The purpose of the Buyers Guide for used cars is to tell you, before you sign anything, whether the vehicle comes with a warranty or is being sold “as is,” to put every promise the dealer has made in writing so it can actually be enforced, and to flag the major mechanical systems that tend to fail on used vehicles. It’s a federally required window sticker under the Federal Trade Commission’s Used Car Rule, and it exists because verbal assurances at a dealership have a way of disappearing the moment something breaks.
What the Buyers Guide Is For
The form does three things at once. First, it forces a clear answer to the single most important question about any used car: if it breaks next week, who pays? Second, it becomes part of your contract. The Buyers Guide itself states that the information on it is part of any contract to buy the vehicle, which means written terms on the sticker override whatever anyone told you on the lot.1Federal Trade Commission. Buyers Guide Third, it lists the systems and defects that most often turn a cheap used car into an expensive one, so you know what to inspect and what to ask about.
You’ll see the sticker posted on a window where both sides are readable. After the sale, the dealer has to give you the completed guide to keep, with the boxes reflecting what you actually agreed to.2eCFR. Part 455 – Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule Hold onto that copy. If you need to argue about coverage later, it’s the document that decides who’s right.
One boundary worth knowing: the rule covers most passenger vehicles, but not motorcycles, heavy-duty trucks, or vehicles being sold for scrap or parts on a salvage certificate.2eCFR. Part 455 – Used Motor Vehicle Trade Regulation Rule If you’re buying any ordinary car, SUV, or light-duty truck or van from a dealer, you should see a Buyers Guide on it.
The Warranty Box Is the Most Important Part
The center of the guide is a set of checkboxes that define the warranty status of the car. Which box is checked changes your rights dramatically.
“As Is — No Dealer Warranty”
If this box is checked, every repair from the moment you drive off is yours to pay for. No matter what fails the next day, the dealership owes you nothing.3eCFR. 16 CFR 455.2 – Consumer Sales – Window Form Most disputes over used cars start here, because buyers often assume the dealer will step in for a serious problem shortly after the sale. The whole point of the form is to make sure you know, in writing, that they won’t.
“Implied Warranties Only”
Some states restrict or prohibit “as is” used car sales. In those states, dealers check this box instead. The dealer still makes no specific repair promises, but state law can hold the dealer responsible for serious problems that weren’t apparent when you bought the car.3eCFR. 16 CFR 455.2 – Consumer Sales – Window Form The exact protection varies, but it’s meaningfully stronger than a straight as-is sale. Your state attorney general’s office can confirm whether as-is sales are limited where you live.
“Warranty”
When the warranty box is checked, the guide has to spell out the coverage: whether it’s “Full” or “Limited,” the percentage of parts and labor the dealer will cover, the duration in time or mileage, and the specific systems included.3eCFR. 16 CFR 455.2 – Consumer Sales – Window Form A dealer might, for instance, cover 100 percent of parts and labor on the powertrain for 30 days or 1,000 miles. Read these lines carefully. What isn’t listed isn’t covered. If a manufacturer’s warranty is still in force on the vehicle, the dealer may note that here as well.
Service Contracts Are Separate
The guide has its own checkbox for whether a service contract is available for an extra charge. A service contract isn’t a warranty under federal law, because you pay for it separately rather than getting it built into the price of the car. These can run from a few hundred to several thousand dollars and often carry a deductible each visit.4Consumer Advice – FTC. Auto Warranties and Auto Service Contracts Ask for the coverage details, the deductible, the price, and the exclusions before you agree to anything.
One detail can matter a lot: if you buy a service contract within 90 days of buying the vehicle, implied warranties under your state’s laws may give you additional rights beyond what the contract itself provides.1Federal Trade Commission. Buyers Guide In states that otherwise allow as-is sales, that 90-day window can be the difference between having recourse and having none.
Written Terms Beat Verbal Promises
The Buyers Guide prints its own warning in bold: spoken promises are difficult to enforce, and you should ask the dealer to put every promise in writing. It also states that the information on the guide is part of any contract to buy the vehicle.1Federal Trade Commission. Buyers Guide Together, those two lines draw a hard line. What’s on the guide is enforceable. What isn’t is very hard to collect on.
If a salesperson promises to replace a cracked windshield, top off the tires, or throw in a second key fob, get it written on the Buyers Guide or into the contract before you sign. Otherwise, you’re relying on someone’s memory of a conversation, and that rarely wins.
The guide may include an optional buyer signature line. Where the dealer includes one, it has to appear alongside a statement confirming you received the guide at closing.5eCFR. 16 CFR 455.2 – Consumer Sales – Window Form Signing acknowledges you saw the disclosures. Read them first.
The Major Defects List and Your Own Mechanic
The back of the Buyers Guide lists the major mechanical and electrical systems and the common defects that can occur in each: engine, transmission and drive shaft, cooling system, brake system, structural components, and more.1Federal Trade Commission. Buyers Guide It names specifics like cracked engine blocks, abnormal transmission noise, brake lining thinner than 1/32 of an inch, and leaking radiators. Treat it as your inspection checklist.
The guide also tells you directly to ask the dealer whether you can have your own mechanic inspect the vehicle, on or off the lot.1Federal Trade Commission. Buyers Guide An independent inspection generally runs $100 to $200, and it catches things a test drive never will. A dealer who won’t allow an outside inspection has told you something important about the car.
The form also carries the dealership’s name, address, phone number, email, and a designated contact for post-sale complaints.1Federal Trade Commission. Buyers Guide File your copy with your purchase paperwork. If something breaks in a month, that sticker is your evidence of what was promised and what wasn’t.
When the Guide Is Missing or Wrong
Dealers who don’t post the Buyers Guide, or who fill it out inaccurately, face substantial civil penalties in FTC enforcement actions, adjusted annually for inflation.6Federal Trade Commission. Dealer’s Guide to the Used Car Rule You can report a dealer to the FTC online at ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
Know the limit, though: the FTC Act generally doesn’t let individual consumers sue a dealer directly for violating the Used Car Rule. Federal enforcement runs through the FTC and state authorities. Many states, however, have consumer protection statutes that mirror the federal rule and do allow you to take a dealer to court yourself.6Federal Trade Commission. Dealer’s Guide to the Used Car Rule If a dealer sold you a car without the guide, or checked the wrong box, contacting your state attorney general’s consumer protection division is usually the fastest way to a real remedy.