paperwork, also dipped in June.

Time

One reason it seems these financial issues are the main culprit of lower overall scores: Deals seemed to speed up in June. Nearly half of buyers (47%) said the purchase process took the time they expected, up from 44% last month and another 21% said it was faster, up from 20%. But it seems the speed didn’t equal satisfaction, a trend we also noted in this year’s Friction Points Study.

Customer Feedback

Positive responses this month seemed to come from buyers who had done a significant amount of research as well as those who did some of the process online.

• “The process was easy because I was trading in a vehicle with positive equity and it was a desirable vehicle.”
• “I was pre-approved for financing so that made the process a lot easier for me. Staff at the dealerships were especially attentive, knowing I had pre-approval.”
• “Everything they needed was provided online and I only had to go to the dealer and pick the car up. Everything was already signed and ready to go.”

Corresponding with this month’s scores, many of the negative comments revolved around pricing and the negotiation process.

• “The negotiations took a really long time, but I got a price I was happy with.”
• “The process was difficult because there was a lack of transparency regarding the 'out-the-door' price.”
• “They would not budge [on price] so I almost left with my old vehicle. I'm not paying what they want.”