The pure gross number of links generated to dealership websites is good, what's much better is the quality of the links pointing the the automotive sites. The question I usually get from dealers is, how to determine a good link from a great one or a game changer. Tough one to answer as many experienced Automotive SEO specialist will use their instinct as well as online tools.
Many SEO service providers do not have this level of experience or haven't given much thought to the quality of links pointing to dealer sites. They usually show you the brute number of links which is easy to sell. I've compiled a list of questions dealers can ask the people in charge of their Automotive SEO. Some will be made easier to answer by using some simple tools which I've also provided. Here they are.
1. Has the webpage been cached by Google?
Unless the page is very, very new, then the answer should be yes if you want a link from it.
Check using the Google Toolbar or SEO Book Toolbar
2. How many outgoing links are there on the page?
Its hard to put a fixed number on this as there are legitimate reasons for lots of outgoing links on a single page. However in general, I'd be a bit wary of a page that had more outgoing links than internal links. If you are going to put a figure on it, then I'd say that if outgoing links are heading into the 100's, then be careful that the quality of these links are good.
Check using the Search Status plugin for Firefox.
3. How many incoming links are there to the domain and page?
I'm always surprised at how many people don't look at this, many tools make this quite easy and quick. What you are looking for is a decent amount of quality links coming into the domain and a handful coming into the page you want a link from.
Check using the Search Status plugin, SEO Book Tool Bar or the SEOmoz Toolbar
4. Does the site appear top for a Google search for the site name and the URL?
If it doesn't appear anywhere, then there is a reason for this and this is the most surefire way of quickly seeing that a site has been penalized.
Google+
