Car buying programs · Credit unions
Credit union car buying services in North Carolina and Virginia: SECU, Navy Federal, PenFed and Virginia Credit Union, compared
If you bank with a credit union, it probably has a car buying service. Most of them are the same service with a different logo: TrueCar runs the SECU, Navy Federal and PenFed programs and draws on one network of certified dealers. Here is how they work, where each one shines, and a no-haggle way to buy with nothing to join.
How they work
One engine under most of them
Credit unions do not sell cars. Most hand the shopping to TrueCar, which builds a co-branded site for the credit union and lines up dealers who agree to TrueCar’s rules. TrueCar says its network has more than 13,000 certified dealers, about a third of the franchised dealers in the country. The buyer pays nothing; the dealers pay TrueCar, and the credit union shares in it.
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Step 1
Pick the vehicle on the credit union’s site
Choose a make, model and trim. The site shows what others nearby paid and the offers available from certified dealers near you.
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Step 2
Get an upfront price from a dealer
Each certified dealer sets its own price, so the number depends on which dealer and which month. Destination is included; dealer accessories, documentation fees, tax and tags usually are not.
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Step 3
Visit the dealer and test drive
The usual dealership visit: a short drive from the lot, then the finance office. The price offer is what you walk in with.
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Step 4
Finance through the credit union
This is where the programs differ. Some add a loan rate discount, a bonus or extra incentives when the purchase goes through the service.
Program by program
What each credit union program actually does
The prices come from the same kind of dealer offer. The perks around the price are what set them apart.
- SECU Car Buying Service
- North Carolina’s State Employees’ Credit Union. Operated by TrueCar, for members, with upfront prices from TrueCar Certified Dealers. SECU lending is limited to residents of NC, SC, GA, TN and VA. Prices may leave out tax, title, tags, government fees and some dealer fees. No bonus is listed.
- Navy Federal Car Buying Service
- Operated by TrueCar for Navy Federal members. Navy Federal reports that members who bought new in 2025 paid an average of $2,749 below sticker, across 3,093 reported sales; results vary. Extras include manufacturer offers on select vehicles and TrueCar’s military appreciation package where available.
- PenFed Car Buying Service
- Operated by TrueCar, in all 50 states and D.C. Non-members can start; membership opens with the loan. PenFed reports an average of $3,231 off sticker for 2025 new-car buyers. Buying through the service unlocks a discounted loan rate, a Buyer’s Bonus of up to $1,000 in benefits, and insurance deductible reimbursement up to $500, with some state exceptions.
- Virginia Credit Union AutoSMART
- A different model: a dealer network for research and online loan applications, with no agreements that affect vehicle prices. You negotiate the price yourself.
- AAA Club Alliance
- Not a credit union, but often compared: AAA auto buying in Delaware, Maryland, D.C. and parts of Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey is also run by TrueCar, with dealer offers that vary by dealer.
- USAA
- Its car buying service ended in 2020. USAA still offers auto loans and insurance.
Where they shine
They are free, they put a price in front of you before you go, and if you are financing with the credit union anyway, the loan perks are real money. For a buyer who dislikes haggling, that is a good way to buy.
Averages are each credit union’s own reported figures for 2025 new-vehicle purchases; individual results vary by dealer, vehicle and month.
What they don’t change
The price is upfront. The rest of the visit is the usual one.
None of this is hidden; it is how the programs are built. It is worth knowing before you walk in.
- The price varies by dealer
- Each certified dealer sets its own number, so two members shopping the same Wrangler can see different prices.
- Fees on top
- Documentation fees, dealer-installed accessories, tax and tags are usually outside the offer. Ask for the out-the-door total in writing.
- The test drive
- A short loop from the lot, the same as without the program.
- The finance office
- Extended warranties, coatings and add-ons are still offered after you agree on the price. You can say no.
The alternative
Keep your credit union loan. Get the price after half a day on the sand.
The Carolina Auto Program shares the idea behind these services, a price worked out before you buy, and changes two things: what qualifies you, and how much time you get in the vehicle first.
- What qualifies you
- Not a membership. Half a day in the vehicle on the Carova 4x4 beach north of Corolla, North Carolina, with no salesperson riding along. It costs $325.
- One price, not a range
- One no-haggle price from our dealer for that brand, set before you book and the same for every driver. It arrives that evening on a numbered certificate: sticker, discount, factory cash, the program price and the out-the-door total, good for 30 days.
- The guarantee
- Beat the certificate in writing at another store within the 30 days and the $325 comes back.
- Your financing
- Pay however you like. Bring your SECU, Navy Federal, PenFed or other credit union loan, or use the dealer’s.
- Built to order
- Drive the off-road trim on the beach, then order the color and options you want from the dealer on your certificate, delivered near home.
Side by side
Credit union car buying service vs. Carolina Auto Program
| Side by side | Credit union service (TrueCar) | Carolina Auto Program |
|---|---|---|
| What qualifies you | Credit union membership | Half a day in the vehicle on the Carova 4x4 beach, $325 a vehicle |
| Who sets the price | Each certified dealer, on its own | Our dealer for that brand, before you book, the same for every driver |
| Where you see it | Online, as dealer offers | On a numbered certificate emailed the evening of your experience |
| Time in the vehicle first | A short loop from the lot | About three hours on sand plus the drive up North Carolina Highway 12 |
| Guarantee | None on price | Beaten in writing within 30 days and the $325 is refunded |
| Loan perks | Yes, when you finance with the credit union | Bring the credit union loan with you |
| Vehicles | Most makes and models | A short list of 4x4s built for sand |
Questions
Straight answers
Does SECU have a car buying service?
Yes. The SECU Car Buying Service is operated by TrueCar. SECU members get upfront prices from TrueCar Certified Dealers; SECU lending is limited to residents of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. Prices may not include tax, title, tags, government fees and some dealer fees.
Is the Navy Federal car buying service TrueCar?
Yes. Navy Federal says TrueCar operates the Navy Federal Car Buying Service. Members see upfront price offers from TrueCar Certified Dealers, and each dealer sets its own price.
Do you have to be a PenFed member to use the PenFed car buying service?
You can start without being a member; membership is opened when you apply for the loan. Manufacturer cash offers are for members only, and some brand offers need 60 days or more of membership.
Does Virginia Credit Union have a car buying service?
It has AutoSMART, a network of dealers for research and online loan applications. Virginia Credit Union says it has no agreements with dealers that affect vehicle prices, so the price is negotiated with the dealer.
Does USAA still have a car buying service?
No. USAA's TrueCar-powered car buying service ended in 2020. USAA still offers auto loans and insurance.
Are the credit union car buying services the same?
Most of them run on the same engine. SECU, Navy Federal and PenFed are operated by TrueCar, as is AAA Club Alliance's auto buying, and they draw on the same network of TrueCar Certified Dealers. The perks around the price are what differ: loan rate discounts, bonuses and incentives.
Can I use my credit union auto loan with the Carolina Auto Program?
Yes. You can pay however you like. The dealer on your certificate can offer financing, and you can bring your own loan from SECU, Navy Federal, PenFed or any other lender instead.
Is the Carolina Auto Program connected to a credit union or TrueCar?
No. Beach 4x4 LLC runs it and is not connected to SECU, Navy Federal, PenFed, Virginia Credit Union, USAA, AAA or TrueCar. There is nothing to join: half a day on the beach is what gets you our dealer's no-haggle price.
The Carolina Auto Program · Open all year
Half a day on the sand. Then the price, in writing.
$325 a vehicle for the full five and a half hours, any month of the year. Request a date on the main page and we confirm by email the same day, with the booking link and the online license and insurance check. Questions? Text (252) 564-4218 or email bret@beach4x4.com; answers come back the same day.
Keys at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk, half a day up North Carolina Highway 12 and the Carova 4x4 beach, no one riding along. That evening, the dealer’s no-haggle price on a certificate good for 30 days. The whole experience, start to finish.