Win trust on the purchase people research the most.

DealerRater is the leading review site built specifically for car dealerships, and it works differently from a typical business-review platform: reviews aren’t just left for the store, they’re tied to the individual employee who handled the deal. A buyer names and rates the specific salesperson, finance manager, or service advisor they worked with, in addition to rating the dealership overall.

That employee-level structure matters because it means DealerRater reputation is really two things at once — the dealership’s aggregate rating, and each salesperson’s personal track record, which follows them and is often the first thing a repeat or referred customer checks before asking for that person by name. DealerRater is also now part of Cars.com, so reviews collected here flow through to the dealership’s listings on Cars.com as well, extending their reach far past DealerRater’s own site.

Why DealerRater reviews are tied to people, not just the store

Car buying is one of the largest, least frequent purchases most people make, and it comes with a well-earned reputation for high-pressure tactics. DealerRater’s employee-level review model exists to counter that: a buyer can see exactly how a specific salesperson treats customers before ever walking onto the lot, and a strong personal review record gives that salesperson credibility a generic dealership rating can’t.

DealerRater also runs recognition programs dealerships actively compete for — the "Certified Dealer" program, which highlights stores committed to online reputation and customer service, and annual "Dealer of the Year" awards by make and region, both driven substantially by review volume and rating. These aren’t just badges; they’re used in dealership marketing and cross-shopping comparisons.

Because DealerRater reviews sync to Cars.com listings, the platform’s influence extends beyond people who search DealerRater directly. A shopper comparing inventory on Cars.com sees the same ratings and reviews, which means a weak DealerRater presence quietly undercuts a dealership’s visibility on one of the largest car-shopping marketplaces as well.

Reference: DealerRater’s dealer resources.