Before-you-visit dealership quote checklist

Collect before the visit

• Save the vehicle identifier, advertised offer, quote date and every page.
• Ask whether that vehicle is available and request the complete out-the-door price in writing.
• Record conditions on discounts: financing, trade-in, eligibility or a required down payment.
• Ask for each product’s price and terms; identify the choices you have not agreed to.
• If financing, record APR, term, down payment and any trade allowance/payoff separately.

Send a focused request

Example request, not a legal notice: “Please send the itemized written price for this vehicle, explain the offer conditions, and identify which products I can decline. Please show how my down payment and trade are applied separately.”

Mark unanswered items as “not confirmed,” not zero. Keep the original quote and the response together. Similar charge labels are a reason to ask for detail, not proof of duplicate billing.

Check the next document

• Compare the revised quote with the earlier version and note changed lines.
• Do not treat government-set taxes, title or registration charges as automatic savings.
• Before signing, ask how the final purchase and credit documents match the written offer.

For a side-by-side worksheet approach, see comparing two quotes. For borrowing calculations, see price versus amount financed.

Sources and limits

• FTC: Car Dealer Ads and Promotions

  July 2022 consumer guidance: Know Before You Go and Before You Sign a Contract. Supports asking for a written out-the-door quote, checking eligibility and matching final documents. Checked 2026-10-27.

• CFPB: What can I negotiate when shopping for a car or auto loan?

  Last reviewed August 28, 2023. Consumer education on add-ons, government-set charges and recording loan/trade details; not a state fee-cap rule. Checked 2026-10-27.

Source-check dates are not legal effective dates. The October 2026 state research covers 39 states within a narrow scope; 11 remain partial. Neither this page nor a validated record establishes how a law applies to your transaction.

Corrections: [email protected].