Top of the page: identity
- VIN — must match the car you drove. A single digit off is a different vehicle.
- Year, make, model, trim, mileage — on a used car, confirm the mileage matches today, not the day it was listed.
- New / used / demo status — a demo unit with delivery miles is a used car in most practical senses.
The price block
- Selling price — the negotiated vehicle price. Everything else is layered on top of this.
- Market adjustment / ADM / 'market value adjustment' — any amount above MSRP. This is dealer margin with a formal-sounding name.
- Destination charge — appears on the manufacturer's window sticker on a new car. It should appear once and match that sticker.
- Rebates and discounts — each should be its own line, with any condition stated.
The fee block: the part that matters most
Sort every fee into one of two piles: money the dealership passes to the government, and money the dealership keeps. Only the second pile is negotiable — and it is usually larger than buyers expect.
| Line | Pile | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sales / use tax | Government | Verify the taxable amount, not the rate |
| Title | Government | Should match a published state amount |
| Registration / plate | Government | Confirm the plate type and period you chose |
| Documentation / processing | Dealership | If it can't move, ask for the price to drop instead |
| Electronic filing | Dealership or vendor | Ask who receives it |
| Dealer prep / reconditioning | Dealership | Question it; this is usually cost of doing business |
| Accessories / protection package | Optional | Ask for the total without it, in writing |
The trade-in block
- Trade allowance — what they are crediting you for your car.
- Payoff — what your lender is owed. If the payoff exceeds the allowance, the difference is negative equity.
- Net trade — allowance minus payoff. A negative number here is being added to your new loan.
The financing block
- Amount financed — should equal out-the-door total minus down payment minus net trade.
- APR and term — both must be printed. A payment without these two is not information.
- Total of payments — payment times term. Compare this across offers, not the monthly figure.
Seven lines worth questioning every time
- 1Any amount above MSRP
- 2A documentation fee larger than you expected for your state
- 3An electronic filing fee stacked on top of the documentation fee
- 4'Dealer prep' or 'reconditioning' on a new car
- 5Any protection or appearance package you did not ask for
- 6A term longer than you agreed to
- 7A total that does not match the verbal number
Before you sign
- VIN and mileage match the car
- Every fee is a separate line with a dollar amount
- You can name who receives each charge
- Trade allowance and payoff are shown separately
- APR, term, amount financed, and total of payments are printed
- There are no blank fields anywhere on the page
- You have a copy of everything you signed before you leave
Never sign a document with blank lines. Ask for it to be completed or corrected and reprinted — a reprint takes two minutes and a dispute takes months.