Closing Chrysler Dealers Will Make Deals

When Chrysler announced last week it would cancel franchise ties with 789 dealers, the company said it would coordinate the transfer of unsold inventory to its healthy dealerships. In today’s USA Today, some of the closing dealers say they haven’t received any help from Chrysler to offload unsold cars, trucks and SUVs.

A Dodge dealer in Winberg, Pa., said “Want to buy one? We’re having a fire sale.” A Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealer in Malvern, Ark., said “it’s not a matter of ‘if.’ We will sell them all.” These closing dealers will not be able to sell new Chrysler products past June 9.

An analyst from Consumer Reports suggested going to a dealer with a lowball price.

We suggest car shoppers do their due diligence. First, obviously, check out the full list of closing dealers here.

Next, check the latest incentives on consumer sites for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep, as offers vary depending on your zip code and end June 1. You should also check Cars.com’s incentives page for other incentives, and our Research section for a car’s five-year cost of ownership and its Smart Target Price.

You can search Cars.com for the dealer’s current inventory, then contact as many local dealers as you can over the internet to get quotes via email, as well as to make sure the car you’re interested in is still in stock.

If you’re shopping for a new Chrysler and want to tell us about your experience, please email editor@cars.com.

Chrysler dealer cuts mean potential deals for consumers (USA Today)