Disadvantages of buying a car from a non-local dealership?

Won’t get preference when you need to get car serviced, might not get a loaner

I’ve bought 6 of my last 7 cars out of state, including 2 in the past 4 months.
Never had any issues getting loaners from my local delaers when getting service done.
Always beat local dealers’ prices significantly.

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Not 100% true, I’ve gotten them before but it’s rare

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its best to plan and assume like you aren't getting one.

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Oregon has no sales tax so many Californians come up (if we are lucky they go back home) and buy a vehicle from here. California now has a “reward” for neighbors who call and report any new cars that weren’t purchased in California. I believe the reward is a few thousand dollars

Unrelated to your inquiry OP, but if you’re planning on buying out of state I hope you don’t live in Commieville

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Oregon has no sales tax so many Californians come up (if we are lucky they go back home) and buy a vehicle from here. California now has a “reward” for neighbors who call and report any new cars that weren’t purchased in California. I believe the reward is a few thousand dollars

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Wouldn’t help in Louisiana. You could buy the car on another planet, you pay tax based on your address

There isn’t really a downside other than transportation to get the vehicle, and the fact that dealers play games once they get you in the door. For instance the last car I went to buy was not actually there when I got there even though I explicitly said I was coming to buy it at the negotiated price. It was only a 30 minute drive and were able to work something out with one they had on the lot. I would have been pissed if I didn’t know I was getting a great deal on my trade, which I also negotiated beforehand.

Also, keep in mind that different states may have different distributors (ex gulf states Toyota vs southeast Toyota) that charge different destination fees, which won’t be waived. So you just need to know what all those fees are so you can compare apples to apples.

Yeah they didn’t try to change fees, they straight up didn’t have the vehicle (with a specified VIN an OTD price) we agreed on. It was not out of state, but still a little drive from my house. That situation would have pissed me off if it weren’t for bending on the trade.

I’ll say I bought another vehicle out of state that everything with the new sale went well but they lowballed the shite out of my trade. In this case I was getting a Tacoma more than $3k under sticker which was ridiculous at the time so I was not surprised they were trying to make up for it. That all worked out as well with just a little negotiation.

They can also hassle you at the finance table even for warranties and what not. This may just be an annoyance rather than a game but something that could make a transaction not go as smooth as it should.

Don’t ever underestimate the dealer playing games because they have endless variables they can play with. If they can squeeze you for another $100 they will. This isn’t unique to buying from an out of state dealer but they have you far away from home if you get there.

I am an advocate of buying where you can get the best deal, and increasing your radius is the best way to do it, I just want the OP to remember they are still messing with a car dealer and all the same rules still apply (don’t be afraid to walk and threaten it if necessary).

Yep, and I only deal with dealers willing to negotiate online. This limits your options but headaches as well because everything is in writing.

My two scenarios above were relatively painless, just wanted to point out a few things to look out for. I also don’t like leaving money on the table, but will usually settle for within $500 of the best possible deal I think I could make.