Car Deal CheckUnderstand your deal. Drive smarter. No sign up · Free to use

Don’t negotiate the payment.

Understand the deal.

Enter the numbers from your dealer quote and see where the money is really going.

Your dealer quote

AI quote import is temporarily paused. The free manual calculator, APR comparison, and trade-in tools are available.

Itemized charges & credits

Add a line for each item. Discounts and rebates are entered as positive credits. Enter a named $0 tax or fee if confirmed zero.

No AI calls. Nothing saved. Your inputs stay when you switch tabs.

Your Results

The full deal. In plain sight.

Start with your quote or enter the numbers yourself. We’ll separate the price, the charges, and the cost of borrowing.

01See the total loan cost

02Check fees and trade equity

03Leave with better questions

Example calculations work without AI.

BEFORE YOU SIGN

Car buying guides

Open a guide for worked examples and questions to take back to the dealer.

The written quote Read the fees before you agree to the price Separate the vehicle price, government charges, dealer fees, and optional products—with a worked quote example.

By Blutek Media ·

Start with one itemized total

Ask for a written out-the-door price for the particular vehicle you are considering. Keep that quote separate from the discussion about how you will pay. A monthly payment can change with the down payment, trade, rate, or loan term without telling you which charges changed.

The FTC recommends getting the out-the-door price in writing before visiting a dealer. Its used-car guidance also describes optional products such as VIN etching and service add-ons. A product on a worksheet deserves its own explanation and price; a familiar-sounding name does not tell you whether you need it.

FTC: Buying a used car from a dealer ↗

Put each line in the right place

Keep vehicle price, discounts, dealer products, dealer fees, taxes, and title or registration in separate groups. Ask who receives a charge and what it covers. Taxes and government fees depend on the transaction and jurisdiction; the calculator does not verify the legal amount.

A dealer documentation or processing fee belongs in a different group from government registration. Whether a particular fee is negotiable, capped, or mandatory depends on the circumstances. If the dealer will not change one line, compare the complete written total rather than assuming the label settles the value of the offer.

A worked example

These invented figures show the arithmetic, not typical or recommended fees. Assume no trade and no cash down. The selling price is before the separately listed discount.

Quote line Amount
Vehicle selling price $30,000
Dealer discount −$1,000
Protection product +$900
Dealer documentation fee +$600
Entered tax +$1,800
Title and registration +$300
Itemized total $32,600

The $1,000 discount reduces the price, while the listed charges add $3,600. The total is $32,600. If the $900 product is removed and every other entered amount stays the same, the arithmetic total becomes $31,700. In a real revised quote, tax or another dependent amount may change too—use the replacement figures.

Avoid counting the same amount twice

Check whether the selling price already includes a discount. Entering that discount again makes the estimate too low. Similarly, do not add the out-the-door total as another fee after entering its component lines.

In Car Deal Check, enter the itemized values in the manual calculator. If the worksheet separately shows an amount financed, enter that too. A difference between the two totals is a reason to reconcile the worksheet, not proof that a charge is fraudulent.

Questions to take back to the dealer

  • Which products are optional, and what does each include?
  • Can you provide a revised written total with the products I decline removed?
  • Who receives each government-related charge, and how was it calculated?
  • Do the selling price and discount lines overlap?
  • Will these same charges appear in the final contract?

Examples are invented and are not loan offers. Verify your written quote, lender disclosures, and applicable local requirements.

Back to the calculator ↑ Open guide in a new tab ↗
Financing Compare the loan, beyond the monthly payment Use the amount financed, APR, term, and estimated total interest to understand two financing offers.

By Blutek Media ·

Put the offers on the same basis

Start with the same vehicle, the same itemized charges, and the same cash and trade contribution. If one quote finances more money, part of its payment difference comes from the principal rather than the rate. Ask each lender for the amount financed, APR, number of payments, payment amount, and total payment disclosures.

The CFPB recommends comparing the total borrowing cost as well as the monthly payment. A longer term can lower the payment while increasing the total cost. APR helps compare credit costs, but you should still read the actual fees and payment schedule.

CFPB: How to compare auto loan offers ↗

Two payments that tell different stories

Consider two invented offers that each finance $30,000. For this simplified illustration, use fixed annual rates of 6% and 8%, monthly payments, no separate finance fees, and payments made on schedule. Amounts below are rounded to the nearest dollar.

Offer A Offer B
Amount financed $30,000 $30,000
Annual rate 6% 8%
Loan term 60 months 72 months
Estimated payment $580 $526
Estimated total interest $4,799 $7,872
Estimated total payments $34,799 $37,872

Offer B lowers the estimated monthly payment by about $54, but continues for another year and adds about $3,073 in total interest. Those are separate tradeoffs. A smaller payment does not establish that the vehicle price or loan is cheaper.

Compare one change at a time

First keep the amount financed and term fixed while comparing rates. Then hold the amount and rate fixed while changing the term. This shows which decision produces each difference. Finally, compare the actual complete offers, since lenders may quote different terms or fees.

Car Deal Check’s Compare APR tab compares two rates on the same amount and term. To compare different terms, run the two scenarios separately and record each payment and total interest. Treat any example inputs as illustrations; replace them with your written offers.

Understand the estimate

The calculator uses the standard fixed-payment amortization formula: principal multiplied by the monthly rate, divided by one minus the monthly growth factor raised to the negative number of payments. At zero interest, it divides principal by the number of payments.

For an estimate, the entered APR is used as the annual rate. When the disclosed APR includes fees, it may differ from the contract’s interest rate. Daily interest accrual, payment dates, fees, rounding, or a different final payment can cause the lender’s schedule to differ. The signed loan disclosures remain the reference.

Leave room for owning the car

A payment comparison is only one part of your budget. Separately consider insurance, maintenance, fuel or charging, and other running costs. The CFPB highlights total ownership cost as part of comparing offers.

  • Are both quotes financing the same amount?
  • Is the APR different from the contract interest rate, and why?
  • Are there fees or products financed in only one offer?
  • What is the total of payments for each offer?
  • What are the contract’s early-payment terms?

CFPB: Compare offers and ownership costs ↗

Examples are invented and are not loan offers. Verify your written quote, lender disclosures, and applicable local requirements.

Back to the calculator ↑ Open guide in a new tab ↗
Trade-in Where your trade-in equity goes Work out allowance minus payoff, and see how positive or negative equity affects the next loan.

By Blutek Media ·

Use two numbers, not one

A trade allowance is the amount offered for your current vehicle. The payoff is the amount needed to settle its existing loan. Their difference is the equity. A high trade offer can still leave little equity if the payoff is also high.

Get a current payoff quote from your lender and note how long it is valid. The CFPB explains that a balance remaining after a trade may be rolled into a new loan, increasing its cost. The old debt has not disappeared when a dealer says it will handle the payoff.

CFPB: Trading in a car that is not paid off ↗

Positive equity reduces the amount to cover

Suppose the allowance is $17,000 and the payoff is $13,500. The equity is $3,500. In an illustration where the next purchase totals $32,600 before the trade or down payment, applying that equity and $2,000 cash reduces the estimated amount financed to $27,100.

Calculation Amount
Purchase total before trade and cash $32,600
Less positive trade equity −$3,500
Less cash down −$2,000
Estimated amount financed $27,100

The entire $17,000 allowance does not act as a down payment, because $13,500 settles the previous debt. Subtracting both the allowance and the equity would count part of the trade twice.

Negative equity adds to the next obligation

Now keep the $17,000 allowance but change the payoff to $20,500. Equity is negative $3,500. With the same $32,600 purchase total and $2,000 cash down, rolling all of that shortfall into the new loan produces an estimated $34,100 amount financed.

Calculation Amount
Purchase total before trade and cash $32,600
Add unpaid trade balance +$3,500
Less cash down −$2,000
Estimated amount financed $34,100

The two examples differ by $7,000: the first applies $3,500 of value, while the second carries $3,500 of debt. These examples hold entered taxes and fees constant to isolate equity; real tax treatment can vary.

Compare the complete transaction

Compare the vehicle price and the trade allowance together when looking at two dealers. An extra $1,000 offered for your trade does not improve the overall deal if the replacement vehicle costs $1,000 more and everything else is unchanged.

Ask for the allowance, payoff, cash down, and new amount financed on the same written worksheet. After the transaction, confirm with your previous lender that the loan has been paid off. The CFPB recommends checking this rather than assuming the paperwork has been completed.

CFPB: Payoff and negative-equity considerations ↗

Check it in the calculator

Car Deal Check’s Trade-In tab calculates the difference between allowance and payoff. Use the Manual Calculator when you want to include that equity in a complete purchase estimate. Enter zero as the payoff if the vehicle is paid off; leaving it blank means the information is missing.

  • What is the current payoff, and when does that quote expire?
  • How much equity or unpaid balance is applied to this purchase?
  • Where does the old balance appear in the new amount financed?
  • Can you show the deal with and without the trade?
  • How and when will I confirm the previous loan is settled?

Examples are invented and are not loan offers. Verify your written quote, lender disclosures, and applicable local requirements.

Back to the calculator ↑ Open guide in a new tab ↗

Follow a worked example of the calculation and worksheet differences

Why Car Deal Check keeps the math outside AI

Know what you’re paying

Separate the vehicle, fees, and financing.

Look beyond the payment

See interest and upfront contributions.

Be a more informed buyer

Bring specific questions before you sign.

BEFORE YOU SIGN

A little clarity goes a long way.

The price, the trade, and the loan are different parts of one transaction. Understand each part before deciding whether the whole deal works for you.

01

How dealer financing works

A dealer can help arrange a loan through a lender. The amount financed is the balance being borrowed after the transaction’s charges and credits are applied. APR and loan length then affect how much you pay to borrow it.

Ask for an itemized worksheet and the proposed financing disclosures. Compare the vehicle price separately from the loan. Use the same amount financed and term when comparing two APRs; otherwise a lower payment may reflect a different deal. See the CFPB’s auto-loan information .

02

Why monthly payment can be misleading

A payment alone cannot tell you the purchase price or total borrowing cost. It may look smaller because you paid more upfront, contributed a valuable trade, or extended the loan over more months.

Compare the amount financed, total payments, total interest, and what you contribute at signing. For the same principal and a positive fixed rate, spreading payments over a longer term typically increases interest. That trade-off deserves attention without automatically making the deal good or bad.

03

What dealer APR markup means

A lender may quote a dealer a “buy rate.” The consumer’s contract rate can be higher, and the difference may compensate the dealer. A worksheet showing only your APR does not establish the lender’s buy rate or prove that a specific markup occurred.

Ask: “Is this APR the lender’s buy rate, or has the rate been marked up?” Also ask whether other lenders approved a lower rate. Compare with an actual preapproval when you have one. Learn more from the CFPB’s explanation of buy rates .

04

How down payments affect payments

Cash down reduces the balance you borrow, so it can lower both the calculated payment and total interest when the rate and term stay the same. It is still money you contribute to the purchase.

“Cash due at signing” may include the down payment and other upfront charges. Do not count both amounts as separate contributions without understanding what each includes. This calculator keeps them separate and only estimates total buyer contribution when enough information is available.

05

How trade equity works

Trade equity is the allowance for your current vehicle minus the balance needed to pay off its loan. A $17,000 allowance with a $13,500 payoff leaves $3,500 in positive equity.

If applied to your purchase, that equity reduces the new balance. It comes from your existing vehicle; it is not a dealer discount. Enter both allowance and payoff so a large trade credit does not hide the debt that must be paid first. Use a current payoff amount, which can differ from the balance on a statement.

06

What negative equity means

If the payoff exceeds the trade allowance, the difference is negative equity. Someone still has to pay that balance. When included in your new financing, it adds old vehicle debt to the new loan.

Our itemized estimate assumes that entered negative equity is rolled into the new loan. Confirm whether it is financed, paid separately, or handled another way. Read the CFPB’s guide to trading a vehicle with an unpaid loan .

07

Dealer add-ons vs. government fees

A worksheet may combine government-related amounts, dealer charges, and optional products. Sales tax and title or registration belong in a different category from a protection package, service contract, or documentation charge.

Names alone do not settle whether a specific charge is required or negotiable. Ask who receives it, what it pays for, and how the total changes if an item is removed. The categories here are prompts for verification, not legal conclusions. If an add-on is financed, its full cost can also include interest.

08

Questions to ask before signing

Request the final out-the-door price in writing. Ask the dealer to connect every fee, discount, rebate, trade credit, and upfront payment to the amount financed. Confirm which products you selected and their individual prices.

Check that the APR, term, and payment on the contract match the offer you reviewed. Ask about payment timing, any additional lender fees, and whether a lower-rate offer changes a rebate. If the numbers change, update the worksheet and compare again before you decide.

A few common questions.

Can I use this without uploading anything?

Yes. Manual Calculator, Compare APR, and Trade-In use the numbers you enter with no AI calls. No account is needed. Your entries stay in this page while you switch tabs; refreshing or closing it clears them.

Is the calculated payment exact?

It is a fixed-rate monthly amortization estimate. APR is used as the annual rate. Actual loan schedules can differ because of fees, simple daily interest, first-payment timing, rounding, or other contract terms. We flag differences above the larger of $5 or 1% of the expected payment so you can ask what explains them.

What if the AI misses a number?

Check the extracted fields against your quote and correct them in Manual Calculator. Missing values are not invented. There are no automatic image retries; adding the missing numbers lets you continue without sending the photos again.

Does this tell me what APR I should qualify for?

No. It compares only the rates you supply, at the same principal and term. It does not check credit, estimate eligibility, or provide a loan offer. Different lender fees or rebate conditions can affect a real-world comparison.

Do you calculate my state’s taxes or determine fee legality?

No. Enter the tax and government fees shown on your quote and verify them with the dealer and the relevant authority. Unknown costs are excluded from the itemized estimate and listed in its assumptions.

What does a VIN lookup tell me?

The optional lookup uses NHTSA vPIC for basic vehicle details such as year, make, model, trim, and body class where available. It does not provide market value, vehicle history, or an inspection. A failed lookup does not affect the loan math.

Your quote deserves privacy.

Manual calculations send your numbers to our server for calculation and do not use AI. Quote text and results are not saved in a database or browser storage.

When photo analysis is available, selected images are resized and re-encoded in your browser before upload. The application validates them, processes them in a private temporary directory, and removes that directory when processing finishes or fails. Recovery cleanup handles files left behind after an interrupted process.

When available, optional AI analysis sends quote text or compressed images to Cloudflare Workers AI. Public AI requests are blocked while that feature is paused. VIN lookup sends the VIN to NHTSA. A necessary security cookie protects requests. Advertising and third-party analytics scripts are not active; our full notice explains the planned Google AdSense setup and privacy choices.

Read the full privacy and cookie notice or review your privacy choices.

Do not upload driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers, credit applications, bank statements, or other sensitive personal information. Upload only the dealer quote, buyer’s order, or financing worksheet.

Car Deal Check is an educational calculator and analysis tool. Results are estimates based on the information provided and are not legal, financial, lending, or tax advice. Verify all figures with the dealership and lender before signing.

Sources are provided for further reading. Car Deal Check is not affiliated with NHTSA or the CFPB.