7:34 am, September 22, 2026
Hidden faults and undisclosed damage top the list of concerns among used car buyers, according to exclusive new research.
Online ad platform Cazoo, in partnership with Car Dealer, has polled more than 2,000 in-market used car buyers on trust in the motor trade.
Some 66% of those polled said that hidden faults and damage were their main concerns when buying a used car followed by unclear vehicle history (46%) and being overcharged (39%).
The survey follows an extensive poll of Car Dealer Magazine readers which found unreasonable behaviour experienced by dealers had surged in the last year too.
The majority of used car buyers (54%) said they expected some friction or difficult negotiations before they visited a dealership, according to Cazoo.
When it comes to trust in used car dealers, some 17% of car buyers said they ‘distrusted’ dealers while half of those asked said they had ‘neutral’ feelings and neither trusted or distrusted dealers.
However, of those who had previously bought a used car from a dealer, more said they were marginally less trusting than before.
Consumers told the Cazoo survey that a full vehicle history report is the most important (61%) thing when buying a car, ahead of an independent inspection/warranty, money-back guarantee and clear no-haggle pricing, which all clustered together in the low 40%.
When it comes to reviews of dealers, the survey found that they carry ‘real weight’ with used car buyers when they are choosing a dealer with some 71% of buyers saying it influenced their decision ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair amount’.
And a near universal (94%) of car buyers said a full vehicle history check was ‘essential’ or ‘important’ before buying.
Mirroring results in our dealer survey, which found a large number of Car Dealer readers would back an official accreditation scheme by the motor trade or government, some 85% of consumers strongly endorsed one too. Some 86% of buyers said such a scheme would make them trust a dealer ‘significantly’ or ‘slightly’ more.
Lucy Tugby, Chief Marketing Officer at Cazoo, said: ‘We commissioned this research to understand how people really feel about buying a used car, and where the distrust comes from.
‘The results are stark: two-thirds worry about hidden faults, and over half expect a difficult negotiation before they’ve even walked into a dealership.
‘That’s a real confidence gap. We want to make car searching simpler and give buyers the information they need to feel properly informed before they speak to a dealers, the benefit being that more confident, better-informed customers should ultimately mean better-quality conversations and leads.
‘There isn’t one single fix for the trust issue, and we’re not pretending there is. It’s something the industry needs to tackle together and great transparency is an important place to start.
‘The findings reinforce why we launched “Honestly, Finally”, with a focus on being clearer and more open with car buyers. We want to work with dealers to help build that trust and give customers more confidence throughout the process.’
Car Dealer editor-in-chief James Baggott added: ‘The results of Cazoo’s survey of car buyers and ours, which asked our readers about the car buying friction points, both clearly pointed to some form of accreditation scheme for the motor trade being a possible solution.
‘I think a scheme that had some grounds in legality which meant you would not be allowed to trade as a car dealer without such a licence would hold rogue traders to account and give car buyers more confidence. I am amazed something has not been put in place over the years and perhaps these results show that it really is needed.’