What a Buyer's Guide actually is

The used car’s window form says the dealer will cover part of a repair, while the sales contract says no warranty. Which paper controls that conflict? For a sale covered by the FTC Used Car Rule, the Buyers Guide’s information becomes part of the contract and overrides contrary contract provisions.

The FTC’s dealer guidance explains who is covered. The federal rule applies to covered used-vehicle dealers and vehicles, with exemptions. Maine and Wisconsin have exemptions because of their own comparable disclosure requirements. A private seller’s car is not automatically subject to this dealer rule.

Read the VIN first, then the selected warranty box. As Is means the dealer is not offering its own warranty under that form, subject to state law and other rights. It does not settle every possible claim. A dealer-warranty entry should identify covered systems, duration and the dealer’s share of parts and labor.

The official three-page download contains two alternative fronts and one common reverse. The Implied Warranties Only front replaces the As Is box; it still includes Dealer Warranty. It is not a third arrangement that removes the warranty section entirely.

The reverse’s defect list is generic. An unchecked or clean-looking sheet does not certify that those systems are sound. The form itself directs the shopper toward an independent inspection and history/recall checks.

Get the final Guide reflecting negotiated changes and the separate written warranty if one is offered. The FTC says the Guide alone is not the complete written warranty document. This form answers warranty-disclosure questions for the sale; the Monroney label identifies a manufacturer’s new-car disclosure.