From the lot to the service bay, two surveys reveal a trust gap dealers can close

A new Bumper.com survey shows that for many used-car buyers, repair costs end up erasing the savings that inspired them to travel the pre-owned route in the first place.

Adding to that, a separate survey found that more than one in four drivers are already cutting back on repairs due to rising gas prices, a trend one expert said can lead to serious consequences.

First things first: The Bumper.com study, conducted in April 2026, surveyed 2,011 people and found that buyers who skip basic due diligence before purchasing a used car ultimately pay for it, sometimes as much as $3,000 or more.

Among affected buyers, nearly six in 10 found issues within three months, and 62% skipped a VIN check before buying.
Who to blame: 48% of affected buyers felt the seller had not fully disclosed known issues, while 35% felt they had enough intel, and 17% said they were unsure.
The responses included buyers who bought from private sellers (51%) and from dealerships (49%).

“The almost-even split between used-car owners facing problems with cars they bought from a private seller or a dealership could suggest that buyers aren't automatically in the clear just because they're buying a used car from a dealership," Erin Kemp, consumer advocate at Bumper, told CDG News. “It also suggests that buyers simply aren't taking the time to do their research in either scenario."

By the numbers: Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed said they had issues in the first month after buying the car.

And 58% said stuff went wrong in the first three months.
More than half (53%) said they’ve spent more than $1,500 on repairs within two years of buying.
Meanwhile, 24% spent more than $3,000 in that timeframe.
Engine and transmission issues together were the root of 58% of reported problems.

Looking back: A large chunk of buyers said they wished they hadn’t skipped a pre-check.

Specifically, 42% said next time, they’d get a full mechanic report first, and 29% said they’d run a more thorough VIN or vehicle history check.
Still, 32% said they did everything right, and still ended up spending money on repairs.

Repairs are repairs: Although most would agree there’s no great time to have to cough up repair money, a separate survey showed that rising gas prices are forcing many car owners to delay even routine repairs, such as tires and brakes.

That survey of 2,002 U.S. adults, conducted April 30–May 5, was commissioned by The G Law Group, a Miami-based personal injury law firm.

It showed that 27% of car owners are delaying repairs.

Geography matters: Detroit residents reported the highest rate of delays at 42%.

Next up was Denver, with 37%, and Columbus, Ohio, at 34%.
Overall, the Midwest reported the highest rate of delays at 32%.

Simeon Genadiev, managing partner of the G Law Group, said in a release that brakes and tires are not optional.

“When drivers are already stretched thin by the cost of gas, routine maintenance is often the first thing to go, and that has real consequences on the road,” Genadiev said. “We see the results of deferred maintenance in accident cases regularly. What starts as a small issue can quickly become a serious one.”

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Money talks: The pattern isn’t limited to lower-income households.

People earning in the $85,001–$95,000 bracket reported delaying maintenance at a rate of 35%.
Meanwhile, respondents earning $25,001–$35,000 had a 33% delay rate.

Bottom line: These numbers show an opportunity for dealers. For one, Kemp suggests going through a VIN report with buyers “so they are fully educated on any car they are about to purchase.”

“To build trust, dealers should be specific with their customers about any problems they found during inspections and initiate the conversation so buyers don't feel like any information is being hidden from them," Kemp said.

On turning it into a selling point, she added: "Sharing any problems you found and the specific repairs you made can be a great selling point. It lets buyers know they're getting a car that's in the best shape possible."

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