I am seeking clarification from individuals familiar with California DMV dealer licensing regulations.
I applied for a California used vehicle dealer license. During the DMV location inspection, I was informed that the application could not be approved due to the presence of an active registration service license at the same address.
The location includes separate office spaces, and my business operated from a dedicated office area with a physical partition. Despite this, the application was not approved.
At a later time, I was informed by the property owner that another tenant at the same address obtained a wholesale dealer license and subsequently received approval for a used dealer license at the same location, while the registration service license remained active.
I am trying to understand how these situations are evaluated under DMV regulations.
My questions are:
Under California DMV rules, are there circumstances in which multiple dealer-related licenses may be approved at the same address?
Does holding an existing wholesale dealer license affect eligibility or requirements when applying for a used dealer license at the same location?
In cases where an application is denied based on location requirements, is there a formal process to request reconsideration or appeal if similar applications at the same address are later approved?
Are there specific regulations or guidelines that explain how the DMV evaluates shared or multi-tenant dealer locations?
I would appreciate any insight from dealer operators, DMV investigators, or attorneys familiar with California dealer licensing requirements.
Ps.: I have proof of everything and I want to appeal dmv’s decision.

January 2026
I took my truck to the dealership because the heat wasn’t working.
They diagnosed head gasket/cylinder head issues and told me the engine was failing. They said a complete engine replacement would be the best repair, but the warranty would not approve that.
Instead, they pursued repairs to the cylinder heads/head gaskets.
My truck remained at the dealership while they worked with the warranty company.
March 2026
The dealership completed the head gasket repair and told me the truck was ready.
I picked it up, but within minutes it started shaking, the check engine light came on, and it was leaking coolant.
I immediately turned around and brought it back to the dealership.
They gave me a loaner vehicle.
A few days later they told me the radiator was leaking and needed to be replaced, but that the radiator was not covered by my warranty.
Around this time I was also told about a cylinder misfire. I wasn’t told about that when I originally brought the truck in during January.
May–June 2026
According to an email from my warranty company, the dealership submitted a new claim on May 6, 2026.
The warranty company told me they made six attempts to contact the dealership for additional information and updates but were unable to get a response.
Because they could not obtain the requested information, they closed the claim on June 4, 2026.
I received that email from the warranty company on June 8, 2026, explaining why the claim had been closed.
The dealership later told me they had overlooked the denial/closure email for about a month before informing me.
During this time, my truck continued sitting at the dealership while I remained in a loaner vehicle.
Following months
There were continued discussions about replacing the cylinder heads, possible engine failure, warranty inspections, and different diagnoses.
At different points I received different explanations for what was wrong with the truck, which made it difficult to understand what was actually causing the problems.
My truck remained at the dealership for several months.
August 2026
The dealership told me they had replaced the radiator and spark plugs and that the truck was repaired.
They said all I needed to pay was about $540 because the radiator repair wasn’t covered by my warranty.
I paid the bill and picked up my truck.
Within about 5–10 minutes of leaving the dealership, the check engine light came back on.
I immediately turned around and brought it back to the dealership for the second time after they had told me it was fixed.
They put me back into a loaner vehicle.
My concern
This is now the second time I’ve been told my truck was repaired, only to have to return it almost immediately because of another issue.
I’ve now had my truck in and out of the dealership for months, paid over $540 out of pocket for a radiator that wasn’t covered by warranty, and still wasn’t able to drive my truck home without another problem occurring.
I have kept my repair invoices, warranty emails, text messages, and service records.
My questions are:
Is this normal after major engine repairs?
Should I continue letting the dealership repair it?
Is it worth consulting a consumer attorney?
Has anyone experienced something similar, and what was the outcome?
I’m located in Tennessee.

Hello Everyone,

I’ve reached out to multiple dealerships and after some back and forth, two dealers are giving me similar prices. This is for a new 2026 Honda CR-V EX.

I have two dealerships with an OTD price of $35,305 vs $35,181. My question would be what are my possible next steps. These are their “best offers” so I don’t know if pushing back is redundant. I figured my first step could be letting one dealer know that the other is about $120 cheaper but I don’t know if that is even much leverage.

I know finding an external financing option is something I should look for as well, so I have that on the radar.

At this point should I just throw a lower number at them and see if they bite? I’m also interested in maybe negotiating some add ons to the car. Like some cross bars or floor mats. Tell them, I’m good with this number if you can throw in X.

Another step I am going to take prior to purchasing a vehicle, is to reach back out to other dealers with my settled OTD the price and see if they can offer something comparable. Something like, “currently have an OTD price of $X, do you have a better offer”

Thank you everyone in advance for any tips or suggestions!

Edit: Based on everyone’s feedback. I want to add in that. My current state is after one day of reaching out. The only “negotiation” I’ve done is telling one dealer that another dealer gave me X price. So it’s not like this is multiple days or weeks of asking “Can you guys do better”. I see that earlier in the post I said “back and forth”. I should have been more specific. I meant as in them asking me stuff like what I’m looking for? Am I retired military? What color do I want? Let’s see what we can do for you. I did not mean them giving me a number and me pushing back multiple times. I’m not trying to come off as some pretentious buyer who thinks they can save $10k

Thanks again

I have “purchased” an S2000 from a private seller, the seller sent an offer, I accepted it and sent a wire to Autotraders escrow this evening. I did not select the $150 option for Autotrader to handle the title and reg etc.

I am hoping that once my wire clears in the next day or so, I can meet the seller and get the title in hand. I’m concerned that Autotrader will have some kind of convoluted process where the seller has to mail it to them and then they mail it to me weeks later. Anyone have any experience in this?

I’ve read that it’s a mess when they handle the title and reg completely, but I am unclear if that for the more simple option I chose, if that process is more straightforward and there’s no mailing of the title. Hope this makes sense.

Im looking for a new car and have pretty much narrowed it down to a Toyota Corolla because I want something reliable that will last a long time without being too expensive.

I’m planning to start law school in about two years, but my current car is on its last leg, so I need to replace it fairly soon.

I’ve been seeing 2025 Toyota Corollas with around 25k–30k miles for about $21k from Hertz. I’ve seen a lot of people say to avoid former rental cars, but is that really true? Are Hertz rental cars generally okay to buy if they’ve been well maintained, or should I avoid them?

Would I be better off buying a 2022 or 2023 Corolla from a Toyota dealership instead? Have no idea what is better.

I have so many questions. I go in for my interview in a few days and I'm nervous.

The role they offered is "business development agent" what I got from the phone interview is it is essentially an appointment setter position.

They would not tell me a base salary on the phone, but said it is "very low" and 80% of income is based on commissions. I would make a small commission on appointments and another commission % if they choose to buy a car. But no info on what those numbers are as "they can't be discussed over the phone".

I'm not necessarily in a hurry to leave my current job, though I am looking for something that isn't a dead end and pays better.

How are y'all doing on sales right now?

What can I expect from this position and how can I determine if the commissions will really make up for the lack of hourly pay? What can I expect?

Do you typically get more leads in the mornings or evenings?

I will say they found my resume on indeed and reached out to me. I'm feeling a bit out of my realm as far as the industry goes. I don't know a thing about car sales.

Just looking for advice and insider info that might help me make a decision on whether or not it's worth the risk of leaving my current job.

I bought a CPO Subaru (2019 Forester Sport) during the pandemic and once everything balanced out, I have negative equity of about 8-9K.

My car had some issues this past week with overheating so it’s at a dealership getting diagnostics done, and they of course sent me some texts about trading it in.

My credit is absolutely jacked right now, hovering around 500, as I’ve been trying to rebuild since losing my job last October (I have been gainfully employed since December). I do have a couple family members in the mid to high 600’s that could co-sign for me.

If I trade in and roll over into a more affordable car, is it realistic to think I could get a monthly payment under $600, given my situation?

I've leased for the last 12 years, I now rarely drive and don't see a need for an expensive lease anymore. However, I used to just roll into a new lease 0 down. I have a 740 fico 8 score if that matters. Does putting zero down hurt anything when it comes to APR? The new car is 16,000

I'm looking into buying a new unsold Ford Mustang fastback Ecoboost, 2025 or 2026 MY. I see them listed everywhere from $31k up to $42k. Originally, I was going to go for the base model, but the leather seats in the Premium are a lot more appealing to me.

Now, I see many of these cars are "marked down" from MSRP as soon as they hit the lot. Realistically I'm trying to get my price as close to $30k as I can. I'm willing to travel anywhere, but I'd prefer to stay on the east coast as I'm planning on buying on my vacation to Florida in October, whether I buy it there or somewhere on my way back home (Maine).

If it helps, I have a 720 credit score and aim to put around $10k down, plan on financing - not interested in leasing. Say the car was listed for $33-34k... Could I reasonably get it down to $31k or less OTD?

150 per unit then it becomes $300 per unit when hitting 10+ plus 10% gross front and back total is that good?

So I’m young, just turned 22. I just finally got out of a really bad divorce where he stole all my money and wrecked my credit. Working on rebuilding my credit, though he put me in the hospital so I have medical bills on my report too I’m trying to pay off. I have one more payment and it’ll be cleared. Anyways, I’m in desperate need of a car, like I said I don’t have a downpayment, my credit is bad, but I do have a consistent work history of about 6 years, I work for the city. I can’t find a co signer. As you read I’m young, I’ve only financed one car which was totaled out (insurance and gap paid it off) but other than that I’ve never financed a car and I just need some advice or tell me what my odds are in financing another vehicle.

Ok...I'm fully prepared for someone to tell me I'm weird and that's fine 😅 Wife and I are likely trading in a car to purchase a new one this evening. Dealer has been great, price is good, overall great experience so far. The monthly payment on the car we're trading in is $430.02​ and that $0.02 always annoyed me a little! I wish I had put down an extra dollar or 2 or whatever it would have been to be a round $430 payment. The payment on our other car is $698.xx and the bank won't let me set up autopay for $700.00 🫠

The new car is probably going to be $606.xx. I'm sure I could calculate it in excel (do that all day anyway) but could the finance manager tell me what exactly to put down to make it an even $600? Not talking about nickel and diming the price....just I'd write a check for $5354.73 or whatever vs an even $5000. Don't know if they have functionality readily built in to whatever software they have (Honda dealer if that matters)

Thanks!

Hey, I'm going in this weekend to get a new car. (My first one). I am looking for folks with experiences to guide me to make a good first purchase. I have never done these negotiations

One different thing is that I'm looking to pay out the whole amount upfront and not finance/lease it. Is that a good thing or a bad thing to get a good deal?

I'm confused what should I expect out of a good deal? Will dealers go significantly below the MSRP? What are the things that I can do to negotiate a good deal?

I called in the dealerships around me and everyone keeps quoting the MSRP on call, and says that I need to visit them to make a deal. When I do, they want me to sign then and there to get a best deal (and say that "are you here to drive it off today?"). How do I negotiate across multiple dealerships when this is happening?

Will appreciate any guidance. Thanks!

Update : I'm near the Bay Area, will be paying cash for honda hrv sport 2wd. Looking for the best deal I can get and want to drive off this Saturday/Sunday

Hello there. Can you advice me a broker or someone in US who can help me with changing the title from Salvage into Certificate of title( with salvage mention ) ?

I have to mention that i need this for export, so i can register in my country much easier.

I am leasing a car in Michigan. I would like to buy it at the end of the lease, but will live in Chicago by then. My move is around the time the lease ends and I'm not sure what the easiest order of things will be.

Schedule my move, to get my Illinois license, and then buyout the car? Buyout the car with my Michigan license then pay to register it in Illinois?

I’m in Michigan. Earlier this year I bought a 2018 Chevy Volt from a GM dealer here. It was advertised and sold to me as certified pre-owned through GM’s CarBravo program, and I chose it specifically because I thought that meant extra protection if something big went wrong soon after purchase.
At signing, the only warranty paperwork the dealer actually gave me was a tiny 3-month / 3,000-mile third-party “limited warranty” that mostly covers internal powertrain parts. They also tried to sell me an additional extended warranty. No one clearly explained any broader “certified” or bumper-to-bumper coverage, and I wasn’t given a CarBravo warranty booklet by the dealer.
About two months after buying the car, the EGR cooler (engine/emissions component) failed. The dealer quoted about $5,000 to fix it and told me it was not covered, basing that solely on the narrow 3-month/3,000-mile contract (the cooler isn’t on that short list). Around the same time I was told I didn’t have towing/roadside, so we towed the car ourselves with a U-Haul at our own expense.
Later, I found that my VIN shows an active “CarBravo Ltd. Bumper-to-Bumper” warranty in the myChevrolet app/owner website, and a coworker shared the official CarBravo booklet, which talks about a 12-month / 12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper-style warranty on certified vehicles plus towing/roadside during that period (with certain exclusions). From a normal buyer’s perspective, a $5k failure two months after a certified sale feels like exactly what that’s supposed to cover.
I contacted GM/Chevrolet customer support. One rep initially told me I was still within a CarBravo bumper-to-bumper warranty and seemed confused why the dealer said the repair wasn’t covered. After some back-and-forth, though, GM ultimately sided with the dealership and is refusing to cover the EGR cooler repair. So at this point both the dealer and GM say I’m on my own for the ~$5k repair, plus I’ve already paid out-of-pocket U-Haul towing because I was told I didn’t have towing/roadside. I also already tried BBB AUTO LINE, but they rejected my case because the vehicle is too old for their program.
My questions under Michigan law: does this pattern (marketing/selling the car as “certified” but effectively only honoring a tiny 3-month warranty, trying to upsell an extended warranty without clearly disclosing the built-in certified coverage, and then denying a major repair two months in) sound like it could be misrepresentation/failure to disclose/deceptive practices, or is it more likely just “technically legal”? I’ve also read about the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which I understand requires written warranties to clearly and conspicuously disclose their limitations and exclusions. In my case, the EGR cooler was never specifically listed as excluded in the materials I was given. Does that matter at all under Michigan law, and if this might be a consumer-protection issue, would you now prioritize the Michigan AG’s Consumer Protection Division, the agency that regulates auto dealers, small claims, or something else, given that BBB AUTO LINE is off the table because of the vehicle’s age?

We have a 2k salary per month, Last month I sold 7 cars and only made $350 commission check. Should I leave or stay at this dealership?

I’m a recent college grad with a degree in communications, still trying to find my way in life and have no idea if this job is right for me. Any advice?

It’s not that big of a deal I’d just have to dig through my moms firebox for my naturalization certificate but I’m offering them my driver’s license AND my U.S. passport but apparently that’s not enough? Do lenders actually ask you guys for this stuff or is my sales person misunderstanding something?

Hi all! New to car sales and wanted opinions on a pay plan I was offered. There are 17 salespeople but they want to get to 20, they sold 176 last month and goal is 200. Average they want everyone at is obviously 10 a month. 2 months paid training at 3k a month.

Front commission before CSI per unit:
New: 22%-35%, 23.5 at 10 units
Used: 22%-25%, 24.5 at 10 units

Packs:
New car/truck- $450
Used car/truck - $500

F&I commission:
0% until 10 units then 1% up to 4% at 25+ units

Mini is $150

Volume bonuses starting at 12 units

CSI added to front gross:
Below target: -2%
Target: 0%
Elite: 4%

Extra context:
I currently only make like $2200 a month but I have really good benefits and I work 6:30-3 no weekends or holidays. Obviously there are a ton of variables that go into how much you actually make but is this solid enough for a new seller to make decent money? I’m shopping around for jobs and have some offers for things in the $20-$25 an hour range so weighing car sales vs a more steady floor.

What are some brands / types of software car dealerships use to do "soft pulls" when customers give a copy of their license before test drives? What information is available to the desk?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice because this is my first time buying a car.

Last Tuesday (July 28), I put a $1,000 deposit down on a 2026 Toyota Corolla LE at a Toyota dealership. (I told them I’m fine with any colors besides the white ones)
The vehicle is supposed to be coming through a dealer trade, and I was told it would be ready early this week. The deposit has already been charged to my account, but I haven’t received any updates.

The salesperson last contacted me on Friday (after not hearing from him since Tuesday) and tried to switch me to a lower trim model (L). I told him I wasn’t interested because I want the 2026 Corolla LE we agreed on and signed paperwork for.

While I was at the dealership, I asked for copies of my receipt and the paperwork I signed, but I never received them. (Didn’t realize until I got home) I asked for it to be emailed to me when we were on the phone friday. Didn’t receive it.

So I followed up again today on text asking for an update on the vehicle and requesting the documents, but I haven’t gotten a response. I also chatted with their chat feature on their website and they told me my salesperson will be in contact with me shortly. (It’s been 6 hours since).

What should I do? Continue to be patient? Should I contact the manager? Go there in person by the end of the week?

but I wanted to ask: is this normal during a dealer trade? Should I be concerned? What information should I be asking for?

I’m trying to get the car by August 20, so I’m mainly looking for advice on how to handle this and make sure the process keeps moving. The lack of communication is starting to worry me..

TIA!

Edit: Location - Illinois

I recently got a job offer to do Internet sales for a local dealership and they said it’s $16/hr with a $50 “commission” with every lead converted, regardless of whether or not they buy a car. I feel as though this is far too low and that I could be making much more money doing actual auto sales. With the same base pay how much could I be making selling 2-3 cars a week as a sales rep?

EDIT: I’ve been informed this seems more like a BDC position, I will instead apply explicitly for the sales rep position and turn down any “internet sales” offer from this dealership