The FTC Buyers Guide — the window form that becomes part of your contract.
Any dealer who sold 5 or more used vehicles in the past 12 months must hang a Buyers Guide on each used car before offering it to you. It says whether the car comes "As Is" or with a warranty, lists the car's VIN, and since 2016 tells you to get a vehicle history report and check for open recalls. The final guide overrides anything in the sales contract that contradicts it.
Check the VIN on the Buyers Guide
Enter the 17-character VIN printed on the guide for a free preview of the title and history records on file.
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Quick Answer
- What is the FTC Buyers Guide?
- A window form the FTC's Used Car Rule requires on every used car a dealer offers to consumers. It names the dealer, the make, model, year and VIN, and marks whether the car is sold "As Is", with implied warranties only, or with a dealer warranty. Dealers who sold 5 or more used vehicles in the previous 12 months must post it (16 CFR 455.1 and 455.2).
- What does "As Is — No Dealer Warranty" mean?
- The dealer promises no repairs after the sale and offers no implied warranty. In states that limit or ban "as is" sales, the dealer must use the "Implied Warranties Only" box instead, which keeps your state-law rights for serious problems that weren't apparent when you bought the car.
- Does the Buyers Guide apply to private sellers?
- No. The rule covers dealers, defined as sellers of 5 or more used vehicles in the previous 12 months. Banks, businesses selling to employees and lessors selling to the lessee are excluded, and the rule does not apply in Maine or Wisconsin, which have their own similar rules.
Five things to do with the Buyers Guide
In the order you'll need them, from the window to the closing table.
- 1Find it on the carIt must be displayed so both sides can be read; it only comes off for a test drive.
- 2Match the VINThe guide lists make, model, year and VIN. Make sure they belong to the car in front of you.
- 3Read the checked boxAs Is, Implied Warranties Only, or a Full or Limited warranty with systems and duration.
- 4Get a history reportSince 2016 the guide itself tells you to get one and to check open recalls.
- 5Keep the final copyThe dealer must give you the guide with the warranty you agreed on.
Who has to post a Buyers Guide
The rule turns on who sells, what is sold and where. Each line is from the regulation or the FTC's own guide for dealers.
| Rule | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dealer | Sold or offered 5 or more used vehicles in the previous 12 months | § 455.1(d)(3) |
| Not a dealer | Banks and financial institutions, a business selling to its employee, a lessor selling to the lessee | § 455.1(d)(3) |
| Vehicles covered | Motorized, under 8,500 lb GVWR, under 6,000 lb curb weight, under 46 sq ft frontal area | § 455.1(d)(1) |
| Not covered | Motorcycles, and vehicles sold only for scrap or parts with a salvage certificate | § 455.1(d)(1)–(2) |
| Where | Every state except Maine and Wisconsin, plus DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa | FTC Dealer's Guide |
The form must be printed in black ink on white stock no smaller than 11 inches high by 7¼ inches wide, with the exact wording the rule prescribes (§ 455.2(a)(2)).
The warranty boxes, one by one
Which box is marked decides what the dealer owes you after the sale.
| Box | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|
| As Is — No Dealer Warranty | No implied warranty; the dealer promises no repairs after the sale | § 455.2(b)(1)(i) |
| Implied Warranties Only | Used where state law limits or bans "as is" sales, or where the dealer chooses it; state implied warranties may cover serious hidden problems | § 455.2(b)(1)(ii) |
| Full or Limited Warranty | Must name each covered system (no "drive train" or "power train" shorthand), the duration and the share of parts and labor the dealer pays | § 455.2(b)(2) |
| Non-dealer warranties | Optional boxes: manufacturer's warranty still applies, manufacturer's used-vehicle warranty, or other used-vehicle warranty | § 455.2(b)(2)(v) |
| Service contract | Available for an extra charge; buying one within 90 days of purchase may give you added implied-warranty rights under state law | § 455.2(b)(3) |
If the dealer first offers a warranty and then sells the car without one, the warranty must be crossed out on the form and the As Is or Implied Warranties Only box marked instead (§ 455.2(b)(2)).
The guide is part of your contract
The final version of the Buyers Guide is incorporated into the contract of sale, and it overrides any contrary provision in that contract. The dealer has to say so in the contract itself: "The information you see on the window form for this vehicle is part of this contract. Information on the window form overrides any contrary provisions in the contract of sale."
Warranty coverage can be negotiated. What matters is the end result: the final terms go into the contract and onto the copy of the guide you take home. The dealer may not say or do anything, orally or in writing, that contradicts the guide.
§ 455.3 and § 455.4 in short
- Contract: the final guide is part of it
- Conflicts: the guide wins over the contract
- Promises: no oral or written statement may contradict it
What the 2016 revision added
The current form dates from the FTC's 2016 amendments. The FTC listed these changes when it approved them.
| Change | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| History report and recall statement | The guide tells you to get a vehicle history report (ftc.gov/usedcars) and to check open safety recalls (safercar.gov) |
| Air bags and catalytic converters | Added to the guide's list of major defects that may occur in used vehicles |
| Non-dealer warranty boxes | The dealer can show that a manufacturer's or other used-vehicle warranty applies |
| Service contract box | The dealer marks whether a service contract is available |
| Spanish statement | Spanish-speaking buyers are told to ask for the guide in Spanish when the sale is in Spanish |
Dealers could use up older stock for one year, until January 27, 2018 (§ 455.2(a)).
The warranty boxes at a glance
What each box on the guide means, and what the rule adds around it.
The Guide Says: Get a History Report
Enter the VIN printed on the Buyers Guide for a free preview of the records on file. The full report costs $14.99 ($9.00 each in a 10-pack) and lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
Spanish sales and penalties
Two more rules that matter at the closing table.
| Rule | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish-language sale | The guide and the contract disclosure must be in Spanish; dealers may post both versions | § 455.5 |
| Optional signature line | If used, it must say the buyer received the guide at closing | § 455.2(f) |
| Penalty | Up to $53,088 per violation in FTC enforcement actions | 16 CFR 1.98(d) |
The FTC adds that many states have similar rules or adopt the Used Car Rule by reference, so state officials may enforce it too.
Where the Buyers Guide won't protect you
Four common purchases the federal rule doesn't reach.
Private sellers
Someone selling fewer than 5 used cars a year is not a dealer under the rule.
Maine and Wisconsin
Exempt from the federal rule because state regulations require similar window disclosures.
Motorcycles
Excluded from the rule's definition of a vehicle.
Heavy vehicles
Vehicles at or above 8,500 lb GVWR fall outside the rule.
Related Checks and Guides
More for used-car buyers.
Where These Facts Come From
Rules from 16 CFR Part 455 and 16 CFR 1.98 (eCFR, current to 7 October 2026); exemptions and consumer statements from the FTC's Dealer's Guide; 2016 changes from the FTC's announcement. Read on 10 October 2026.
This page explains the federal rule. State laws on warranties and "as is" sales differ; your state attorney general or motor vehicle agency can tell you what applies where you buy.
Prüfen Sie die Fahrgestellnummer immer vor dem Kauf
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FTC Buyers Guide: Frequently Asked Questions
What buyers ask most about the window form.
Can a dealer take the Buyers Guide off the car?+
Only temporarily during a test drive. It has to go back on the vehicle as soon as the test drive is over (§ 455.2(a)(1)).
What if my contract says something different from the Buyers Guide?+
The information on the final window form overrides any contrary provision in the contract of sale (§ 455.3(b)).
Is a dealer allowed to sell a car "as is"?+
Under the federal rule, yes, if the As Is box is marked. If your state limits or bans "as is" sales, the dealer must use the Implied Warranties Only version instead.
Does the Buyers Guide tell me to get a vehicle history report?+
Yes. Since the 2016 revision it directs buyers to get a vehicle history report and to check for open safety recalls.
Check the VIN on the Buyers Guide
Enter the 17-character VIN for a free preview. The full report lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
CarCheckerVIN is an independent vehicle-history service, not a government agency, and does not give legal advice. Rules summarized from 16 CFR Part 455 and FTC guidance as read on 10 October 2026. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
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