CDK survey reveals rising frustration among vehicle buyers in December

On the Dash:

• December Ease of Purchase score lands at 69%, below 2025’s 84% average.
• Vehicle availability dropped to 31%, forcing more shoppers to buy in transit or choose alternatives.
• Price negotiations, trade-ins, and financing became more difficult, with fewer than 55% reporting ease.

In December, only 69% of customers said the car-buying experience was easy, as more shoppers had to visit multiple dealerships to find their desired car or opt for an alternative. While this marks a three-point increase from November, it remains well below 2025’s overall average of 84%.

Just 31% of shoppers reported that the vehicle they wanted was in stock, an 18% drop from November and the lowest rate since CDK began tracking inventory availability. During the survey’s early period, when supply chains were heavily constrained, the average in-stock rate was 50%.

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Among those purchasing vehicles, 31% bought a car in transit and 18% opted for an alternative model. Among buyers who found their preferred vehicle, 78% reported it was easy to find, indicating lingering challenges.

Price negotiations also proved difficult. Only 52% said it was easy to agree on a final price, down 5% from November and below 2025’s average of 62%. Slightly more than half (51%) found it easy to agree on trade-in values, a six-point improvement from the previous month.

Securing financing was increasingly challenging, with just over half (54%) reporting an easy credit application process, a sharp decline from November’s 63% and 2025’s average of 63%.

An increasing number of customers had to visit multiple dealerships, with 27% reporting they visited two or more stores, marking an 6% increase from November and 2% increase from the 2025 average.

Customer frustration was reflected in dealership visits. Twenty-seven percent of shoppers reported visiting two or more dealerships, up six points from November and two points from the 2025 average. At the same time, 25% said they spent less time at the dealership than expected, an eight-point increase from November and above the 2025 average of 21%.