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Car deal review kit

Education, not legal advice. We explain how dealer charges work and do the math. Your contract and your state’s law decide. For legal advice, talk to a lawyer or your local legal aid office.

Your car deal review: each charge explained, your rate checked, and your letters filled in. You send and file everything yourself; we never contact the dealer or lender. Everything you type stays in this browser.

Best first move

Get your papers. The buyer’s order, the loan contract (the retail installment contract), and the separate contract for each add-on.
Circle every line that isn’t the car, tax, or title and registration. Use the list below to see what each one is.
Didn’t agree to it, or told it was required? Call the dealer’s finance manager and ask them to take it off and redo the contract. The sooner, the easier.
Bought something you don’t want? GAP, service contracts and similar products can usually be cancelled in writing for a prorated refund.
No luck? Complain for free: the CFPB for your lender, and the FTC and your state attorney general for the dealer.

What's in the kit

My contract review. Type each charge from your contract. See what it is, whether it’s negotiable or cancellable, and the total with interest.
My rate check. What a marked-up rate costs you over the loan, compared with a bank or credit union offer.
My letters and complaints. Cancel a product for a refund, ask the dealer to take an add-on off, and complaint text for the CFPB, the FTC or your state attorney general. Re: Cancellation and refund request, contract [contract number], VIN [VIN]
My refund tracker. Each refund you asked for and what came back.

The car deal review kit is part of VaultRubric Pro. Cancel anytime before day 8 and you pay nothing.

Unlock with Pro, 7 days free, then $7/mo Member sign in

7 days free, then $7/mo or $59/yr. Card required, $0 today. First charge on day 8. Cancel anytime before then: sign in, open your dashboard and click “Manage billing or cancel”.

Need the basics first? The free guide has every charge explained, the add-on cost calculator and the refund estimate. Still shopping? Car buying help builds your out-the-door target and quote requests.

Sources

CFPB: Am I required to buy an extended warranty, GAP or credit insurance to get an auto loan? (last reviewed Mar. 5, 2024) (checked October 21, 2026)
CFPB: What is credit insurance for an auto loan? (last reviewed Mar. 8, 2024) (checked October 21, 2026)
CFPB: Supervisory Highlights Issue 35, Auto Finance (Oct. 2024), add-on refunds (checked October 21, 2026)
12 CFR 1026.4 (Regulation Z): finance charge; credit insurance and debt cancellation (b)(7), (b)(10), (d)(1), (d)(3) (checked October 21, 2026)
12 CFR 1026.18 (Regulation Z): closed-end credit disclosures, itemization of amount financed (checked October 21, 2026)
FTC: Automobile Industry Pricing Transparency FAQs (Sept. 15, 2026) (checked October 21, 2026)
CFPB: Submit a complaint (checked October 21, 2026)
FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov (checked October 21, 2026)

Next step: add up your add-ons in the free add-on calculator and call the dealer’s finance manager today. Back to the free car contract guide.

We never contact a dealer, lender or product company, ask for a refund, or file a complaint for you, and nothing you type is sent to us. Rules change and your contract may give you more; the official sources and your contract are the final word. Education, not legal advice. No dealer or lender pays to be on this page.

FAQ

Does VaultRubric contact the dealer or file my complaint?

No. Pro fills in the letters and complaint text. You send or file them yourself, and nothing you type is sent to us.

Can I upload my contract?

Pro members can keep a copy in secure uploads (PDF, JPG or PNG, encrypted, deleted after 30 days). We don't read it for you: you type the charges in here, and they stay on your device.

Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.