Paul and Michael recently highlighted something that deserves attention: CarEdge has launched a public Dealer Transparency Index, and your store is likely listed.

Their takeaway was simple. This is now “out in the wild.” Shoppers can search dealers and see an A–F transparency grade tied directly to pricing behavior. And if you are uncomfortable with your grade, don’t get defensive; start evaluating.

We went deeper into the research to understand what this index is actually measuring and what it signals about retail auto right now.

CarEdge’s Dealer Transparency Index assigns a 0–100 score that translates into an A–F grade. The scores are built from more than 40,000 verified out-the-door quotes collected through CarEdge’s AI negotiation platform.

Dealers cannot pay to improve their grade.

The formula weighs:

CarEdge lists 4,957 dealers in its search tool. Of those, 2,403 are graded A. 306 are graded F. The rest fall in between.

That distribution is important. Nearly half earning an A suggests strong operators exist in every market. A few hundred F grades suggest inconsistency remains visible.

CarEdge’s broader “State of Dealer Fees 2026” report analyzed 35,956 verified OTD quotes from 9,202 dealers across the country. A few data points stand out.

The national average doc fee sits around $420. But variance is wide. Some states cap fees. Many do not. Even within the same state, doc fees can range from modest to well over $1,000.

Buyers may not understand the regulatory nuance. They simply see a number.

According to the report, 52% of dealers include add-ons in verified quotes. When present, those add-ons average $2,152.

At the same time, 48% show no add-ons at all.

That gap creates dramatically different buying experiences before a customer ever steps into the showroom.

CarEdge reports the average listing-to-out-the-door markup runs 7% to 8% before tax and title. A vehicle listed at $40,000 commonly crosses $43,000 before government fees.

Some buyers expect that. Others do not.

Either way, it shapes trust.

Third-party scoring does not create the underlying behavior. It makes it searchable.

And in a market where shoppers already research everything, searchable reputation carries weight.

Paul described it well. This is not anti-dealer. It is accountability at scale. If your operation is strong, this becomes proof. If it is uneven, this becomes clarity.

Either way, the mirror is now public.

This is not a reset. It is a review.

Use this as a leadership check-in, not a compliance scramble.