Smarter Used Car Sourcing From Your Service Lane

Hundreds of cars, trucks and SUVs zip through your dealership’s Service lane every week — many of which would look great sitting on your used car lot. You might think it’d be a challenge convincing their current owners to part ways with them, but often, getting those vehicles on your lot is as simple as getting your Service and Sales departments in sync.

Though they may be separated by little more than a wall or a hallway, Service and Sales teams often operate like entirely different entities. If your Sales team pays attention to what’s rolling through your Service lane, they’ll be able to seize great acquisition opportunities.

Used Car Supply Will Tighten Up More

Used car acquisition was already heating up before talk of tariffs. Now, many dealers are simply snapping up everything and anything they can. Analysts also note that major online retailers such as CarMax and Carvana were ramping up their purchasing in 2025. With this much pressure on inventory, dealers may have to be creative in how they acquire vehicles.

“I found my niche buying cars from customers’ driveways,” George Saliba, general manager and owner of J&S AutoHaus in New Jersey, recently said during the CDK Live Roundtable at NADA 2025. Saliba wasn’t alone in having to find unusual ways to procure cars for his dealership.

Tighter vehicle supply inevitably means higher costs for everyone, especially your Purchasing department. Acquiring cars by grabbing them while they’re in the dealership’s “driveway” — the Service lane — may be the most cost-effective way to do it.

Buy the Cars You Know

Think of your Service department as inspectors. Your Service Writers and Technicians know what separates a good car from a bad one. They likely know how to spot cars in good shape — those with no major mechanical issues, clean paint and bodywork, and with obvious signs of care. You may also be able to view the vehicle’s entire Service history, giving you far more data than even a vehicle history report will provide.

“By having access to data, there’s a greater comfort level in boosting the confidence of people making decisions,” said Bruce Johnson, CDK’s vice president of Product Marketing.

Vehicles whose drivers regularly maintain them at your dealership are likely to be of higher quality than those costly mysteries you can buy at auction. After all, you’re the ones doing the vetting.

Incentivize Service to Mine the Service Lanes 

One of the simplest ways to make an offer on a car passing through your dealership’s Service department is to have your Service Writers present customers with a conditional offer. This could be stapled to the back of the customer's receipt or sent via text or email. It’s up to each dealer to determine how to incentivize Service departments to bring attractive trades if they aren’t already.

Alternatively, you could dedicate some of your Purchasing department’s resources toward following up with recent Service customers. Have a member of the Purchasing department review the cars coming in for service every day. A phone call or text message with a concise, well-worded conditional offer might entice customers to trade up, especially if the communication includes information about the newer version of their vehicle.

Tactfully offer upgrades to get your customers into new cars with minimal outlay while bolstering your used car inventory.