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The Used Car Market Is SCREWED | Episode 961

The Used Car Market Is SCREWED | Episode 961

CarEdge Live Nov 13, 2025 30 min
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About this episode

The used car market is facing unprecedented challenges, with values plummeting at a rate of over 1% weekly, leading to significant depreciation. Dealers are struggling as vehicles sit on lots longer, creating a buyer's market. Insights from Blackbook and Edmunds reveal that used cars are losing value faster than ever, affecting trade-in valuations. The episode discusses the implications for both dealers and buyers, highlighting the importance of informed negotiations for potential shoppers. Additionally, the rise in repossessions adds further pressure to the market, making it a critical time for buyers to capitalize on declining prices.

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Term

percent

"You have depreciation week over week of over a percent. You sold cars for 40 plus years."

Percent means out of 100. So if something is 1 percent, it means 1 out of every 100. It's a way to show how much something changes or costs compared to the whole.

Term

depreciation

"You have depreciation week over week of over a percent. You sold cars for 40 plus years. Help our audience, help our community understand why that means the used car market is screwed."

Depreciation is how much a car's value goes down as it gets older. If a car loses value quickly, it can be bad news for people trying to sell it.

Term

used car market

"Help our audience, help our community understand why that means the used car market is screwed. Cars don't typically depreciate that much, do they?"

The used car market is where people buy and sell cars that have been owned before. How well this market does can change based on how much cars lose value over time.

Term

month

"Typically, they depreciate, I don't know, one and a half to maybe 2% in a month, not over 1% in a week."

A month is a period of time that lasts about 30 days. It's often used to talk about how things change over time, like how much a car's value goes down each month.

Term

used car inventory

"...the value of the used car inventory that is presently sitting on dealer lots is losing value more quickly."

Used car inventory is the group of second-hand cars that a dealership has for sale. Their value can change based on how many people want to buy them.

Term

wholesale

"...what they could get for it if they needed to wholesale it today. So if there is something that they spent, say, $10,000 on four weeks ago..."

Wholesale is when cars are sold in bulk, usually to dealerships or other businesses, rather than to regular buyers. It often involves lower prices than retail sales.

Term

reconditioning

"...and then they spent a few hundred dollars in reconditioning and getting it ready for the lot, let's say they spent 800 bucks..."

Reconditioning is fixing up a used car to make it look and work better before selling it. This can include cleaning, repairing, and doing maintenance.

Term

used car dealer

"...that's a recipe for disaster if I'm a used car dealer, because it means the value of my inventory is going down,..."

A used car dealer is someone who sells cars that have been owned by someone else before. They buy these cars and sell them to people looking for a vehicle, usually at a higher price than they paid.

Term

appraised values

"then the appraised values that dealerships will hit the vehicles at will be dropping even faster than the declines we've seen at the auction."

Appraised values are how much a car is estimated to be worth. Dealerships use this to decide how much to pay for a used car or how much to sell it for.

Term

used car managers

"...most used car managers I know, they would be looking at their numbers and they'd be probably lowering their appraisals by 5 or 10..."

Used car managers are the people at car dealerships who handle the buying and selling of used cars. They decide how much to pay for cars and how much to sell them for.

Concept

inflated values

"...which would seem to indicate to me that the value of the cars that you are selling are inflated in comparison to what it would take to replace it..."

Inflated values mean that the prices of cars are higher than what they should be based on their true worth. This can happen when there are more buyers than cars available, but if things change, those prices might drop.

Term

financing

"...because you didn't pay cash for this, you're financing it yourself. With all these things stacked against the dealer..."

Financing is when you borrow money to buy a car and pay it back over time, usually with extra money added as interest. This can make the car more expensive in the long run.

Car

Chevrolet Silverado

"...these used Silverado truck prices here in North Carolina may be dropping, but by a few hundred here and there..."

The Silverado is a big truck made by Chevrolet. People use it for work and everyday driving because it's strong and can carry a lot of stuff.

Term

floor plan

"...the difference between when a dealership buys their new car inventory and used car inventory, both are typically floor plan. What does that mean? It means that there's a line of credit that the dealership is using to..."

A floor plan is like a loan for car dealerships to buy cars. They don't pay cash upfront; instead, they borrow money to buy the cars and pay it back when they sell them.

Car

Chevrolet Traverse LS

"...let's look at this one right here. A 2022 Chevrolet Traverse LS. This dealership, Dad, has been sitting on this vehicle for 96 days."

The Chevrolet Traverse is a large SUV that can fit a lot of passengers and cargo. The LS is the basic version, which means it has the necessary features but not many extras.

Term

high mileage car

"It's a high mileage car. The average miles driven were over 25,000 miles a year..."

A high mileage car is one that has been driven a lot, usually more than most cars. This can mean it might need more repairs and could be worth less when sold.

Term

average miles driven

"The average miles driven were over 25,000 miles a year when the average in the United States is a little under 15,000."

Average miles driven is how far most cars are driven in a year. In the U.S., it's usually about 12,000 to 15,000 miles.

Term

cost of carrying

"The cost of carrying that vehicle is continuing to climb."

The cost of carrying a vehicle is how much it costs to own a car, including things like insurance and repairs. If these costs go up, it can be harder to keep an older car.

Term

spiff

"There is probably a major spiff or bonus for the sales staff at that dealership..."

A spiff is a bonus that salespeople get for selling something. It encourages them to sell more cars, especially if those cars are harder to sell.

Car

Mazda 3

"...er example I'll pull up on the screen. 2024 Mazda Mazda 3. This is a relatively new used vehicle. Now, dad..."
Term

service loaner

"My suspicion of 7,950 miles on it would be that perhaps it's a retired service loaner."

A service loaner is a car that a dealership gives you to drive while your own car is being fixed. These cars are usually in good shape and not driven much.

Term

price history

"...Look at this price history. There was a period in time where newer used vehicles..."

Price history shows how much a car's price has gone up or down over time. It's useful for understanding how much value a car loses after you buy it.

Term

used vehicle

"...newer used vehicles, dealers were trying to ultimately sell them for pretty much what the original MSRP was..."

A used vehicle is a car that someone else has owned before. It's usually cheaper than a brand new car.

Term

aggressive pricing

"...this is astronomical in terms of how aggressive this dealer is trying to be to try and move these vehicles out..."

Aggressive pricing means a dealer is trying to sell cars for less money than usual to get people to buy them fast.

Term

replacement parts

"...the cost of repairs and replacement parts has gone up. So even as the wholesale values of cars go down to a degree,..."

Replacement parts are the pieces that you put in a car when something breaks or wears out. If these parts cost a lot, it can make insurance more expensive.

Term

pre-owned cars

"...best value today on pre-owned cars. Now, here's the dilemma with that..."

Pre-owned cars are cars that someone else has owned before you. They usually cost less than brand new cars.

Term

battery condition

"...to make sure that the battery is in good condition and this and that..."

Battery condition means how well the battery in an electric car is working. A good battery helps the car go further and run better.

Term

gas-powered vehicles

"...it's less expensive than gas-powered or diesel-powered vehicles. B, they'll be less costly to fuel..."

Gas-powered vehicles are cars that use gasoline to run. They are the most common type of cars before electric ones became popular.

3 cars featured

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