How do I get more subprime car buyers at my dealership?

By Jacques West, Founder · Updated 30 October 2026

Do you need more leads, or more sales?

Usually sales. A lead is not a deal. Jacques West, founder of Subprime Kings, hears this on almost every call:

"Whenever a dealer comes to me and asks me how to get more leads, they're actually saying that they're wanting more sales." Jacques West

So start with the real problem. Most stores are stuck with one or more of these:

• Old, cold, resold leads from third-party lists.
• Ads run by someone without a plan, or copy-and-paste ads.
• Only listing cars on Facebook Marketplace, CarGurus, AutoTrader or Kijiji and hoping.
• Slow or no follow-up after the app comes in.

How big is the subprime market right now?

Big and growing. In Q1 2026, subprime borrowers made up 20.6% of used-vehicle financing, up from 19.4% a year earlier, per Experian data reported by Auto Remarketing. That is roughly one in five used-car loans.

What actually brings in more subprime buyers?

1. Ads on your own brand. Facebook and Instagram ads that run on your store's page, in your market, aimed at real situations (a car that just died, a lease ending, a new job).
2. A full credit application, not a short form. Income, job, housing and consent to pull credit. See full credit app vs short-form leads.
3. Fast first contact. Many apps come in at night. A study in Harvard Business Review, "The Short Life of Online Sales Leads" found firms that contacted leads within an hour were far more likely to qualify them than firms that waited longer.
4. Follow-up that doesn't stop after one call. Most buyers don't pick up the first time.
5. Inventory that matches your lenders. If the bank won't fund the car for that buyer, the deal dies on the desk.

Why do some stores get 10 a day and others get 1?

In Jacques's experience it comes down to effort on the marketing side:

"If you look at my top performers, they're filming two to three times per week for an hour or so each session." Jacques West

The low-volume stores tend to run generic ads, buy small batches of poor data, and then decide ads "don't work."

Should I spend more money?

Not always. Often it is about moving money you already spend. Many stores pay for lists, listing sites and an agency at the same time. Putting that budget into one owned system, with real follow-up, can do more. Compare your options in alternatives to buying subprime leads.