From finding the car to signing the deal. One place, dealer-level intel.
We spent 10+ years on the dealer side of the desk. Now we work for you: pick the right model, check the exact car, negotiate with a pro in your corner, and close clean.
Still picking a model? Car Match, $14.99 · Open a real report · Dealer? See dealer plans
- Recalls, complaints and safety ratings from NHTSA, the U.S. government’s public vehicle-safety data.
- Real dealer asking-price comps, with the source named on every one.
- Every number labeled: sourced or estimate. No black box.
Where are you in the buy?
Pick one. We’ll jump you to the plan that fits.
- Data from NHTSARecalls, complaints and safety ratings
- Real dealer compsAsking prices, sources named
- Every number labeledSourced or estimate, on the page
- Built by dealership pros10+ years in the trade
- A real sample to openSee the full page before you buy
From “which car?” to signed, in four steps.
Most car sites help with one piece and hand you off. We cover the whole buy, and a dealership pro is on every step that needs one.
- Step 1 · Find
Car Match
Still shopping? Tell us your budget, needs and area. We send 3–5 best-fit models with fair price ranges and what to avoid.
$14.99credited toward a report - Step 2 · Check
The report
Found a car? Send the listing, photos or VIN. A dealer pro works it into one page: verdict, the price to pay, your walk-away number, recalls and risk flags.
$29.99or 3 for $59.99Coming soon Vehicle history via partner - Step 3 · Negotiate
Report + Deal Call
About to sit down with the seller? Get the report plus 20 minutes on the phone with a dealership pro before you sign.
$69.99report + 20-min call - Step 4 · Close
Closing checklist
Bought it? Run our free checklist so the title, paperwork, recalls and insurance are squared away.
Freeno purchase neededComing soon Financing & insurance options
Open a real report. Zoom all the way in.
This is an actual Dealer Do Book report from a real listing, not a mockup. Every numbered panel is explained on the right.
123
456
789
- 1The verdict, out of 10Good Buy, Fair, or Bad Buy - Pass, with the one-line reason and the price to offer.
- 2Fair price rangeWhere the asking price sits against what the car is worth as listed.Dealer estimate
- 3Offer planOpen at, target, and walk-away numbers, so you never negotiate blind.
- 4ScorecardPrice, mileage, body, mechanical, model reliability and seller trust, each with a reason.
- 5Market compsReal dealer asking prices for similar cars, with the source named on each line.Sourced
- 6How we got the rangeThe comp median and every dealer adjustment, in dollars.
- 7NHTSA recalls & complaintsRecall campaigns in plain English, and what owners complain about most.NHTSA public data
- 8Inspect before cashThe checks that matter for this model, in the order a dealer would do them.
- 9Negotiation playbookWhat to ask the seller, how to anchor with the comps, and how to close clean.
Real job, real data. The comps were live dealer listings on the day of the report, and the recalls and complaints came from NHTSA. Seller photos appear as they were posted in the ad.
Everything a dealer checks, on one page.
Each panel below is cropped straight from the real HHR report. Tap any of them to zoom in.
Verdict & price to offer
A score out of 10, a plain verdict, and the one number to open with.
Fair range & offer plan
The asking price on a gauge, plus open at, target, and walk away over.
Scorecard with reasons
Seven categories scored 1–10, each with the reason in bold.
Comps, sources named
Dealer asking prices for similar cars, labeled as asks and never passed off as sales.
NHTSA recalls & complaints
Campaign numbers, what can go wrong, and the free fix, in plain English.
Inspect-before-cash list
What to see, ask for, and test on this model before any money changes hands.
No black box. Here’s the math on a real car.
The 2006 HHR above was listed at $2,000 with 215,000 owner-stated miles. This is how its report got to the range, step by step.
- 1Start with real compsSourced
8 dealer asking prices for HHRs with 199K–266K miles. Median ask: $3,000. Every comp names its source, and an ask is never called a sale.
- 2Adjust like a dealer wouldEstimate
Take out dealer margin and recon, then price in what the ad doesn’t prove: unverified miles, no VIN, no title or interior photos.
- 3Land a fair rangeEstimate
The midpoint is $1,950, so the fair range for this car, private party and as-is, is $1,700–$2,200.
- 4Turn it into an offer plan
Open at $1,600, aim for $1,800, never over $2,000. The $2,000 ask sits inside the range: fair, not a deal.
Comps are dealer asking prices from the day of the report: not sold prices, not condition-matched. Adjustments are dealer estimates. This is an opinion of value, not an appraisal.
Safety data is public record, not our opinion. For this HHR: 6 recall campaigns and 1,006 owner complaints on file for the model year, pulled from NHTSA on the day of the report.
An honest side-by-side.
What each service offers buyers, checked against their own public pages. Where we couldn’t confirm a feature, we left the cell blank instead of saying no.
| Feature | Dealer Do Book | CarGurus | Carfax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tells you if the price is fair | Verdict /10 and a fair price range | Deal ratings vs. its market value estimate1 | History-Based Value on listings4 |
| Exact max price to pay + walk-away number | Open, target and walk-away numbers | Not verified | Not verified |
| Vehicle history | Coming soon Via partner | AutoCheck-sourced flags on listings2 | Full vehicle history report5 |
| Helps you pick the right model | Car Match: 3–5 models for your budget and area | Editorial buying guides3 | Not verified |
| Talk to a dealership pro | 20-minute Deal Call | Not verified | Not verified |
| Recalls | NHTSA recalls and complaints on every report | Not verified | Open recalls by VIN6 |
- CarGurus, “What is IMV?”: cargurus.helpscoutdocs.com/article/10-what-is-imv
- CarGurus, “Listing Attributes” (vehicle history from AutoCheck.com): cargurus.helpscoutdocs.com/article/228-vehicle-history-and-negotiation
- CarGurus buying guides, e.g. cargurus.com/research/articles/best-used-suvs-under-20000
- Carfax History-Based Value: carfax.com/value
- Carfax Vehicle History Reports: carfax.com/vehicle-history-reports
- Carfax Free Vehicle Recall Check: carfax.com/recall
Checked October 4, 2026. A blank cell means we couldn’t confirm it on their public pages, not that they don’t offer it. Some of their tools are free; ours are paid, with a dealership pro behind every report. CarGurus and Carfax are trademarks of their owners. Dealer Do Book is not affiliated with either.
Your desk sheet, with the max-buy already worked.
Every dealer report comes with an internal page for you and a clean customer report for the buyer. The internal page never goes to the customer.
- Max-buy math: expected retail, recon line items, pack, holding and your target gross.
- Auction value and days to turn, so you know your exit before you buy.
- Comps with sources, plus a customer range bridge you can explain across the desk.
Asking is $2,000, which is $1,230 over max-buy, so the sheet says counter at $770 or pass.
The real internal page for the same HHR. The seller’s name and listing ID are removed from this public sample.
Straight pricing. No subscription for buyers.
Pay per report as a buyer. Dealers pick a plan by the cars they move each month.
For buyers, from $14.99
One-time payments. No subscription, no account fees.
- 3–5 best-fit models for your budget, needs and area
- Fair price ranges for each model
- What to avoid, and why
- $14.99 credited toward a full report
Checkout opens soon
- Verdict out of 10 and a fair price range
- Offer plan: open, target, walk away
- Named comps, NHTSA recalls and complaints
- Inspect list and negotiation playbook
Checkout opens soon
- Everything in a single report, for three cars
- Compare your shortlist on the same scale
- $29.98 less than three single reports
Secure checkout on Stripe
- Everything in a single report
- 20-minute call with a dealership pro
- Walk through the numbers and the negotiation
Checkout opens soon
How checkout works
No sign-up wall. No password to make. About a minute.
- 1Enter your emailThat’s where your report link goes. No account form.
- 2Pay with card, Apple Pay or Google PaySecure checkout run by Stripe. We never see your full card number.
- 3Get your report link by emailWe email your report link after checkout, once a dealer pro has finished your report.
Open now Checkout is open for the 3-pack. Car Match, the single report and Report + Deal Call open soon.
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- Amex
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Secured by Stripe
For dealers, a plan that grows with your lot
Priced by the cars you move each month. Internal page + customer report on every car.
- 30 reports a month
- Extra reports $4.99
- Internal page with max-buy math
- 100 reports a month
- Extra reports $3.99
- Internal page with max-buy math
- 300 reports a month
- Extra reports $3.49
- Internal page with max-buy math
Bought it? Close it out clean.
The stuff that bites people after the handshake. Free, no purchase needed.
Post-purchase checklist
Works on any car, from a dealer or a private seller.
- Title in hand and signed where your state requires it. The VIN on the title matches the dash and the door jamb.
- Bill of sale with the date, price, VIN, odometer reading and both names. Keep a copy.
- Odometer reading written on the paperwork and matching the dash.
- Insurance active before you drive the car away.
- Title, registration and tax filed at your DMV. Deadlines vary by state, so check yours.
- Open recalls checked by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer.
- Dealer purchase? Get the buyer’s order and anything the dealer promised to fix in writing.
- Keys, manuals and service records collected. Skipped the pre-purchase inspection? Book one now.
General guidance, not legal advice. Title and registration rules differ by state.
Straight answers.
What data is in a report?
The listing itself (ad text, price, stated miles), the seller’s photos, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and safety ratings (by VIN when we have it, by model year when we don’t), and real dealer asking prices for comparable cars, with the source named on each one.
On top of that sits dealer judgment: the adjustments for margin, recon, miles and missing proof. Those are always labeled as estimates.
Do I need an account?
No. All you need is an email address. Pay on Stripe’s secure checkout and we email your report link after checkout, once a dealer pro has finished your report. No sign-up form, no password.
When do I get my report?
A dealer pro works every report by hand, so it isn’t instant. We email your report link the moment it’s done.
To be confirmed We’ll post a confirmed turnaround time here.
Is my payment secure?
Yes. Checkout runs on Stripe. Your card details go straight to Stripe over an encrypted connection, and we never see or store your full card number. Apple Pay and Google Pay show up when your device and browser support them.
What’s your refund policy?
To be confirmed Our refund policy is being finalized and will be posted here.
Is this an appraisal?
No. A Dealer Do Book report is an opinion of value from dealership professionals, based on the listing, the photos, public NHTSA data and the market data shown. It is not an appraisal, a mechanical inspection, a title search or a vehicle history report, and it is not a guarantee of value.
Is it a vehicle history report?
Not yet. Today we don’t pull accident or ownership records. Vehicle history through a partner is coming soon, and it isn’t included in any report until it’s live. The report tells you what the car is worth as listed and what to check. Always run the VIN and get an independent pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
What is Car Match?
Car Match is for when you haven’t picked a car yet. Tell us your budget, what you need the car to do, and your area. We send back 3–5 models that fit, with fair price ranges and what to avoid. It’s based on market data and our dealership experience. It’s an opinion, not a guarantee. If you then buy a full report, the $14.99 is credited toward it.
What happens on the Deal Call?
Report + Deal Call ($69.99) gets you a full report on the car plus a 20-minute call with a dealership pro. We walk through the numbers on your report and the negotiation: what to offer, what to say, and when to walk. It works best before you sign anything.
What do I need to send?
A listing link, the photos, or a VIN. More helps: an odometer photo and the VIN let us check the miles and look up recalls for that exact car. If something is missing, the report says so and prices it in.
Car Match, the single report and Report + Deal Call open soon
Checkout for these isn’t open yet. Checkout is open now for the 3-pack: pay on Stripe and we email your report link after checkout.