AI chatbot for car dealerships.
Dealership shoppers ask the same things before they'll come in: is it still on the lot, what fees are on top of the online price, what is my trade worth, and can I get financed. A chatbot trained on your inventory policies, finance, trade-in and service pages answers the process questions accurately and passes buyers to your sales or BDC team with the stock number and contact details, without making offers only your finance office can make.
14 days free, then a free plan or from $8 a month. No card required.
Visitor: Is stock number L24187, the gray 2022 crossover, still available?
Chatbot: Inventory changes daily and I can't see live stock, so I can't confirm it's still on the lot. Leave your name and phone or email and a sales consultant will check, confirm the price and hold it for you if it's there.
Human handoff
Visitor: What rate would I get with a 680 credit score?
Chatbot: I can't quote a rate or tell you whether you'd be approved: that depends on the lender, the vehicle, the term and your full application. Our financing page explains how to apply through the secure credit application, and the finance team goes over the offers with you. Please don't share your Social Security number or income in this chat.
Financing page
Visitor: Do you take trade-ins that still have a loan on them?
Chatbot: Yes. Our trade-in page says we pay off the remaining loan as part of the deal. If you owe more than the car is worth, the difference can be paid or added to the new financing, subject to lender approval. The online trade estimate is a starting point; the final offer comes after an in-person appraisal.
Trade-in page
Powered by ChatBento
12 questions customers ask car dealerships
The questions car dealerships hear most. Copy them as a Q&A template, add your answers, and the chatbot answers them in your words.
- 1Is this vehicle still available, and can you hold it for me?
- 2Is the online price the real price, or are there dealer add-ons?
- 3What is your doc fee?
- 4Can I get pre-approved before I come in?
- 5Do you work with buyers who have bad credit or no credit history?
- 6How do you value my trade-in, and does it matter if I still owe on it?
- 7Can I schedule a test drive, or bring the car to my home?
- 8Is this used car certified pre-owned, and what does the warranty cover?
- 9Can I see the vehicle history report?
- 10My lease ends in March. Can I trade it in early or buy it out?
- 11What are your service department hours, and do you offer loaners?
- 12Can I do the paperwork online and have the car delivered?
Set it up in four steps
- 1
Point it at your website
Enter your site's address and ChatBento reads your pages. For car dealerships, make sure these are on the site or added as docs:
- Pricing and fees page: doc fee, any add-ons, what the online price includes
- Financing page: how to apply, the secure credit application link, first-time and credit-challenged buyer programs
- Trade-in page: how appraisals work, payoffs and negative equity
- Certified pre-owned program and used vehicle warranty details
- Test drive, home delivery and online buying process
- Service department page: hours, loaners, shuttle, scheduling link
- 2
Answer the 12 questions
Copy the questions above, paste them into ChatBento as Q&As and write your answers. These are what visitors ask first, so a clear answer here covers most chats.
- 3
Set the greeting and handoff
Add the email that receives handoffs and a greeting that sets expectations, for example: “Hi! I can help with trade-ins, financing steps, test drives and service. A team member confirms availability and pricing.”
- 4
Paste one line on your site
Many dealership sites run on a dealer website provider's platform; the script tag goes wherever the provider allows custom scripts, usually a footer or tag manager field. The install guide shows where the snippet goes.
Install on any website
What it answers, and what it hands to you
Hand these to a person
The chatbot collects the visitor's name and email or phone, then sends you the whole conversation.
- Vehicle availability, holds and final out-the-door pricing
- Credit applications, rates, terms and approval questions
- Trade-in offers after appraisal
- Lease-end decisions and buyouts
- Service appointments, repair status and warranty claims
- Complaints and questions about a past purchase
No approvals, no rate quotes, no surprise fees
The chatbot must never tell a shopper they're approved or pre-approved, or quote an interest rate or monthly payment as an offer: those depend on a credit application and the lender. It should describe advertised prices and fees exactly as your site states them, including any required add-ons, and send final pricing to a salesperson. Credit details like Social Security numbers and income belong only in your secure credit application, never in chat.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. ChatBento answers only from the content you give it, and says so when it doesn't know.
Which plan fits car dealerships
Typical volume: 2,500 to 8,000 AI replies a month. A single-point franchise or large used dealership with 25,000 to 60,000 site visits a month, where 2 to 3% of visitors open the chat and ask about four questions each.
Start on the Free plan (50 messages a month) to try it, then move up when the chat gets busy.
Car dealerships questions. Answered.
Can the chatbot check live inventory?
It answers from the pages it's trained on, so it doesn't see live stock levels from your inventory feed. Have it collect the stock number and the shopper's contact details so your sales team confirms availability.
Will it quote financing rates or payments?
No, and it shouldn't. It explains how to apply and what your finance programs are, then sends the shopper to your secure credit application. Rates, terms and approvals come from your finance office.
Does it replace our BDC or chat vendor?
It handles the repeat process questions, like doc fees, trade-in steps and service hours, at any hour, and hands buying signals to your BDC with the visitor's details. Many dealers use it so their team spends time on shoppers who are ready to talk.
Can it schedule service appointments?
It doesn't connect to your DMS or service scheduler. It links to your online service scheduling page or collects the customer's details and preferred time for your service advisors.
How much does an AI chatbot for car dealerships cost?
ChatBento has a Free plan with 50 AI messages a month, then Hobby at $8/month (2,000 messages), Standard at $30/month (10,000 messages), Pro at $100/month (40,000 messages). At typical volume for car dealerships, 2,500 to 8,000 AI replies a month, Standard at $30/month covers it, with up to 3 chatbots. Every account starts with a 14-day free trial, no card required.
Related industries
- AI chatbot for auto repair shops“How much is a diagnostic for a check engine light?”
- AI chatbot for insurance agents“Which insurance companies do you work with?”
- AI chatbot for mortgage brokers“Do you offer FHA, VA and USDA loans?”
Use cases for car dealerships
- Lead captureTurn website questions into leads. An AI chatbot answers from your content, then collects a name, email and note when a visitor wants follow-up, and emails you the lead with the full conversation.
- Pre-sales questionsAnswer the questions buyers ask before they pay: pricing, fit, timelines and terms. An AI chatbot replies instantly from your own pages and hands serious buyers to your team.
- After-hours supportGive visitors answers at night, on weekends and on holidays. An AI chatbot trained on your website replies 24/7 and takes a message when a question needs your team in the morning.
Terms to know
Answer visitors while you're closed. Free to start, then from $8 a month.
14-day free trial. No card required.