10 Oct 2025
Almost two-thirds of car dealers (62%) are using artificial intelligence (AI) within their business, according to new research.
October’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 38% are employing the technology to help car buyers find the right vehicle, 31% to handle initial customer contact and 26% to enable consumers to identify the best finance option.
However, some dealers are lukewarm about the prospect of using AI – 18% say they are happy with their existing processes, 16% are yet to be convinced it can really help them and 6% feel it isn’t yet sufficiently mature.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “The level of adoption we are seeing here is perhaps surprisingly high, given there are not yet that many specialist AI products for dealers available.
“What is also fascinating is that the technology is almost exclusively being used in a customer-facing role, for lead handling, car choice and finance. These are tasks that have traditionally been seen as part of the core expertise of dealer staff.”
The Startline Used Car Tracker research also showed interesting responses to the question of how effective dealers using AI believe it is proving to be – with 10% saying it has been successful and 8% unsuccessful.
Paul said: “These are curious figures open to a wide degree of interpretation. The response rates are very low compared to the two-thirds of dealers who are using AI, perhaps suggesting that a large percentage have yet to make up their minds.
“Also, both those feeling satisfied and unsatisfied with their experiences almost cancel each other out. This could indicate overall that AI isn’t yet delivering on dealer expectations, at least in this relatively early phase.”
The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 300 consumers and 61 dealers were questioned.