Steps to Sell You Car to a Dealership

Step One: Get Your Paperwork Together

When you’re preparing to sell your vehicle, getting paperwork together is a good place to start. This includes the title or loan information if you haven’t paid off the car yet. It is also helpful to include any maintenance or repair records you have.

You’ll need to turn the title over when you sell the car. When it comes to those records, they show you’ve taken good care of your vehicle and can point to it being in good condition—a helpful tool when negotiating.

Step Two: Figure Out Your Car’s Worth

Finding out how much your vehicle is worth gives you a baseline of what you can expect to be offered at a dealership. With the internet, it’s easy to find out your car’s worth—you can even get multiple estimates, so you have a range to work with.

Including our website, many dealerships also have What’s My Car Worth? Tools to give you an estimate. In less than ten minutes, ours will give you a price that even acts as an offer you can redeem.

If you’ve collected multiple estimates, bring them with you to the dealership. You can use them to show that you know what to expect from your vehicle.

Step Three: Clean and Fix Up Your Car

A vehicle that looks nice is more likely to be in good condition than a vehicle that seems dirty. So, before you bring in your car, give it a clean; a good wash and vacuum should do the job. In short, you’re more likely to be offered more money for a nicer-looking car.

Have some minor dents or scratches? If you can, get those repaired. Those minor repairs can lead to a higher offer.

If there are any recalls open on your vehicle, complete those, too. Bring the paperwork from these repairs and recalls with you to show you’ve kept your vehicle in good condition.

Step Four: Bring Your Vehicle to the Dealership and Negotiate

To receive or confirm an offer, a vehicle typically has to be inspected. Bring it in to a dealership, and a sales team member will take a look. You’ll then get an offer, and negotiating can begin.

Use the paperwork you brought and what you learned about your car’s worth when negotiating.

Step Five: Finalize the Deal

When you and the dealership come to an offer you both can agree on, it’s time to go over the paperwork. Make sure everything is correct. If it is, sign the deal!

That’s it. You’ve sold your car and can walk away; the deal finished.