Have you ever been to a car dealership before? What did you observe? Have you ever seen the same car parked on the lot with the car you have seen the last time you visit?
If yes, this article will be for you. If you plan to buy a car, you need to know how long these cars have been sitting on the lot. A genuine and good dealer might tell you the number, but some will not.
You may have to find out yourself. Inactivity is not suitable for the car. And if a specific car has been on the lot for weeks now or months, then there can be something wrong with the car.
But regardless of that, it is always better to look for cars that have not been on the car dealership for too long. Below is everything you have to know about cars sitting on the lot of a car dealership.
This content will be able to help you decide to buy yourself a new car. Let us get started.
Table of Contents
What Is the Average Time a New Car Sits On Lot?
The average time a new car will sit on a lot should only be for seventy-one days. Inactivity can cause damage to the car. This is why it is crucial for you as a customer to know how long these cars have been sitting on the lot of the car dealership.
Of course, this is not an easy job for the car dealership. You will never know how many cars you will sell. You will also not know what cars will sell the most.
One mistake can result in a car or car sitting and idle at the car dealership for months or so. So it is also essential to do a lot of research and survey because displaying a car so that cars that are on idle can be avoided.
The standard of the automobile industry for keeping a car is seventy-one days. When buying a car, you should know how long this car has been sitting on the lot of the car dealership.
You can make choices with the inclusion of that information. Cars on idle can cause damages, and you might pay for a car with less than its value.
How Long Will a Dealership Hold a Car?
The car dealership will hold a car for an average of seventy-one days. But this is the ideal time.
Some cars will even reach past the seventy-one mark. This will leave the dealers to think of ways on how to sell the car faster.
How Much Does It Cost a Dealership to Keep a Car on the Lot?
If the car sits on the lot for more than a week or even a month, the dealer will double their effort in selling the car. Most of the car dealers would take loans so that they can buy their inventory.
These dealers must sell some cars so that they can pay off the loan they took. So what happens if they cannot sell cars? What happens if some cars have not been sold?
The dealer will not pay the loan, and they will not pay the interest of that loan. If a car will sit for a long time and be sold, the interest will grow larger. It would be very costly for a car dealership if the cars will sit on the lot for more than a week.
If the car has been idling on the lot for a couple of days, the car dealers will still get a hold of that loan and might still even pay the loans and interest. But if that car will sit on the lot for a month or so, that is when they will lose the grip on their loans.
How Do You Figure Out How Long a Car Has Been on the Lot?
If the car has been sitting around the lot for a month now, the dealer will double their effort in selling the car. In buying a car, it is also essential to know how long the car has been sitting on the lot of that car dealership. So how do you figure out how long a car has been sitting on a lot?
There is one way. This is a simple way, but it will need you to have access to the car physically. If you change to view the car closely or even sit inside the car, you have to look inside the door jamb on the driver’s side.
The first thing is to locate the door jamb on the side of the driver. In the door jamb on the driver’s side, you will find a sticker. This sticker contains the date of when the car is manufactured, and there is also some other information stated on the sticker.
If you will find the sticker and it says three months to four months, you will already have the idea that that car has been sitting in the lot for quite some time. You have to put in mind also that some of these cars manufactured in some areas will take some time for the delivery.
This is the first step in figuring out how long a car has been on the lot. This is very simple and, at the same time, very easy. But the thing is you need to see the car physically.
So if you are in a situation where you cannot access the car, you can also try another way. You can search the listings on Cars.com. This site will provide you results that you can filter by how long ago that particular car was listed on the site.
This site can give some data, but it is not all accurate and precise. However, this site can give you essential data.
What Is the Maximum Time a New Car Sits On a Lot?
Some people would say that they would see cars or cars there for a month when they visit the car dealership. So this will make us question the maximum time a new car sits on a lot. This question has a lot of factors to consider.
There is no single answer. Some cars are very in demand, and they can be sold within a day or two days or little more days. But some cars are not so sellable.
In the law of automobile dealerships, a car dealership should only keep a car for seventy days. But this is an ideal time. If a car sits on a lot for a month, the dealers will have to reprice and mark down the price of this vehicle.
If the car will still sit on the lot for three months now, that is already too long. If the car reaches this mark, the dealer will have to think of another way to sell the car or even send the car for an auction.
Summary
In summary, cars can be on the lot of a car dealership for too long. The average time should be seventy-one days. But some cars can sit on the lot for more than seventy-one days.
These cars must be auctioned for them to sell. If not auctioned, these cars must be marked down so that people will buy them.
Related:
- Buying a 2 Year Old New Car
- What Happens When a Car Sits For 2 Years?
- New Car Sitting On Lot for a Year
- What Happens When A Car Has Been Sitting For 3 Years?
Resources
Image credits – Canva
