6:57 am, September 29, 2026
Buying a used car should be exciting, but for a lot of people the process still starts with a degree of suspicion.
That is exactly why we launched Honestly, Finally. The platform is built around tackling some of the frustration and distrust people still experience when searching for a used car, with a focus on greater transparency and making the process feel clearer for buyers.
Recent research from Cazoo and Car Dealer Magazine shows just how deep that feeling can run.
Two-thirds of consumers say hidden faults or undisclosed damage are among their biggest concerns when buying a used car, while more than half expect some kind of friction or negotiation tactic before they have even visited a dealership.
Dealers are seeing the other side of that. Almost nine in 10 say customers are doing more research and price comparison than they were 12 months ago, while 68.5% say difficult or unreasonable customer behaviour has increased over the past year.
Put those findings together and there is an interesting problem: Buyers are doing more research than ever, but with the car-buying process becoming increasingly complex, that does not necessarily mean they feel more informed or have all the answers.
Dealers, meanwhile, are increasingly meeting customers who may already be on their guard before the conversation has even begun. That is not particularly good for either side.
There is no single answer to rebuilding trust in the used car market, but transparency is an obvious place to start.
Consumers are pretty clear about the things that give them confidence, with some 94% stating a full vehicle history check is either important or essential before buying, while 71% say online reviews have a meaningful influence on which dealer they choose.
For good dealers, that should be a fantastic opportunity.
- Car buyers fear hidden faults and undisclosed damage on used cars the most
- Unreasonable car buyer customer behaviour ‘has got worse’, reveals Car Dealer Trust Survey
The more useful information a customer can see before they make contact, the fewer reasons they have to feel suspicious. Clear vehicle descriptions, detailed history information, honest photos and videos, straightforward pricing and visible customer reviews can all help take some of the uncertainty out of the process.
Communication matters too, as someone who has spent hours researching and comparing cars online is unlikely to want to wait days for an answer to a simple question. A quick and helpful response can make a big difference to somebody’s first impression of a retailer.
Marketplaces have a role to play as well. It should be easier for customers to understand what sits behind a listing and to identify dealers who consistently provide a good experience.
Technology can help with that, although it is not going to solve everything by itself. Nearly half of consumers said tools such as virtual viewings, digital checks and chatbots could make them feel more confident when buying a used car – suggesting there is an appetite for new technology where it genuinely makes the process clearer or easier.
Used properly, though, technology can make information easier to find, answer straightforward questions more quickly and give buyers a better idea of a vehicle before they travel to see it. It should support the relationship between a customer and dealer, rather than try to replace it.
There is also a wider question around standards, with around 85% of consumers telling us a national dealer accreditation or approval scheme would make them trust a dealer more, while dealers themselves identified tackling rogue traders as one of the most important things the industry could do to improve trust.
A small number of poor operators can have a disproportionate effect on the reputation of the whole sector. Good dealers need to be able to stand out and customers need to be able to recognise them.
That thinking is a big part of what we are aiming to do at Cazoo. Our new ‘Honestly, Finally’ platform is built around improving transparency and reducing some of the friction people experience when searching for a used car.
For us, that means giving buyers a clearer view of what sits behind a listing, being clearer with dealers about what good looks like and making sure great dealers get the visibility they deserve. Better support for dealers should ultimately lead to a better experience for buyers too, with customers arriving better informed, more confident and with a clearer understanding of what to expect from the car-buying process.
None of this will rebuild trust overnight. It comes from getting the basics right consistently, like providing good information, communicating clearly and making sure the experience a customer gets matches what they were promised online.
The positive thing is that both sides seem to want much the same outcome. Buyers want reassurance, while reputable dealers want customers to recognise the value they provide. Closing the gap between the two should be in everybody’s interest.
Lucy Tugby is the chief marketing officer of online used car sales platform Cazoo.