Dealership Websites Fail, Car Buyers Worry About Cybersecurity, ChatGPT Referral Traffic

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Episode #1155: Overfuel calls out dealership websites for failing performance tests, RunSafe says cybersecurity is now a dealbreaker for buyers, and ChatGPT becomes a top traffic driver for retailers — while Amazon charts its own AI path

Show Notes with links:

​​Overfuel’s second annual study of top 50 dealer group websites reveals a major gap in digital performance. Despite increasing online shopper behavior, nearly every site failed to meet Google’s Core Web Vitals — for the second year in a row.

• • Just 0.4% of 1,910 dealership sites passed Google’s Core Web Vitals on both mobile and desktop.
  • That’s barely up from 0.0% in 2024, when no sites passed both benchmarks.
  • The majority of failures came from outdated tech, bloated page designs, and poor optimization.
  • Jay Wolfe Honda was one of only seven that passed both tests, boosting organic traffic by 29%.
  • “Too many dealers are overspending on ads just to push traffic into broken experiences,” said Overfuel President Alex Griffis.

• Cybersecurity is now steering consumer decisions, with nearly 9 in 10 drivers saying it directly impacts whether they'll buy a connected vehicle. A new report from RunSafe Security shows rising concern — and confusion — about how safe today's tech-heavy cars really are.
  • 87% of drivers say cybersecurity influences their car-buying decision; 70% would buy an older car to avoid risk.
  • Confidence is low: only 19% feel “very confident” their vehicle is secure.
  • Infotainment systems are seen as the weak link, with OTA updates and AI features raising new concerns.
  • 83% of drivers want transparency into software supply chains, fearing third-party components.
  • Andreas Biehl, Head of Mercedes-Benz Apps and MBUX: “We have the responsibility for user experience, but also to launch and run the whole product through comprehensive security and data-compliance processes.”

• ChatGPT is now driving meaningful traffic to major e-commerce players, signaling a shift in how consumers discover and shop for products online — and not everyone is playing along.
  • In August, ChatGPT drove 20% of Walmart’s referral traffic, 15% for Target, and over 20% for Etsy.
  • OpenAI’s own study says 2% of ChatGPT queries — about 50 million a day — involve shopping.
  • Amazon blocked ChatGPT from crawling its listings, losing nearly 18% of its AI-driven traffic month-over-month.
  • Amazon is betting on its own AI bot “Rufus” while retailers like Walmart are welcoming outside traffic.
  • “This traffic will not be free in the future,” said analyst Juozas Kaziukėnas. “But for now, it’s a gold rush.”

0:00 Intro with Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier
3:51 Dealership Websites Fair Google's Core Web Vitals
6:44 87% of Car Bu

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

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