The Secret Used Car Pricing Code (Car Buying Tips)

Most car buyers are frustrated when the used cars on the lot have no prices on them. You'll have to pull teeth to get a price from a salesman! You'll hear lines like, "Let's take it for a drive first to make sure you like it before we discuss the figures. There's no point in discussing price if you're not going to like the car." With enough persistence, you might get the price out of the salesman, but usually you won't get any useful information until after you completed a test drive.

Why do dealers make the price on used cars such a mystery? When I sold cars, the explanation I got was, "We want the focus to be on the car and not the price of the car." The sales manager would say, "Just land the customer on a car. Get them excited about it and price won't matter." In case you're wondering why new cars have price stickers while used cars do not, it's because there is a federal law requiring the price to be displayed on all new cars.

Let me end the mystery for you right now and reveal the secret used car pricing code!

Here Is the Secret Used Car Pricing Code
Usually, on the windshield, there will be a sticker that gives the year, make and model of the car. You may notice some letters on this sticker. For example, you may see, "LSKKE." This, my friend, is the price once you can read the code!

Write down the word "BLACKHORSE" so that:
B = 1
L = 2
A = 3
C = 4
K = 5
H = 6
O = 7
R = 8
S = 9
E = 0

Using this code, where the letter represents the number given above, LSKKE is $29,550.

Once you're sitting at the negotiating table, you can bet this is the price the dealer will give. Therefore, if you know you're looking for a used car with an asking price of $20,000 or less, you can read the codes yourself. Any 4-digit code is safe since it represents a price of $9,999 or less. Any 5-digit code that begins with a "B" is safe since it represents the $10,000 range. If it starts with an "LE", you're pushing into your limit or beyond since you know the price is at least $20,000.

Written by a former car salesman, college math instructor, health insurance analyst and the author of The Car Buying Bible. This car 162-page car buying guide is full of great car buying tips and offers the best car loan calculator around.